The information below will be released to the public shortly. Since I received the information, further points have come to light that the train will be branded as the 2nd Tshwane Business Express. Leon Croukamp saw the set a while back in the yards of Metrorail in Pretoria, Metro were busy with interior fittings and ironing out of teething problems.
The picture shows the logo on the side but its possible that this has since changed due to PRASA and other branding factors.
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No need to wait for Gautrain – Introducing the Johannesburg Business Express
Travelling at speeds of up to 120 kilometers an hour, the new
Johannesburg Business Express will take commuters from Johannesburg to
Pretoria in under 60 minutes, while its dedicated bus passenger
service will make the trip between Pretoria station and Pretoria CBD a
10-minute breeze.
The 520 - seater, inter-city commuter service will run at least six
trains services/ trips in both directions, complemented by the
existing Tshwane Business express, operating for approximately 14
hours a day, backed up by dedicated buses to transport passengers to
and from stations.
Besides easing traffic congestion and related air pollution in the
Gauteng province – new Johannesburg Business Express, like its
predecessors, will connect with buses and taxis to help create a more
efficient public transport system and thus stimulate economic growth
in the country.
The Gauteng Metrorail Region was the first to pioneer the vision of a
luxury commuter train, with the introduction of the Soweto Business
Express in 2007 which proved a runaway success. Similar concepts have
since been rolled out in Cape Town in the form of Khayelitsha and
Premium Business Express, following closely to the phenomenal success
of the Tshwane Business Express.
The new Johannesburg Business will be launched on the 1st June 2009,
with its maiden trip to Pretoria expected at about 5h20. This will be
an express non stop service to Pretoria and back.
Approached for comment, Regional Manager Nozipho Sangweni said ‘ The
Business Express brand has a solid foundation on our differentiation
and growth strategy , the market offering is adapted physically and
psychologically from competing products in such a way that the
customer regard it as a totally different service and are prepared to
pay a premium for it”
Brand performance, reliability, convenience and superior service
continue to surpass customer expectation creating an unparallel
competitive advantage for the Business Express in the minds of the
commuters.
“The Business Express brand has certainly placed the rail agenda on
the public platform and it has single handedly elevated the profile of
rail as a key public transport player” Ms. Sangweni concluded.
The upcoming launch of the Johannesburg Business will be a relatively
small media event with a few dignitaries invited. Bookings to the
general public will be opened effectively from Monday 25 May 2009.
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