The Gautrain project’s target of completing the route from Sandton to OR Tambo airport will be finished on time – by 2010 – according to project spokeswomen Barbara Jensen.

While the first year of construction had largely been spent on finalising civil engineering designs, the train depot and the route between the airport and Park Station in Johannesburg, 2008 would see vigorous civil construction works.

Jensen said that the R5.6-billion spent in the 2006-07 financial year was likely to increase to R7.7-billion in 2007-08. Much of the tunnelling between Rosebank Station and Park Station is should be finished by the end of the year.