Metrorail Western Cape Region | |||
---|---|---|---|
![]() | |||
![]() 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 lines | 4 | ||
Number of stations | 122 (97 have ticket offices) | ||
Annual ridership | 13 [1] million (2023) | ||
Chief executive | Richard Walker | ||
Website | www | ||
Operation | |||
Operator(s) | Metrorail | ||
Character | Suburban railway | ||
Number of vehicles | 85 trainsets (1094 coaches) | ||
Technical | |||
System length | 460 km (290 mi) | ||
Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | ||
Electrification | 3 kV DC overhead catenary | ||
Top speed | 90 km/h (56 mph) | ||
|
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.
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.
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 of Fish Hoek is single-track.
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 Retreat.
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.
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.
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. | Route | Notes | Length |
---|---|---|---|
01xx | Simonstown ↔ Cape Town | Some trains terminate at Fish Hoek. Also see next entry | 36 km |
02xx | Simonstown ↔ Cape Town | Afternoon peak | 36 km |
05xx | Retreat ↔ Cape Town | Via Cape Flats line | 24 km |
23xx | Eersterivier ↔ Cape Town | Some weekend trains terminate at Faure | 34 km |
25xx | Kraaifontein ↔ Cape Town | 31 km | |
28xx | Bellville ↔ Cape Town | Via Monte Vista and Century City | 21 km |
32xx | Strand ↔ Cape Town | 53 km | |
34xx | Muldersvlei ↔ Cape Town | Via Stellenbosch | 61 km |
35xx | Wellington ↔ Cape Town | Includes service to Worcester (174 km) | 72 km |
90xx | Bellville ↔ Cape Town | Via Lavistown (through Ysterplaat) | 28 km |
95xx | Kapteinsklip ↔ Cape Town | Via Salt River, some terminations at Nyanga | 32 km |
99xx | Chris Hani ↔ Cape Town | Via Ysterplaat | 38 km |
This section needs additional citations for verification .(April 2019) |
Stellenbosch is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, situated about 50 kilometres east of Cape Town, along the banks of the Eerste River at the foot of the Stellenbosch Mountain. The town became known as the City of Oaks or Eikestad in Afrikaans and Dutch due to the large number of oak trees that were planted by its founder, Simon van der Stel, to grace the streets and homesteads.
Bellville is a suburb of Cape Town, South Africa, and is part of the city's Northern Suburbs region. Having formerly been an independent city, it was later incorporated into the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality, which is located in the Western Cape province of South Africa.
Kuils River is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa, 25 km east of Cape Town and 20 km west of Stellenbosch 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 zone 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.
The General Jan Smuts Regiment is a reserve mechanised infantry regiment of the South African Army.
Rail transport in South Africa is an important element of the country's transport infrastructure. All major cities are connected by rail, and South Africa's railway system is the most highly developed in Africa. The South African rail industry is publicly owned.
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.
The City of Cape Town is a metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of Cape Town and surrounding areas. As of 2022 it has a population of 4,772,846.
Brackenfell is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, situated on the N1 about 30 km north-east of Cape Town and 35 km south-west of Paarl.
Cape Town railway station is the main railway station of the city of Cape Town, South Africa. It is located along Adderley and Strand Streets in the city's central business district.
Malmesbury is a town of approximately 36,000 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa, about 65 km north of Cape Town.
The Southern Line is a commuter rail line operated by Metrorail Western Cape, connecting Cape Town station in central Cape Town, South Africa with the Southern Suburbs and the towns on the west coast of False Bay, terminating in Simon's 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.
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 Cape Flats Line is a commuter rail line in Cape Town, South Africa, operated by Metrorail Western Cape. It connects central Cape Town with the suburbs of Pinelands, Athlone, Lansdowne, Ottery, Southfield, Healthfield and Retreat.
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.
Pinelands railway station is a Metrorail station situated on the western edge of Pinelands, a suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. It is served by trains on the Cape Flats Line and the Central Line. Cape Flats Line trains travel from Cape Town through Pinelands and Athlone to Retreat. Central Line trains travel from Cape Town through Pinelands and Langa to Mitchell's Plain, Khayelitsha and Bellville.
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.