Gibela is a joint French–South African railway rolling stock manufacturer. It is majority owned by Alstom, which controls 70% of the company and African companies Ubumbano Rail has 30% stakes.[1]
Gibela was announced as the preferred bidder for a R51 billion contract to build 3,600 electric multiple units for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa in December 2012,[2] which was finalized in October 2013.[3] Under the terms of the contract, Gibela would construct the units over a ten-year period, as well as provide parts and technical support after delivery.[3] While the first twenty EMUs, dubbed the X'Trapolis Mega, were built by Alstom in Brazil, Gibela began construction of a new R1 billion assembly facility in Dunnottar, South Africa in March 2016 to construct the remaining 580 trainsets.[4] The factory is about 60,000 square metres (650,000 sq ft) in size and will employ about 1,500 people at full production, with a capacity of building 62 EMU trainsets annually.[5][4] Gibela began occupying the facility in early January 2018, with construction scheduled to be completed in March.[6] In addition to building vehicles for South African operators, Gibela also plans to compete for other African rail contracts.[4]
References
- ^ "First X'Trapolis Mega cars completed at Lapa". Railway Gazette International. 26 May 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- ^ "Alstom wins PRASA's 20-year fleet renewal programme". Railway Gazette International. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- ^ a b "PRASA and Alstom sign R51bn EMU contract". Railway Gazette International. 14 October 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- ^ a b c "Gibela starts work on EMU factory". Railway Gazette International. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- ^ "X'Trapolis Mega EMUs enter revenue service". Railway Gazette International. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- ^ "Gibela moves into South African EMU factory". Railway Gazette International. 9 January 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
This page was last edited on 23 February 2024, at 00:37