NCR - Gautrain

[Johan Bornman]

Cheap gags aside (dontchaluvem) I think this is something to be proud of - impressive photos Gman' date=' what were you doing there (apart from taking photos)?

[/quote']

 

This is what always gets me about us lot. Something which is potentially positive gets shot down from all sides before it has even had a chance to prove itself. Not one positive comment or a hint of excitement.

 

Personally when I see photos like those above or the huge changes being done to the highways around JHB and Pretoria I feel good and am proud to see such progress.

 

We are really are a country of pessimists. If this country is so bad why do we all stay here?

 

Cut

 

 

I can't agree with you more Ian. I thought I was the train's only spokesperson. It's gonna be great!

[Guest Big H]

Cheap gags aside (dontchaluvem) I think this is something to be proud of - impressive photos Gman' date=' what were you doing there (apart from taking photos)?

[/quote']

 

This is what always gets me about us lot. Something which is potentially positive gets shot down from all sides before it has even had a chance to prove itself. Not one positive comment or a hint of excitement.

 

Personally when I see photos like those above or the huge changes being done to the highways around JHB and Pretoria I feel good and am proud to see such progress.

 

We are really are a country of pessimists. If this country is so bad why do we all stay here?

 

Cut

 

 

I can't agree with you more Ian. I thought I was the train's only spokesperson. It's gonna be great!

 

The Gautrain must be the biggest Engineering project in a very long time. Ambitious it is but many of these projects are not measured by their successes but by their failures. The rumour I heard is that Engineers are resigning becuase they do not want their name connected with the project. Whether this is true I do not know.

 

When I was still in RSA I attended some of the pre-meetings for the project. At that stage the main passenger target was to get them out of their BMW's on the Ben Schoeman and onto the Gautrain. It would have "silent" coaches where soothing music would be played, internet coaches and they even said Bicycle cioaches. Whether that is stil on I do not know. Cost would be R37-00 and there would be free shuttles from a certain radius and larger busses from further away. Gautrain is NOT going to cater for the masses.

[Nancy Drew]

Well said IanJ!!

 

Anything that I say here will be biased so all I will say is that seeing these pics (which were the official press photographs) fill me with pride.. I'm also filled with pride when I see the viaducts and bridges being erected and tunnels being dug despite all the negative press and criticism.. it's going full steam ahead with sites operating 24/7

 

This project will be a huge success in what is a trying time with high staff turnover in the construction industry as a whole... NOT just on this project

 

 

[David #7]

Every time I fly over any of the sites you can see how much progress has been made.

 

I think something that is not taken into account is that this project has all the big players in the construction industry both locally and internationally. These main players will not allow a project of this nature to tarnish their reputations. 

[Hog_]

 

Well said IanJ!!

 

Anything that I say here will be biased so all I will say is that seeing these pics (which were the official press photographs) fill me with pride.. I'm also filled with pride when I see the viaducts and bridges being erected and tunnels being dug despite all the negative press and criticism.. it's going full steam ahead with sites operating 24/7

 

This project will be a huge success in what is a trying time with high staff turnover in the construction industry as a whole... NOT just on this project

 

 

My fiancee is in HR in Engineering, and they just hired a full-time recruitment person to deal with the staff turnover rate. It seems that SA needs engineers, and the guys are taking advantage of it - jumping for bigger salaries twice a year. I'm glad that the project is going full-steam despite this.

 

Even if the Gautrain doesn't cater for the masses, and even if most people don't use it, it will at least create an alternative, an option. And who knows, maybe it will change a few mindsets? If 50 people decide to ride their bikes to the train, then travel close to work, and ride their bikes to the office, we'll have 50 cars off the road, and we'll have 50 people out there inspiring others to do the same.

 

 

[IanJ]

Thanks guys, I had forgotten about this thread with all the excitement of the 24hr.

 

Good to hear that at least there are some people left in the country with an optimistic outlook.

 

Now Nancy go get your spade and get digging !!!

 

[Gman1834]

We can have a cycle race were we start in Pta at the station cycle to a station in Jhb and take the train back, almost like the Fast One

 

 

 

[Nancy Drew]

Thanks guys' date=' I had forgotten about this thread with all the excitement of the 24hr.

