Port Elizabeth’s economy is set for a major boost with the construction and development of the Motherwell Passenger Rail project.

This is according to Nico Pienaar, Project Manager at GIBB, the firm tasked with designing the Motherwell Passenger Rail Corridor (MPRC). The project is one of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s (Prasa) largest rail developments and Pienaar believes that once constructed it will give the local economy a major boost.

In 2000, Prasa undertook the basic planning of the MPRC, however, subsequent developments in land use and rail technology meant that the planning required an update. This was completed by GIBB in 2014, who were then appointed by Prasa, to carry out the design of the proposed MPRC and stations.

“The base design was completed in November 2015, with preliminary design following in October 2016 and the detail design in July 2018. Once the detail design is approved, the construction tender will be released,”Pienaar explains.

Scope of works

The MPRC project consists of infrastructure including 14.7km of ballasted railway track, of which 7.14km is a double line, 5 rail cross-overs, 13 turnout sets, 2.3km of concrete railway track structure and the required bulk earth works and railway design layer works.

The project also incorporates ten bridge structures and three railway station buildings, including mechanical and electrical services, precincts, intermodal facilities and retail facilities. It also includes a service road along the railway alignment and a 3m high boundary wall to protect both Prasa assets and public safety by preventing people from crossing the railway lines.

The railway stations are designed to allow connectivity between the train services and other transport services. This is a Prasa initiative, intended to support the IPTN (Integrated Public Transport Network) of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.