The Gautrain has announced a scale-up of its bus services between Rosebank Station and Park Station as a contingency measure after train operations between these two stations were suspended.

"We appreciate our customers’ patience and will continue to work with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that this incident is resolved to enable the restoration of the Gautrain’s full services," the Gautrain Management Agency said.

"The Gautrain apologises for the inconvenience caused by this disruption and hereby commits to keep our customers updated as more information becomes available."

The Gautrain Management Agency said that the buses will run every 15 minutes between the two stations from 5.30am to 8.30pm as a contingency measure.

The trains between Rosebank and Park Stations continues to be suspended because of illegal drilling activity on a private property located above the Gautrain tunnel.

Gauteng MEC for Transport and Logistics Kedibone Diale-Tlabela visited the site today to assess the work that is underway to repair the section of the tunnel impacted by the seepage.

"Ensuring the safety of passengers remains the primary focus while the repairs are taking place, a Gautrain bus replacement service has been set up between Rosebank and Park Stations." Diale-Tlabela said.

The drilling activity was not approved in accordance with the requirements of the Gauteng Transport Infrastructure Act (GTIA). This illegal activity therefore caused the ingress of water and soil into the tunnel which impacts the ability to operate the system between these two stations.

Gautrain is an 80-kilometre higher-speed commuter rail system runs below ground in tunnels, while the rest of the network runs above ground.

The train service which links Johannesburg, Pretoria, Kempton Park, and O.R. Tambo International Airport continues to operate according to schedule at the unaffected stations.

"We urge all stakeholders to follow due process when any land use changes or construction activities are planned in the vicinity of transport infrastructure in Gauteng so that such occurrences are prevented in the future," the Gautrain Management Agency said.

IOL