The rail network has been under construction since 2006 and has cost about R25bn.

The legacy of apartheid's spatial development in the country's economic hub had distorted investment in transport infrastructure, Mr Vadi said.

The department's greatest challenge was to create an integrated transport plan for mass transit given this legacy of sprawl and dislocation, Mr Vadi said.

The Gautrain runs in an easterly direction to OR Tambo airport.

Mr Vadi suggested that this line could be extended further east and then to the west, as there is currently no commuter rail option that runs from east to west.

Commuters had no option but to rely on private transport or taxis to travel between Mogale City and Nigel, he said.

The Gautrain, which began life in 2000 with an estimated cost of about R4bn, was a "flagship" transport project in Africa, Mr Vadi said.

The current route terminates in the city centre at Park Station .

Mr Vadi said it may be possible to consider extending the service further south of Park Station into the Vaal Triangle.

A new interactive, integrated transport map for the Gautrain went live yesterday on the rapid-rail link's website. The map allows commuters to plan which bus services or other train services they will need to use when planning a trip and how much the trip will cost.

We need to ask what the future of the Gautrain is.

Source: ITSSA