Trackworks and associated railway infrastructure are complete and this section of the Gautrain route is now operational. Ticket vending machines and fare gates have been installed and testing of the system is in progress.
At Sandton station, construction work on the multi-level parkade and erection of structural steelwork canopies that will form the entrance structure on the corner of Rivonia Road and West Street is under way.
After negotiations last week concluding an agreement "in principle" that Sandown High School would be Bafana's training ground, it was a shock for Oupa Keele to receive news saying otherwise.
Keele, the chairman of the school's governing body, said he had received an e-mail on Tuesday from the legal department of the Fifa World Cup Organising Committee SA. The short communication informed the school that the South African team had "opted for another venue as their camp and that negotiations are terminated with immediate effect".
Although the train is not a World Cup project, its readiness would ease concern that existing public transport plans may not be sufficient for the many thousands of visitors expected in SA for the event.
Barbara Jensen, spokeswoman for the project, told Business Day yesterday that although the airport-to-Sandton link was not a World Cup project, "chances are very good that it can be ready".
She said the project managers would make a final call on the deadline within the next two weeks.
Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane doesn't want to pay any extra cash to Gautrain concessionaire Bombela in order to bring the launch date forward from June 27. Instead, the provincial government is offering to relax later delivery deadlines for other parts of the project.
Gautrain Management Agency CEO Jack van der Merwe says there is an "80% to 90% chance" that the link will be opened on May 27. "It is looking more than positive," he says. "We hope to sign a new contract and make an announcement in mid-February."
[W]ith just one press of the button the blast would take down the hewn wall and open up the 15,5km tunnel between Park station and Sandton, making one continuous conduit that has taken three years to construct.
The tunnels came from opposite directions - one was en route from the Shaft E2 site in Rosebank, while the other came from the Park station site.
I told them I had a very reliable SatNav. They told me it was useless and I would get lost. Only they knew where my hotel was and after giving me directions asked me for their money.
“Where are our dollars or pounds, sir ?” they asked in a more threatening manner.
I gave them their cash and they let me go.