The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has commissioned Siemens South Africa’s Mobility Division with the construction of a new Gauteng Nerve Centre (GNC) for centralised rail traffic management including the delivery of several modernised electronic interlocking signalling systems. The contract, worth approximately R900 million, is the largest signalling project ever to be awarded in South Africa.
Siemens divisional director Kevin Pillay says that the contract will have a positive impact on the signalling industry at large. “The local signalling industry is fairly small and comprised of extremely dedicated people. There has been talk of this upgrade for some time and Siemens is proud to be involved in this significant project.”
It will be a turnkey contract from the design phase to operational handover to be executed over a five-year period. The scope includes the construction of the GNC and the installation of Electronic Interlocking Signalling Systems at 15 stations across the country. In addition, there are upgrades to relay rooms, tracks and a number of local and remote control stations. Siemens will procure some of its core signalling equipment from its factories in Germany, the rest will be assembled, tested and localised at the company’s Kya Sands premises contributing to job creation and local skills development.
Siemens has a long standing relationship with the South African railway industry, which comprises both PRASA and Transnet Freight Rail, both important customers. Siemens and PRASA’s implementation of various projects related to the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup contributed to the successful hosting of the event. The company will continue to support PRASA actively in the implementation of its railway infrastructure upgrade programme, driven by the strategic goal to transform the public passenger transport system.
Amongst the core equipment, are Siemens axle counters, points machines and signal sets which will be controlled by the SICAS Electronic Interlocking system, the ‘brain’ of the system at each of the stations. Information collected at the stations will be transmitted to the GNC via a telecommunications backbone.
This technology will modernise a rail network almost obsolete in some areas. The new infrastructure will allow PRASA to monitor, control and manage its assets better, enabling it to deliver a more effective rail service to thousands of commuters across the country.
South Africa plays a vital role in the economy of the African continent, providing one third of its gross national product. As economic growth on the continent has strengthened, so has the demand for modern railway infrastructure. According to both PRASA and the Department of Transport, rail is an effective solution to the problem of South Africa’s crowded roads.
“We support PRASA’s bold initiatives to change our transport system. It is a tremendously exciting time for all players in the rail industry with an opportunity to change the future of passenger transport in South Africa,” concludes Pillay.
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