A track facility for testing the new suburban passenger trainsets that began arriving from Brazil is to be ready by the end of January 2016, Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) spokesman Victor Dlamini announced. The 400 metre test track is being built at the Wolmerton depot north of Pretoria, where adjustment for the new sets is being provided, Business Day informs. However, upgraded infrastructure needed to operate the rolling stock will not be ready until some six months after testing begins in February 2016.
The first 20 sets are being built at Alstom’s plant in Brazil. The remaining 580 are to be constructed locally, reportedly at a new factory that is yet to be built in Dunnottar, Nigel. However, Alstom recently acquired the former Union Carriage property located nearby in Nigel and it now seems possible that work may begin there. Nevertheless, the first locally manufactured trains coming off the production line now seems unlikely before some time in 2017.
The R51 billion (USD 3 billion) deal to build 600 trains is one of the biggest procurement contracts for South Africa.
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