 

Good to hear that at least there are some people left in the country with an optimistic outlook.

 

Now Nancy go get your spade and get digging !!!

 

[/quote']

 

 

sure thing IanJ... just as soon as I've fixed Oxford Road!

 

 ever seen Lion King (2 or 3?).... dig a tunnel, dig dig a tunnel..... dig a tunnel, dig dig a tunnel

 

 

[quinton]

I can't wait to take a ride in one of these in SOUTH AFRICA!!

Once the majority of the rail grid is complete, I will use them to go everywhere possible!

[IanJ]

Thanks guys' date=' I had forgotten about this thread with all the excitement of the 24hr.

 

Good to hear that at least there are some people left in the country with an optimistic outlook.

 

Now Nancy go get your spade and get digging !!!

 

[/quote']

 

 

sure thing IanJ... just as soon as I've fixed Oxford Road!

 

 ever seen Lion King (2 or 3?).... dig a tunnel, dig dig a tunnel..... dig a tunnel, dig dig a tunnel

 

 

 

Well we have had Hubbers building bridges on the Spruit so I am sure if things get really tight there we could organise a Hubbers tunnel digging weekend. How far do you think we could dig in one weekend?

 

 

[Nancy Drew]

Thanks guys' date=' I had forgotten about this thread with all the excitement of the 24hr.

 

Good to hear that at least there are some people left in the country with an optimistic outlook.

 

Now Nancy go get your spade and get digging !!!

 

[/quote']

 

 

sure thing IanJ... just as soon as I've fixed Oxford Road!

 

 ever seen Lion King (2 or 3?).... dig a tunnel, dig dig a tunnel..... dig a tunnel, dig dig a tunnel

 

 

 

Well we have had Hubbers building bridges on the Spruit so I am sure if things get really tight there we could organise a Hubbers tunnel digging weekend. How far do you think we could dig in one weekend?

 

 

 

hmmm.. well let's see, it's taken 19 months to excavate just over 10kms of tunnel... and that's with some pretty advanced technology.

 

I'll leave the maths to you

 

 

[Hog_]

Just get me a few beers and make sure my fianc?e is nearby. I normally manage to dig myself in pretty deep when I'm drunk and she's around! 

 

 

 

[Beesboer]

For all the updates you want go check it out on the link.

 

http://www.gautrain.co.za/index.php?fid=1&fp=0

 

 

 

It's an awsome project. Most of the sites are apparently still on schedule, which is great for such a big project.

 

 

 

Funny that you don't hear the people from Gautrain go on a strike, but the soccer stadium staff strike regularly. Shows the different management style.

[Man with no name]

I certainly share the optimism and I think what is happening is great.

Being a keen observer of economic conditions and especially given the current state of global macro economics, I need to wonder what the impact on the already receding labour market will be if all the Gautrain, Road Projects, BRT projects and 2010 projects are over?

 

Will there be a massive ejection of temporary labour into the already large unemployed population or will we have the ability to generate new projects such as this?

 

My second concern is whether the country at large can afford the current infrastructural spend, given the shrinking pool of funds available for large infrastructure projects. Remember, on top of this, you also need to finance Eskom's Bravo and Medupi, Coega in the Eastern Cape and a number of other large capex projects.

 

Don't want to sound like a pessimist, but these are real issues which I am not sure the politicians have answers for at this stage?

Man with no name2008-12-08 09:53:09

[IanJ]

MWNN, I must admit that the issue you raise are also things I was wondering about. When I saw the scope of the highway upgrading project alone I wondered about the funding. I know that they will become toll roads but the payback period must be extremely long term and I also wonder if the country can afford it.

 

However if you factor in the loss in national productivity in having that many vehicles taking so long to get from A to B as it does at the moment then there must be a big justification built in there. If you could save 30 minutes for each car or truck travelling on the N1/N3 around JHB every day there must be considerable savings.

 

Anyway interesting points especially the labour issue, after Gautrain, 2010 and the highway projects are wrapped up I can't see many other big ones on the horizon. Mines are also scaling down so there are going to be lots or workers looking for jobs in a few years time.

 

[Nancy Drew]

Let's not forget that there will be operating and maintenance for many years to come after some of these projects reach completion, so in some cases jobs will still be plentiful.