JET ON RAILS LAUNCHED BY HONOURABLE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT

Today, the 8th of May 2008, the South African Rail Commuter Corporation officially unveils its high speed facelift commuter train called the Business Express, to ply its trade between Pretoria and Johannesburg. This is in line with SARCC’s commuter rail turn around strategy. The new stylish Business Express train will cut traveling time between Pretoria and Johannesburg to just under an hour, while commuters travel in style and comfort never seen before in commuter rail history.

The Business Express concept, which has proven successful with the launch last year of the Soweto Business Express and later the Khayelitsha Business Express, seeks to be the mode of public transport that pioneers the crafting of a preferred mode that is representative of the target profile of the inter city commuter.

“We want to transform Metrorail so that it is capable of delivering quality services that provide transport solutions for all South Africans irrespective of social status, class and background” said Minister Jeff Radebe during the unveiling of the Pretoria – Johannesburg Business Express. In addition, Minister Radebe said that “the consolidation of Metrorail within the SARCC in May last year has laid the foundations for a quantum improvement in rail services leading to 2010 FIFA World Cup”.

Minister Radebe said “that the introduction of the Business Express comes against other significant improvements on the passenger rail environment. With the increased availability of upgraded rolling stock over the next three years, as part of our Accelerated Rolling Stock Programme, the SARCC is expected to make significant impact on the level of train services in terms of reliability, safety and overall rolling stock performance”.

Minister Radebe further commented Metrorail for the initiative and called on the private sector and public corporations to join hands with Metrorail and purchase corporate packages for their employees to ensure that “Public transport gains ascendancy over private cars”.