The Johannesburg – Pretoria link of the Gautrain should open in “two to three weeks”, said Gautrain Management Agency CEO Jack van der Merwe on Tuesday.

The second phase of the R26-billion project had originally been scheduled to start operations in March. The OR Tambo International Airport – Sandton link opened ahead of schedule last year, on June 8.

Completion of the second phase of the rapid-rail link project had hit a technical snag in the tunnel section from Rosebank station to Park station, in Johannesburg, noted Van der Merwe.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Southern African Transport Conference, held in Pretoria, he said the last leg of the 80 km route had more underground water than the project team had anticipated.

“It isn’t a serious, immediate problem, but is a problem over the lifetime of the project.”

Van der Merwe emphasised that the water was not acid mine water from discontinued mines. Environmentalists had expressed fears that this water, if left unchecked, could eventually swamp Johannesburg.

He added that finding a solution could mean that Park station would not open on the same date as the other second-phase stations in the system.

“We have not yet made a decision on this.”

The Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) on Monday issued a safety permit to the Gautrain’s Bombela Operating Company (BOC), to operate the route between Park station and Hatfield station, paving the way for the start of the commuter leg of the rail service.
 
The RSR said in a statement the BOC had satisfied the regulator that “rigorous safety testing and trial runs” had been completed, and that all the “required safety measures” were in place to “enable the transportation of passengers”.

Van der Merwe said he anticipated the fully operational Gautrain system to carry between 110 000 to 120 000 passengers a day.