Rail link for Cape Town Intl.
Hi there, plans are underway to connect Cape Town Intl. with the metropolitan rail network to make access to the airport from the CBD easier. Here is an article by the Cape Argus (Cape Town): Cape Town could soon join the ranks of world cities with a direct rail link to its international airport. This is one of a string of possible improvements to Capetonians' lives triggered by the 2010 World Cup. The proposals emerge from a comprehensive transport plan presented to the council's transport portfolio committee yesterday. Other plans to improve mobility around the city include 190km of cycle tracks, with a circular route for commuters linking Blouberg with the city centre, and the re-introduction of late-night trains. The city's acting executive director of transport, roads and stormwater, Maddie Mazaza, said this morning that a comprehensive airport rail link plan dating from 2000 was being closely re-examined. "Just a short new link from the airport would be necessary to link into the existing rail network," she explained. "It would be fantastic. We need quick access for high volumes into the CBD. We are now going to cost it. "But it would be expensive, so we will look at private concessionaires - they should be encouraged to participate." Sources said another plan being considered was a light rail system alongside the N1, possibly elevated. One expert said: "A direct rail link with the airport would, in one fell swoop, cut out traffic congestion and delays as well as the airport's parking nightmare." Neil Muller, transport manager for the Western Cape, said today: "Rail access to the airport is part of being a world-class city. And Cape Town is definitely on that path." As to the plan for a cycle track, Mazaza said it would run parallel to the R27, "where we will also have lanes specially for public transport - so they will work together". "The team that has been working with us has been to the Netherlands and to Sweden (to examine international best practice)." A Cape Argus test last year showed that cyclists could reach the city in less than half the time of motorists crawling in morning traffic from Tableview. Late-night trains are also on the cards. Mazaza said the city aimed to have train running times extended from the current 16 hours a day back to 22, as in years past. In rush hour, rail commuters would also be treated to trains every five minutes. Currently the gap is more than 10 minutes. Commenting on the proposal for a direct rail link with the airport, mayor Helen Zille said today: "It would really be ideal." Zille said she had been invited yesterday to Curitiba, in southern Brazil, a city widely acclaimed as "providing the world with a model of how to integrate sustainable transport considerations into business development, road infrastructure development and local community development", according to the Curitiba website. Of Cape Town's plans, Zille said: "An integrated public transport infrastructure must be the great public legacy of 2010. That is what we're driving towards - transport is our lead project." Mazaza said R190m had been allocated to continue improving roads between the city centre and airport. Other plans included allocating R90m to implement the long-awaited Klipfontein Corridor plan. Zille said the World Cup had helped weld a close working relationship between the province and the city in the past six months. "Not only do we have an effective joint 2010 team, but there has been outstanding co-operation between the city's transport and the pro-vince's transport team to look at the best interests of the region and to bring forward many of the much- longer-term plans, so that we can implement them in time for 2010." Zille added: "But we need people to pay what they owe the city so that we can do all of these things. We are currently owed R3.5 billion. We could do a lot with that." On the proposed rail link with the airport, the head of the Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Albert Schuitmaker, said such a plan would need to include developing a terminal in the city centre.