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The 12-month agreement starting in December 2017 allows France (through SNCF) to provide expertise, training and exchange of experiences to Prasa with a view to strengthen the capacity of Prasa as regards rolling stock taking-over and placing into service in a complex suburban environment, including in the take-over of ownership of the new Alstom-Gibela metro rail trains.

In October 2013, Prasa awarded French company Alstom (through its local subsidiary Gibela Rail Transport Consortium) a rolling stock contract worth R59bn to supply of 3,600 train cars (600 trains) to be manufactured in Dunnottar Park in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.

Commissioning of the new train-sets started in early 2017, with the new service between Pienaarspoort to Pretoria already launched by the President of the Republic of South Africa, Jacob Zuma in May 2017. Over a period ahead, more new train-sets will be delivered for Prasa and the delivery programme is scheduled until 2025, starting in Gauteng, followed by the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and lastly the Eastern Cape.

This partnership with SNCF will ensure Prasa’s new trains are operation-ready, deployed on time, and operated with the support of France’s extensive experience in the railway transport industry. In addition, SNCF will deploy a technical expert to be permanently based in South Africa for the duration of the agreement.

The agreement was signed by Martha Stein-Sochas of the French Development Agency and Lindikaya Zide of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa in the presence of Ambassador of France to South Africa, H.E. Christophe Farnaud.