Johannesburg, June 8 (DPA) A high-speed train service revved into action in South Africa Tuesday, linking Johannesburg’s international airport, Africa’s biggest, with the World Cup host city in record time.
The 25.4-billion-rand ($3.2 billion) Gautrain began service three days before the World Cup kicks off in Johannesburg.
The sleek silver-and-gold trains clip along at a maximum speed of 160 kilometres per hour, covering the 19.8 kilometers between OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton business and hotel district in 12 minutes.
Sandton is where many World Cup tourists will be staying.
The trains were running on time Tuesday morning, according to excited passengers who compared the service to a ‘European train’. The trip to the airport costs 100 rand ($12.8 dollars).
Africa’s first high-speed railway was built by the Bombela Consortium, starting in 2006.
Bombela is a partnership between Murray & Roberts and Strategic Partners Group from South Africa, Bombardier Inc of Canada and France’s Bouygues Construction.
The trains will eventually extend to central Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria. The Gauteng provincial government is believed to have exerted considerable pressure on Bombela to open the first leg of the service for the football extravaganza.
