High Speed Train Just the Ticket for Cup Fans

[MrFSS]

JOHANNESBURG - Africa's first high speed urban train started operating in Johannesburg Tuesday, just in time to help World Cup fans bypass the city's notorious traffic congestion.

Full Story

 

[jamesontheroad]

There's a bit more detail over at the BBC, including analysis of the (many) criticisms of the project.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/10259619.stm

I'd also challenge the use of the term "high speed" ... it may be high speed for South Africa, but it's really just a British suburban train all swanked up to make public transport appealing to South African car drivers...

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Another take, from the Los Angeles Times...

New high-speed train gives South Africa a lift

"The section linking Sandton to the airport opened Tuesday. When it's finished, the nearly $4-billion Gautrain linking Pretoria, Sandton, Johannesburg, the airport and other locations will have 10 stations, three of them underground, and nearly seven miles of underground track. It's not exactly the sprawling Paris Metro, but there's nothing else like it in sub-Saharan Africa.

"Critics contend that the Gautrain will turn out to be a white elephant. They believe the money could have been better spent upgrading transport infrastructure for poor blacks.

"The train isn't affordable for the poor: It costs nearly $6 a day for people from Alexandra township to get a bus to a nearby Gautrain station and then go onward to Sandton and back."

 

[MikefromCrete]

From looking at the Gautrain website, it's just a commuter train. I don't think there's anything high speed about it.