Gibb, South African engineering company have been awarded a R63 million ($7 million dollars) four year contract to provide technical support and supervision services for the Durban area resignalling project by passenger Rail Authority of South Africa (PRASA).
Developing and enforcing specifications will be part of Gibb’s responsibilities along with training PRASA engineers and supervising construction on the project including a new integrated control centre and the resignalling of all stations in the Durban area.
Railway Resignalling Technical Support
PRASA and Gibb have worked together on a number of projects in the past with Gibb providing technical support for resignalling of suburban lines in Gauteng province last year.
General Manager of Gibb’s transportation group, Johann Rauch said “We formed a joint venture with a sub-contractor on this project.” Involvement in upgrading Cape Town’s main saw Gibb responsible for all electrical projects.
As part of PRASA’s rail network modernisation programme, the company refurbished the Wits and Tshwane sub-stations. According to Rauch, government’s urging of business to look at rail as an effective means of transporting goods as well as a means of enhancing public transport will create “enormous opportunities” for rail industry sector players.
