New trains equipped with on-board messenger systems, toilets accessible to people in wheelchairs and designed to prevent commuters from being crushed in closing doors are on their way to Cape Town in the next two years.

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa announced its R123 billion “rolling stock renewal” programme earlier this year.

And seven bidders are in the running which will see around 700 new trains on South Africa’s tracks.

Prasa spokesman Moffet Mofokeng said the evaluation of the proposals was still under way.

He said the new trains would start running in 2015.

One of the bidders is the consortium Dudula Rail. This comprises Swiss rail group Stadler Rail, the Asea Brown Boveri group and the South African company, Naledi Rail Engineering.

Felice Massaro, spokesman for Dudula Rail and executive vice president of the Stadler Rail, detailed some aspects of the bid at a press conference on Thusday.

About 100 South Africans would travel to Switzerland to work with staff there on the manufacturing of the trains.

Once they returned they would in turn train other local employees. He said Prasa had set high standards for the new trains.

There would two be designs. One has less seating and will be used where stations are just a few minutes apart. For longer travel, trains with more seats would be used on those lines.

All trains will have on-board messaging systems giving passengers details of the next station and information on transfers.

“They (Prasa) have also asked for an analysis of the doors looking at where people are flowing in and out.”

This was aimed at avoiding the pile-up at the doors, common on trains at present.

Some trains would also be equipped with toilets accessible by wheelchairs.

And there would be no classes, like the present Metro Plus set-up.

Massaro said Prasa also wanted to ensure that at least 65 percent of the goods needed to make the trains were locally sourced.

 

 

Source: http://www.iol.co.za