Murray & Roberts and Partners Provisionally Selected for the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link

02 July 2005

The selection by Gauteng Province of the Bombela Consortium as preferred bidder for the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link project, confirms Murray & Roberts’ position as the leading engineering and construction group in South Africa.

For more than 100 years, Murray & Roberts has been a business leader in the design and implementation of much of the infrastructure and economic capacity of South Africa and southern Africa. The Gautrain project represents another major advance in socio-economic development in the region and Murray & Roberts is proud to have played a leading role in assembling the domestic and international expertise and group of companies with the capacity to deliver this complex project.

Gautrain will offer a rapid rail link between Johannesburg, Sandton, Tshwane and Johannesburg International Airport, including a feeder bus system to serve each station, together with parking facilities. The project will be implemented as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) and includes the design, construction, operation and maintenance as well as financing of the complete transport system. The concession will be for a total of 19,5 years which comprises a 4,5 year construction period and a 15 year operating period.

Murray & Roberts will participate in all aspects of the project implementation and operation:

As a partner in the overall concession contract
As a partner with Bouygues Travaux Publics of France and local empowerment company Loliwe Rail Contractors to build ten stations, three of which are underground, 20 km of tunnels and 9 km of viaducts and bridges involving some 10 million cubic metres of earthworks
As a partner with RATP Developpement of France and the Loliwe companies in the operations and maintenance of the system over the full concession period;
Through empowered subsidiary The UCW Partnership, in the final assembly of rolling stock supplied by Bombardier Transportation.
Murray & Roberts will play a leading role with the Loliwe companies, through The UCW Partnership and in terms of other planned initiatives, supporting Bombela to achieve significant black economic empowerment participation in the project, stimulate local job creation and ensure skills transfer into the local community.

For further information visit: http://www.gautrain.co.za