Dispute over water levels delays Gautrain link

A dispute between the Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) and construction company Bombela has led to the new service between the Joburg CBD and Pretoria being delayed.

The train link was to have been launched on June 28, but underground water seepage problems have led to a higher water level than accepted in the concession agreement between the province and Bombela, resulting in the delay.

The underground water problem was not anticipated by the construction team of the R26 billion project, and it has become a concern for the train's long-ter m operations because of its possible effects on infrastructure.

Bombela is also contracted run the train service.

Gautrain spokeswoman Barbara Jensen said a date had not been set for the start of the service, but an announcement would be made later this week.

The dispute has arisen because the GMA does not want to open the route until the problem has been resolved, but Bombela, which is to begin deriving income only when the trains start running, wants the service to be launched and work to be done after hours on the water problem.

The GMA is in negotiations with Bombela and is awaiting a submission from it on how waterproofing may be improved in the tunnel between the Rosebank and Park stations in Joburg.

The province and Bombela met recently for talks on who was to be responsible for the excess water.

It was decided that Bombela should attend to the waterproofing problem.

Tests are under way on whether the system can meet expectations in exceptional conditions.

Bombela spokesman Errol Braithwaite has said before that the water would not affect the operations of the train and was not a safety risk.

The National Railway Safety Regulator has issued a permit for the new route and the train is ready to roll.

But, according to a source, who did not want to be named because of the sensitivity of negotiations between the province and Bombela, Gauteng is worried about the higher water table's long-term effects on infrastructure.

The National Railway Safety Regulator said after it issued the permit that it was satisfied that "rigorous safety testing and trial runs" had been completed, and that all the "required safety measures" were in place to "enable the transportation of passengers".

The water would not threaten the safety of passengers, the regulator said.

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