According to current planning, the second phase of the Gautrain project should open by the end of July, says Gautrain Management Agency CEO Jack van der Merwe.
The first phase of the R25.4-billion rapid-rail system opened in June 8, last year, linking Sandton and the OR Tambo International Airport.
The second phase will link Pretoria with Johannesburg, and include stations in the Johannesburg central business district (CBD), Rosebank, Midrand, Centurion, Pretoria CBD and Hatfield, all serviced by Gautrain-specific buses.
Construction on the rail project started in 2006.
The Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) announced on June 24 that it believed it was possible to issue the required operating permit for the second phase of the Gautrain during the course of July.
The RSR must ensure the operator has met all the required conditions in terms of the safety and stability of the system, before it may carry passengers.
*Van der Merwe spoke at the AfricaRail 2011 conference in Johannesburg.
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