On the Gautrain

This morning I experienced the Gautrain for the very first time. I got a lift to the Hatfield station in Pretoria. Once inside the station, a very friendly staff member assisted me in getting my Gold Card and pointed me towards the platform. My timing was great because the train arrived as soon as I got to the platform. From Hatfield, the train went to Pretoria Station in town. Not many people got on the train and none that I could see got off. Next stop: Centurion. Apparently the Gautrain is a HUGE hit in Centurion. The train filled up and off to Midrand we went. Quite a lot of people got off the train and a few got on. It was wonderful watching the highway from the train, seeing it backed up like madness, knowing that I was not having to deal with that mess. We stopped at Marlboro, but not much happened there. Then we went off to Sandton, which only took about 3 minutes, all of it underground. Wonderful. That's where most people got off. The end of the line is at Rosebank at the moment and that's where everyone was asked to leave the train. From there, I had to find my way to the buses to take me into Joburg CBD. There is a temporary bus service into town until the Park Station terminal is complete. I had no idea where to go, but I followed the crowd until I saw signs pointing me in the right direction. Easy as pie. The worst part of my journey was the bus ride. Obviously, traffic had to be dealt with, so it was slower than the train. And bus drivers are not the smartest and our bus driver was perhaps a little sleepy because he stalled the bus twice while trying to leave the station. But I finally made it into the CBD. The bus dropped me off a few blocks from the office so I had the chance to have a smoke while I was walking. Plus it was a good way to get my blood pumping before getting to work. I'm actually feeling so energised!!!

I've only ever experienced public transport like this in Manhattan so obviously I made some comparisons. The people making use of the Gautrain are a lot friendlier than your average Manhattanite. People chat and exchange comments. I'm sure it's because this is still a new experience for us South Africans, but I really hope it doesn't change. It's also nice that you don't feel obliged to chat to anyone, so essentially it's the best of both worlds. The stations are very well staffed so if it's your first time on the train, you won't feel lost or stupid. The staff are friendly and professional. The stations are also well marked, so there's really no way to get lost. Anyone who has travelled on a plane and has had to deal with foreign airports will find Gautrain stations easy to navigate. The fares are reasonable. If you're travelling from Pretoria to Joburg and back on a daily basis, you know how much petrol is costing you. The fares work out only slightly cheaper but the stress-free journey is worth a lot more than could ever possibly explained. Personally, I saw buidlings and interesting things that I'd never seen while driving. Plus, like I've said before, it's stress free!!! A huge concern of mine was safety. And trust me, it's safe. There is security all over the place, and they are also trained to assist first-time travellers in pointing them in the right direction. There is even a security guard on the bus!

To wrap up, I really enjoyed the experience and I see the benefit of it. As soon as the network is completed and linked into other forms of public transport (Rea Vaya and municipal buses) there really will not be any need to drive yourself to Joburg on a daily basis.

I can't wait for this afternoon to do it all over again!

For more information on schedules, bus routes, etc, go to: http://www.gautrain.co.za/