The relevance of Passenger Rail Agency of SA’s massive rail revitalisation programme has been heavily scrutinised and questioned, understandably, at a time when over expenditure and poor project implementation seems to have become the mark of government-bankrolled megaprojects. However, the project will be well implemented and it will have immense economic spin-offs, Communications Minister, Faith Muhambi, said in Pretoria on 25th September during a press briefing.
The minister explained that it is envisaged that the project would create 8 088 direct jobs, as well as many more indirect work opportunities.
“Prasa will spend R51bn over the next 10 years to procure 600 top-class trains for… South Africa,” said Muhambi. A total of 580 of these would be manufactured locally at a new R1bn factory to be established in Dunnotar, outside Nigel, in Ekurhuleni.
“The 600 000m² manufacturing facility is designed to house the manufacturing plant, a training facility and a fully fledged industrial park.”