The Gauteng Provincial Government and Gautrain Management Agency appointed the Sihamba Sonke Mobility Consortium as the preferred concessionaire for the next 15 years, with Alstom serving as a shareholder and strategic industrial partner to modernise and maintain the Gautrain rapid rail network in Gauteng, South Africa.

South Africa’s Gauteng provincial government has granted a 15-year operating concession to the Sihamba Sonke Mobility (SSM) consortium for the 80km Gautrain express commuter rail network, which connects Johannesburg with O.R. Tambo International Airport and Pretoria.  The SSM consortium comprises the AIIM-Motseng joint venture, Alstom, RATP Dev, Gibb Crede, AIH Connect and SSM InvestCo. Covering the period from 2026 to 2041, the concession includes the operation, maintenance and refurbishment of the Gautrain rail network, as well as its integrated bus services. The project was procured under South Africa’s public-private partnership (PPP) framework, with the concession agreement signed with the Gautrain Management Agency on behalf of the Gauteng provincial government.

Alstom stated that its portion of the concession is valued at €800 million (US$900 million) and covers the supply of eight new four-car electric multiple units (EMUs) to be manufactured locally. The additional trains will increase the Gautrain fleet from 24 to 32 units, while the programme will also include the installation of a new signalling system.

According to RATP Dev, the Gautrain network has recorded an availability rate of more than 99% over the past 16 years, positioning it among Africa’s most reliable passenger rail systems. The previous 20-year concession between the Gauteng provincial government and RATP Dev’s subsidiary, Bombela Operating Company, expired on September 28. The Gautrain remains a state-owned asset, with an estimated value of approximately R45 billion (US$2.72 billion).