From CNBC

The Gautrain Management Agency announced its 25 year 140km expansion plan of rail travel for Gauteng, South Africa.

“Transport is really an enabler for the economy, so the government felt it was prudent to look at a 25 year plan,” Jack van der Merwe, chief executive officer of the Gautrain Management Agency told CNBC Africa.

The Gautrain is Africa’s first world-class, modern rapid rail and bus service located in the business hub of South Africa, Gauteng.

Van der Merwe explained that their 25-year integrated master plan for Gauteng comprises of three shift objectives. A shift from motorised transport to non-motorised transport, a shift from private car use to public transport use and lastly, a shift from road to rail.

“With that as a background, rail becomes the backbone of the transport system,” said van der Merwe.

The three main areas for the new route will include the City of Tshwane, Johannesburg and the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality in the East Rand area.

“We’ve looked at where people will live in future and the area between Tshwane, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, that block is where people are going to be allocated,” he explained.

Their priority rail to construct, he added, is a 45 degree route in the Western Bypass of Johannesburg that will have underground links from Sandton, Randburg and Ruimsig due to the heavy traffic congestion that currently exists in that region.

Read more at CNBC.