Central Line (Cape Town)

Last updated

Central Line
Overview
StatusOperational
Owner PRASA
Locale Cape Town, South Africa
Termini
Stations33
Service
Type Commuter rail
System Metrorail Western Cape
Services3
Operator(s) Metrorail
Rolling stock X'Trapolis Mega
Technical
Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification Overhead catenary
Route map

Contents

Cape Town
0:00
BSicon KBHFa.svg
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BSicon SKRZ-G4u.svg
SA road N2 jct.svg
N2
Eastern Blvd
BSicon BS2+l.svg
BSicon BS2+r.svg
Woodstock
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BSicon BHF.svg
BSicon HST.svg
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Esplanade
Salt River
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BSicon BHF.svg
BSicon HST.svg
0:07
Paarden Eiland
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon ABZgr.svg
BSicon HST.svg
0:09
Ysterplaat
BSicon WBRUCKE1.svg
BSicon WBRUCKE1.svg
BSicon SKRZ-G4u.svg
BSicon SKRZ-G4u.svg
M5 ZAF jct.svg
M5
Black River Pkwy
Koeberg Road
0:09
BSicon HST.svg
BSicon STR.svg
Maitland
0:11
BSicon HST.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon v-SHI2gr.svg
BSicon ABZgl.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
Northern Line
Monte Vista branch
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BSicon d-KRZ2+4o.svg
BSicon cSTRc3.svg
BSicon STR.svg
Ndabeni
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BSicon dHST.svg
BSicon dSTR2+4-.svg
BSicon d-KRZ2+4u.svg
BSicon STRc3.svg
Pinelands
0:16
BSicon dHST.svg
BSicon dSTRc1.svg
BSicon dBHF-L.svg
BSicon lBHF-R.svg
BSicon v-STR+4.svg
0:15
Mutual
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon ABZgr.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon LSTR.svg
BSicon WBRUCKE1.svg
BSicon WBRUCKE1.svg
BSicon BS2l.svg
BSicon BS2r.svg
BSicon HST.svg
0:20
Langa
Bonteheuwel
0:23
0:00
BSicon HST.svg
0:23
0:00
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BSicon BS2+r.svg
Netreg
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BSicon HST.svg
BSicon HST.svg
0:05
Lavistown
SA road N2 jct.svg
N2
Settler's Way
BSicon SKRZ-G4u.svg
BSicon HST.svg
0:09
Belhar
Heideveld
0:06
BSicon HST.svg
BSicon HST.svg
0:12
Unibell
Nyanga
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BSicon HST.svg
BSicon HST.svg
0:15
Pentech
Philippi
0:14
BSicon HST.svg
BSicon HST.svg
0:18
Sarepta
BSicon KRW+l.svg
BSicon KRWgr.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon LSTR.svg
SA road R300.svg
R300
Cape Flats Fwy
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BSicon SKRZ-G4u.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
0:24
Bellville
Lentegeur
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BSicon STR.svg
BSicon ABZl+l.svg
BSicon ABZgr.svg
Mitchell's Plain
0:23
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BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon CONTf.svg
Northern Line
Wellington branch
Kapteinsklip
0:26
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BSicon STR.svg
BSicon CONTf.svg
Northern Line
Stellenbosch branch
Stock Road
0:18
BSicon HST.svg
Mandalay
0:21
BSicon HST.svg
Nolungile
0:25
BSicon HST.svg
Nonkqubela
0:28
BSicon HST.svg
Khayelitsha
0:32
BSicon HST.svg
Kuyasa
0:38
BSicon HST.svg
Chris Hani
0:44
BSicon KHSTe.svg

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. [1]

Route

Central Line trains depart from Cape Town station on one of two routes. The first route runs along the original Cape TownBellville main line through Salt River to Maitland, and then branches south to pass around the western and southern edge of Pinelands to Langa station. The other route runs along the relief main line past Paarden Eiland and then branches south through Kensington to Mutual station; from Mutual it runs along the eastern edge of Pinelands to Langa. [2]

From Langa station all trains pass through Bonteheuwel station; some continue east through Bishop Lavis and Belhar, passing the University of the Western Cape before turning north and then west to terminate at Bellville. Other trains branch south after Bonteheuwel, passing Manenberg and Gugulethu to Philippi station. From Philippi, one branch passes south through Mitchell's Plain to terminate at Kapteinsklip station, while the other passes south-east through Khayelitsha to terminate at Chris Hani station. [2] [3]

Most trains to Mitchell's Plain use the Salt River route from Cape Town to Langa, while most trains to Bellville or Khayelitsha use the Mutual route, but there are some exceptions. [1]

Station listing

The Central Line serves the following stations: [1]

Cape Town
Woodstock Esplanade
Salt River Paarden Eiland
Koeberg Road Ysterplaat
Maitland Mutual
Ndabeni
Pinelands
Langa
Bonteheuwel
Netreg Lavistown
Heideveld Belhar
Nyanga Unibell
Philippi Pentech
Lentegeur Stock Road Sarepta
Mitchell's Plain Mandalay Bellville
Kapteinsklip Nolungile
Nonkqubela
Khayelitsha
Kuyasa
Chris Hani

Central Line (Cape Town)

Operation

The line is made up of 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) track, electrified with 3,000 V DC overhead catenary; all parts of the line are at least double track. Services are operated mostly by electric multiple units of Class 5M2 and (on the Khayelitsha line) Class 8M.

Current situation

After 2011, PRASA was increasingly unable to maintain the line and the Khayelitsha line ceased operation in 2019 due to vandalism and metal theft. More recently, plans to reopen it have been thwarted by squatters occupying the railway territory. [4] [5] [6] It is proposed to re-open the line by December 2022, [7] [8] [9] though many previous deadlines have been missed. Rail workers attempting to restore the line have been assaulted by armed gangs. [10]

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Timetable: Cape Town to Langa - Lavistown - Kapteinsklip - Khayelitsha" (PDF). Metrorail Western Cape. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  2. 1 2 "2010 Local passenger rail routes of South Africa: Western Cape: Cape Town" (PDF). Metrorail. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  3. "New trains for Khayelitsha residents". West Cape News. 11 June 2009. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  4. Petersen, Tammy. "Nearly 8 000 living on or around Cape Town's central train line - Metrorail". News24. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  5. Payi, Bulelwa. "Prasa outlines plan to reopen the Central Line". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  6. Payne, Suné (18 January 2022). "GETTING BACK ON TRACK: Cape Town's Central Line rail repairs could come to R2.5bn — Prasa chief". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  7. Payne, Suné (15 May 2022). "PRASA BACK ON RAILS? : Informal settlements on Metrorail tracks still hinder progress on Cape Town's Central Line". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  8. Washinyira, Tariro (27 July 2022). "Will Cape Town's Central Line open in December? Mbalula says so…". GroundUp News. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  9. GroundUp, James Stent for (24 February 2022). "GROUNDUP: OFF TRACK: Prasa says Cape Town Central Line only to return to service in December 2022". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  10. Reporters, Daily Maverick (4 September 2022). "GANGSTERISM: Thugs 'with AK-47s threaten us, take our children's food' – worker in Cape Town train line extortion saga". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 6 September 2022.