Metrorail Western Cape

Last updated

Metrorail Western Cape Region
Metrorail.png
X'trapolis Mega on Kalk Bay bridge Dec 2023.jpg
A Metrorail train running near Kalk Bay station.
Overview
Owner PRASA
Area served City of Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Drakenstein and Swartland
Locale Cape Metropole and surroundings
Transit type Commuter rail
Number of lines4
Number of stations122 (97 have ticket offices)
Daily ridership500,000 (2018) [1]
Chief executiveRichard Walker
Website www.metrorail.co.za
Operation
Operator(s) Metrorail
Character Suburban railway
Number of vehicles85 trainsets (1094 coaches)
Technical
System length460 km (290 mi)
Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification 3 kV DC overhead catenary
Top speed90 km/h (56 mph)
System map

Metrorail Cape Town.png

Metrorail Western Cape is a network of commuter and suburban rail services in the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality (metropolitan area of Cape Town) and in the surrounding towns of Malmesbury, Paarl, Stellenbosch and Wellington in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Contents

It is operated by Metrorail, which operates commuter rail services in the major cities of South Africa. The network is fairly comprehensive, however, some key areas have no service, notably the Atlantic Seaboard, Western Seaboard and Durbanville.

There are 85 operational trainsets, made up of 1094 [2] coaches. There are 671 scheduled trains per weekday, operating over 460 kilometres (290 mi) of the track to 122 stations and 4 halts. [3] In 2018 there were around 500,000 daily users of the service. The services are divided into three areas, each of which has various branches.

All services either commence or terminate at the main Cape Town station in the centre of the city, which has 24 platforms. All services are by electric multiple units, aside from the daily train to Malmesbury which is on a non-electrified line.

Routes

Overall network

Metrorail Western Cape

Southern Line

The Southern Line travels from central Cape town through the Southern Suburbs to Muizenberg, and then along the edge of False Bay to Simon's Town. Although Simon's Town is the southern terminus, many trains terminate at Fish Hoek because the line south is single-track.

Cape Flats Line

The Cape Flats Line travels east from Cape Town as far as Maitland, then turns south through Athlone, rejoining the Southern Line at Heathfield. The service terminates at the Retreat.

Central Line

The Central Line serves areas to the southeast of the city centre. Trains run from Cape Town to Langa on two different routes, one around the southern side and the other around the eastern side of Pinelands. From Langa they travel on one of three lines, going either to Mitchell's Plain, to Khayelitsha, or through Belhar to Bellville.

Northern Line

The Northern Line serves the northern suburbs of Cape Town as well as some outlying towns. Some trains travel from Cape Town station to Bellville along the old main line through Salt River, Maitland, Goodwood and Parow, while others travel along the relief main line via Century City. After Bellville, trains run on one of three routes: through Kraaifontein and Paarl to Wellington; via Kuils River and Stellenbosch to Muldersvlei; or Kuils River and Somerset West to Strand.

Two "Business Express" trains provide a luxury commuter service, travelling from the suburbs to Cape Town in the morning and the reverse in the afternoon. One train runs from Huguenot (Paarl) via Kraaifontein and Brackenfell to Cape Town, while the other runs from Strand via Somerset West and Kuils River to Cape Town.

There are also two longer-distance trains stopping at all stations en route daily. One along the main line to Worcester and at 174 km (108 mi) the longest possible route on a commuter train in South Africa. The other is the only diesel-hauled commuter train in the Western Cape to Malmesbury which travels 78 km (48 mi) on the route to Bitterfontein.

Operation

A train approaching Simon's Town station Wikimania 2018, Cape Town (P1050609).jpg
A train approaching Simon's Town station

Frequencies can vary vastly from weekday peaks to weekend-off peaks. Services to Simon's Town, Bellville via Century City, Strand, Muldersvlei (via Stellenbosch) and Wellington are less frequent over weekends with a train about every hour on Saturdays and every two hours on a Sunday. In contrast, weekday frequencies on some lines offer three-minute headways.

First-class MetroPlus coaches are always on the side closest to Cape Town. [4]

Every train displays a four-digit train number. The route and destination of a specific train can be determined by just looking at the train number. Up trains travel towards Cape Town and carry even train numbers, down trains travel away from Cape Town and carry odd train numbers. Destinations can be derived from the following table: [3]

Train no.RouteNotesLength
01xxSimonstown ↔ Cape TownSome trains terminate at Fish Hoek. Also see next entry36 km
02xxSimonstown ↔ Cape TownAfternoon peak36 km
05xxRetreat ↔ Cape TownVia Cape Flats line24 km
23xxEersterivier ↔ Cape TownSome weekend trains terminate at Faure34 km
25xxKraaifontein ↔ Cape Town31 km
28xxBellville ↔ Cape TownVia Monte Vista and Century City21 km
32xxStrand ↔ Cape Town53 km
34xxMuldersvlei ↔ Cape TownVia Stellenbosch61 km
35xxWellington ↔ Cape TownIncludes service to Worcester (174 km)72 km
90xxBellville ↔ Cape TownVia Lavistown (through Ysterplaat)28 km
95xxKapteinsklip ↔ Cape TownVia Salt River, some terminations at Nyanga32 km
99xxChris Hani ↔ Cape TownVia Ysterplaat38 km

