Buses keep Rosebank in loop

Gautrain buses will ply the route between the station and the city centre while work continues on the tunnel, where water ingress has caused delays.
FOR commuters who have been impatiently awaiting the opening of the Gautrain route between the Johannesburg city centre and Rosebank, there is light at the end of the tunnel: buses will be operating between the stations from 29 August until the service is fully up-and-running.

Park StationThe route between Park Station and Rosebank will open at a later dateThis comes after the opening of this stretch of the high speed rail network was postponed because of water ingress in the tunnel between Rosebank Station and Park Station; it is only expected to open “at a later date”, said the Gauteng MEC for roads and transport, Ismail Vadi, at a press conference on 28 July.

While remedial work is ongoing, commuters will be able to make use of the service through the Gautrain buses. “The buses will operate every 12 minutes during peak times (5.30am to 8.30am and 4pm to 7pm), and every 20 minutes during off-peak times, Monday to Friday,” said the spokesperson for the Bombela Concession Company, Nano Gasenewe.

Bus stops along this route are on the corners of St David’s Place and St Andrew’s Road, as well as St Andrew’s Road and Blackwood Avenue in Parktown; Constitution Hill; corners of Sauer and Market streets, and Sauer and Jeppe streets; at the Joburg Theatre on Loveday Street; Bank City on Simmonds Street, and the corners of Simmonds and Market streets, as well as Simmonds and Anderson streets, which is the end of the route, among others.

To find out about the other stations on the route and departure times, visit the Gautrain website. Detailed route and timetable brochures are also available at Rosebank Station. Alternatively, you can also contact the customer care centre on 0800 GAUTRAIN (428 87246).

Gautrain is sponsoring the Bok send-offGautrain is supporting the Bok send-offAnother service on offer is the ability to validate your gold card at the bus validator trolley on Oxford Road.

Bok send-off
Coinciding with the launch of the bus service is the Springbok rugby team’s send-off to the rugby world cup in New Zealand on 1 September, which is being supported by the Gautrain. “This event will see thousands of Bok supporters gathering in West Street [in Sandton] during the afternoon to wave the Boks goodbye and to wish them good luck at the world cup,” Gasenewe said.

“Trains coming into and departing from Sandton Station are expected to be extremely busy on Thursday afternoon and evening, and commuters (especially those catching trains to the airport) are advised to allow extra time for their journeys.”

The Gautrain operates seven days a week between 5.30am and 8.30pm, at 12-minute intervals during peak periods on week days, and at 20-minute intervals during off-peak hours. The trains run at 30-minute intervals over the weekends, and there are no bus services on weekends and public holidays.

For more information, visit the Gautrain website.