Pretoria - A million passengers have been transported on the Gautrain between Sandton and OR Tambo International Airport since its launch.
The Gautrain's one millionth passenger was a regular commuter from Rhodesfield to Marlboro station. Ulindi Krull was on Wednesday presented with a complimentary weekend stay at the luxury Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel in the heart of Sandton.
The first phase of the Gautrain became operational four days before the kick-off of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, with tickets along this route costing between R16.50 and R100.
The service includes a train linking the stations in Sandton, Marlboro, Rhodesfield and OR Tambo International Airport. There are also bus routes from Sandton and Rhodesfield stations, where parking facilities are available for commuters.
Bombela spokesperson, Kelebogile Machaka, said within days of opening, nearly a month ahead of schedule and in time for the FIFA World Cup, the Gautrain was carrying approximately 80 000 passengers per week.
After the World Cup, the train service stabilised at about 50 000 passengers per week. The bus service carries about 4 000 passengers per week and is showing steady growth.
Machake said the next big milestone in the life of the project will be the opening of the second phase in the latter half of next year. This north-south line will link the Johannesburg CBD to Pretoria and Hatfield via Rosebank, Sandton, Midrand and Centurion.
