The proposed construction of a high-speed train link between Durban and Johannesburg was labelled recently as another prestige project that would only benefit the few while South Africa’s general transport system was going to the dogs.
Kwazi Mbanjwa, the head of KwaZulu-Natal’s transport department, unveiled the plans for the high-speed train earlier this month at the South African Road Federation Conference in Durban.
Jeremy Cronin, the chair of Parliament’s portfolio committee, questioned whether the train was not simply another ”expensive vanity project”, much like the Gautrain.
”I am worried that we are going for another vanity project that gets people all excited, but does not deliver the benefits ordinary people in South Africa really need,” said Cronin, who also opposes the Gautrain.
Construction on the Gautrain started this week, although the portfolio committee has said that not all concerns related to the project had been addressed.
Mbanjwa said the plans for the high-speed train had been agreed to in principle and were waiting for final approval from the national government in October.
The planners were inspired by the model of high-speed trains in Germany, Mbanjwa said, adding that the existing railway lines would be upgraded to accommodate the faster trains. The plan is for the train to transport 3 000 passengers each day
Cronin said projects such as the Coega development near Port Elizabeth, the Gautrain and the freight logistics centre in Durban, which will include the new King Shaka International Airport, are all ”nice to haves”, but the question has to be asked whether South Africa really needs them. ”Could the money have been invested in better projects that are not quite as spectacular?” Cronin asked. ”And now we are hearing about this new train, another dazzling project.”
According to him Spoornet’s services have improved and a high-speed train is not really necessary as the rail link between Durban and Johannesburg had already improved considerably.
”Instead of spending billions on these projects, we should be upgrading our existing infrastructure and invest into those areas of transport such as Metrorail that need help,” he said. ”Metrorail is heavily underinvested and the taxi recapitalisation programme is not going anywhere.”
Cronin blamed construction companies for selling expensive projects to government on the back of job creation, perceived economic development and, in the case of South Africa, new BEE opportunities. Cronin added that this was an international phenomenon and not limited to South Africa.
”You have to ask who will be the ultimate beneficiaries of this train,” he said. ”Will it be the Basil Reeds and Murray & Robertses of this world?”
Rail expert Andrew Marsay says that the costs of building infrastructure for a train averaging nearly 200kph would not be low, given existing gradients and track widths between Durban and Johannesburg, as speed trains need easy gradients to maintain their high speeds.
Although the costs of the project are still unknown and the KwaZulu-Natal department of transport failed to reply to written questions on the project, Spoornet CEO Siyabonga Gama has reportedly estimated the cost of putting in rail for the high-speed link at about R30-million.
Marsay has also questioned whether the high-speed train will be able to compete with the cheaper airfares South African airlines are currently offering, especially as high-speed European trains have proven to be financially unviable.