JV GIBELA Preparing to Trains for South Africa

Alstom’s JV Gibela (JV led by Alstom (61%) with New Africa Rail (9%), Ubumbano Rail (30%) )  has announced at Africa Rail 2015 that construction of the new train manufacturing site at Dunnottar, Gauteng will begin in the third quarter of 2015.

The new site is part of a contract won by Alstom in 2013 for the supply of 600 X’Trapolis Mega commuter trains (3,600 cars) over a period of 10 years, as well as technical support and the supply of spare parts over an 18-year period3 .

The site will cover 85,000m2 and be able to produce 62 trains/year. While the first 20 trains are being built at Alstom’s Lapa plant in Brazil, the following 580 will be produced in the newly built site. A first train is already in testing phase and is well on course for shipment to South Africa, scheduled for September ahead of on-shore delivery in November.

Gian Luca Erbacci, Senior Vice President for Alstom Transport Middle-East and Africa stated: “This project is one of the biggest in rail transport worldwide and Alstom through Gibela is proud to be part of it. This illustrates Alstom’s strategy to strengthen its presence at both global and local levels, thanks to its worldwide industrial footprint and strategic partnerships that enable proximity with its customers.”

The project is beneficial for South Africa as it creates both direct and undirect jobs, develops local skills and contributes to South Africa’s industrial renaissance. When up and running, the Dunnottar facility will employ at least 1,500 people and will create thousands of indirect jobs among suppliers over the first 10 years, achieving a local-content level of over 65%. The recruitment process is at an advanced planning stage for permanent positions. An intensive training programme is currently being held at Alstom’s Brazilian facility for future employees of the facility.

Photo & Source : Alstom Press Center