JOHANNESBURG – France’s national state-owned railway company SNCF, the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) signed a tripartite financial partnership agreement on Monday, 27 November 2017. The financial partnership agreement amounts to R6.15 million in the form of a grant.
The agreement will be for 12 months starting in December 2017. It will allow France to; provide expertise, training and exchange of experiences to Prasa with a view to strengthen the capacity of Prasa with regards to rolling stock taking-over and placing into service.
Prasa awarded French company Alstom a rolling stock contract worth R59 billion to supply 3.600 train cars to be manufactured in Dunnottar Park in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, in October 2013.
The commissioning oof the new train sets started in early 2017.the new service between Pienaarspoort to Pretoria already launched by President Jacob Zuma in May 2017.
The partnership with SNCF will ensure Prasa’s new train are ready for operation, deployed on time, and operated with the support of Frances extensive experience in the railway sector.
SNCF will also be responsible for deploying a technical expert to be permanently based in South Africa for the duration of the agreement.
This agreement was signed by French Development Agency’s Martha Sochas and Prasa’s Lindikaya Zide in the presence of French Ambassador to South Africa, H.E Christophe Farnaud.
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