South Africa’s new underground rail system using a green cooling system to open up for the World Cup

The World Cup sure has brought a load of excitement to South Africa. So much that the country is busy building a high-speed rail transit system too that will fling its doors open just before the World Cup. The underground rail will take fans from O.R. Tambo International Airport to Sandton, Johannesburg’s new commercial hub. 15kms of underground rail have been put in place together with three underground stations, seven emergency shafts, and designs for the permanent way and alignment for the entire route. That’s not all. This railway line has a clean and green cooling and ventilation system too.

UK’s largest engineering firm, Atkins, came up with this line. The low carbon ventilation system shuns the need of an air conditioning system in this one reducing Co2 emissions by 69%. Under-utilized fans suck in the cool night-time air drawn through the tunnels and stations that is then discharge through the station entrances and ventilation shafts. A second phase to this project will open up in 2011, an 80km rapid rail link from Pretoria to Johannesburg. This FIFA World Cup is sure bringing a whole lot of green concepts to South Africa.

[WorldArchitectureNews]