BOMBELA Concession Company, which runs Gautrain operations, has started recruiting new bus drivers after dismissing more than 300 employees who had embarked on an illegal strike two weeks ago.

Operations for the country's only high-speed train resumed at a slow pace on Wednesday.

The service was disrupted after 318 drivers downed tools over shifts and break allowances.

They were all fired on Monday.

Bombela spokeswoman Kelebogile Machaka said the company had hired a few drivers and was in the process of recruiting and training them

She could not say when the service would be fully operational.

"For the time being buses are running between 6am and 6pm. Buses on the Sandton routes will operate at frequencies to meet every second train, but the Rosebank and CBD (Johannesburg) service is operating at scheduled frequencies," Machaka said.

She said additional routes and service frequencies would be reinstated as soon as replacement drivers, who were being employed and trained, became available.

Machaka said the routes that had been opened included those that operate from Sandton to Gallo Manor, Rivonia, Randburg and Fourways.

The route between Rosebank and Johannesburg Park Station was opened temporarily.

The striking drivers had ditched the union and chosen a private representative.

Their attempt not to get fired failed after they filed an interdict in the Labour Court.