The Gautrain has been running on extra time since March. The Bombela Concession Company's deal to run it ended then, after 19 and a half years, and the Gautrain Management Agency stretched it by six months so the trains kept moving while a successor was picked.
This week the province announced the winner, although its own statement left the name out; the consortium and its partner Alstom supplied it. Sihamba Sonke Mobility, or SSM, will operate, maintain and refurbish the Gautrain and its feeder bus network for 15 years, until 2041. It brings together mostly South African and other African investment and engineering firms, including the AIIM-Motseng joint venture and GIBB-Crede, along with an ownership vehicle meant to let Gauteng residents own part of the concession company directly.
Familiar faces in the new team
Two of SSM's members have been here before. RATP Dev, part of the French state-owned RATP Group, was the main shareholder in Bombela Operating Company, which has run the trains since 2010, and it is part of the new consortium too. Alstom, the train maker that has maintained the Gautrain since the start, is another member.
The outgoing concession company did not simply hand over the keys. It was part of the Jubane Consortium, alongside the French transport company Keolis, one of SSM's two rivals for the contract.
Eight more trains, built in Gauteng
For commuters, the promise is more train. The fleet grows from 24 four-car trains to 32, with more frequent trains in weekday off-peak hours, longer operating hours and, over time, account-based ticketing. Alstom will build the eight new trains at its Ubunye factory in Gauteng, refurbish the existing fleet and put in a new signalling system.
That is a big job for one partner. Alstom values its share of the work at €800 million over the 15 years, maintenance included. The province is adding more feeder routes and midibuses, full backup power at stations, and a target of 30% renewable energy across stations and depots.
The system SSM inherits has carried more than 216 million passenger trips in its 16 years. The province says the changes will come in gradually over the 15 years of the deal.
