JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng Provincial Government will take over the Gautrain from 28 March, as the contract with its current concessionaire, Bombela Concession Company, expires on 27 March.
According to Gautrain CEO Tshepo Kgobe, the process of appointing a new concessionaire is about six months behind schedule.
READ: Plans to expand Gautrain routes to Soweto, Springs and Fourways in motion
However, commuters are assured that services will continue without disruption.
“The current concessionaire will remain in place until a new contract is signed. Users of the service will at no point be left stranded,” Kgobe said.
The Gautrain will continue to operate under a public-private partnership (PPP) while the provincial government finalises a new private operator for the next phase of the rail system.
The existing agreement with Bombela, which has been in place for almost 20 years, covered the design, construction, financing, operation, and maintenance of the system.
Kgobe also noted that the Gautrain is looking to expand into commercial ventures, including property development, coffee shops, and other amenities -- plans that were previously put on hold but are now back on the table.
During the State of the Province Address, Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced that the Gautrain expansion project will resume.
The network is set to extend to Soweto, Atteridgeville, Mamelodi, Fourways, and parts of the West Rand, with later expansion to Sedibeng in the Vaal.
“We are finalising the concessionaire for the Gautrain expansion for the next 15 years,” Lesufi said.
Kgobe emphasised that strict processes are in place to ensure the search for a new concessionaire is transparent and compliant.
All contracts must pass three approvals at National Treasury before being signed.
“We have had 13 consecutive clean audits, and no one wants to break that record,” Kgobe added.