Infrastructure and rolling stock

Western Cape Metrorail train station hall Metrorail Cape Town Station.JPG
Western Cape Metrorail train station hall

Incidents

Related Research Articles

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Paarl is a town with 285,574 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is the third-oldest European settlement in the Republic of South Africa and the largest town in the Cape Winelands. Due to the growth of the Mbekweni township, it is now a de facto urban unit with Wellington. It is situated about 60 kilometres (37 mi) northeast of Cape Town in the Western Cape Province and is known for its scenic environment and viticulture and fruit-growing heritage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stellenbosch</span> Town in Western Cape, South Africa

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellville, South Africa</span> Town in Western Cape, South Africa.

Bellville is a town and former independent city that is now incorporated into the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The town is an industrial and commercial node, a university town, and a major transportation hub within the Greater Cape Town metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somerset West</span> Town in the Western Cape, South Africa

Somerset West is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa. Organisationally and administratively it is included in the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality as a suburb of the Helderberg region . The vehicle registration code for Somerset West is CFM and the post code is 7130 for street addresses, and 7129 for post office boxes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuils River</span> Place in Western Cape, South Africa

Kuils River is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa, 25 km east of Cape Town CBD at the gateway of the Cape Winelands. It is also the name of the main tributary of the Eerste River, and forms part of the Eastern Suburbs of the City of Cape Town.

Kraaifontein is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa and is located on the north-eastern outskirts of the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metrorail (South Africa)</span>

Metrorail is an operator of commuter rail services in the major urban areas of South Africa. It is a division of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), a state-owned enterprise which is responsible for most passenger rail services in South Africa. The Metrorail system consists of 471 stations, 2,228 kilometres (1,384 mi) of track, and carries an average of 1.7 million passengers per weekday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Cape Town</span> Metropolitan municipality in Western Cape, South Africa

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brackenfell</span> Town in the Western Cape, South Africa

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durbanville</span> Town in Western Cape, South Africa

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Malmesbury is a town of approximately 36,000 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa, about 65 km north of Cape Town.

Retreat railway station is a Metrorail station in Retreat, a suburb of Cape Town. It is a stop on the Southern Line and serves as the terminus of the Cape Flats Line. The station is located next to a terminus of Golden Arrow Bus Services and a large minibus taxi rank, forming a major transport interchange for the South Peninsula region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellville railway station</span> Railway station in the town of Bellville, Western Cape, South Africa

Bellville mainline railway station is a railway station in the town of Bellville, Western Cape, South Africa. It is the second-biggest station in the Metrorail Western Cape railway network, after the Cape Town terminus. All trains on Metrorail's Northern Line pass through Bellville, and one branch of the Central Line also terminates there. It is also a stop for Shosholoza Meyl trains that terminate in Cape Town.

The Central Line is a commuter rail service in Cape Town, South Africa, operated by Metrorail Western Cape. Central Line services operate along two routes from central Cape Town to Langa, and then along three branches from Langa to various areas in the south-east of the city. The first branch runs to Mitchell's Plain, the second to Khayelitsha, and the third passes through Belhar to terminate in Bellville.

The Northern Line is a commuter rail service in South Africa that in the Cape Town metropolitan area and its surroundings and is operated by Metrorail Western Cape. Northern Line services operate from central Cape Town to Bellville, and then from Bellville along three different routes. The first route runs along the main Cape Town–De Aar railway line to Paarl and Wellington. The second route passes through Stellenbosch to terminate at Muldersvlei station on the main line, while the third also passes through Somerset West to terminate in Strand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Suburbs, Cape Town</span> Sub-region of the City of Cape Town, South Africa

The Northern Suburbs is a major urban and rural region located in the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is the urban north-eastern part of the Greater Cape Town metropolitan area that is functionally merged with Cape Town.

References

  1. "#TrainArson: Significant drop in Metrorail passenger numbers". www.iol.co.za. 31 July 2018. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  2. The number of carriages currently is 1094 (according to Rolling Stock a number of wrecks were refurbished as part of the refurbishment programme and at least three complete train-sets were re-allocated from other regions since 2006). The total includes carriages currently being overhauled at contractors
  3. 1 2 "Fare Calculator". Metrorail Western Cape. 1 April 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  4. "Travel Information" (PDF). Metrorail Western Cape. 22 February 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  5. Pitt, Christina (18 June 2018). "Three railway coaches set alight at a Cape Town train station". News24. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  6. "R30m damage caused by Cape Town train fire".
  7. "Another Metrorail train on fire in Cape Town, bringing the number of incidents to five".
  8. "Two trains on fire at Cape Town train station". SABC News - Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa's news leader. 21 April 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2019.