The Wynberg Railway Company was established in 1861 to build a railway line from Salt River Junction to Wynberg, which opened on 19 December 1864.[1] In 1876 the company was taken over by the Cape Government Railways, and the line, which had originally been built to the standard gauge, was rebuilt to Cape gauge.
The extension to Muizenberg opened on 15 December 1882, and a further extension to Kalk Bay on 5 May 1883. Initially there were no stops between Wynberg and Muizenberg. A turntable for the steam locomotive, built by Cowans Sheldon and Co Ltd in Carlisle in the UK, was installed at Kalk Bay. [2][3] The final extension, to the naval base at Simon's Town, opened on 1 December 1890, and the turntable was moved there. The line was electrified with overhead catenary in 1928.[4]
Operation
The line runs on "Cape gauge" 3ft6in (1,067mm) track, and is electrified with 3,000 V DC overhead catenary. Service on the line is provided by Electric Multiple Units of X'Trapolis Mega as of February 2023. Previously, the South African Class 5M2 and South African Class 10M3 were used with the X'Trapolis Mega.[5] The Class 5M2 and 10M3 units were made up in an eight-car configuration, shorter than on the other Metrorail routes in Cape Town, because many of the platforms on the Southern Line are too short to handle longer trains.
Tourism
In 2007, Cape Town Tourism, the City of Cape Town, and Metrorail collaborated to promote the Southern Line as a tourist route, focusing on tourist attractions near Cape Town, Observatory, Newlands, Muizenberg, Kalk Bay and Simon's Town stations. This includes a "hop-on, hop-off" ticket allowing unlimited travel on the line during off-peak hours.[6]
Beyond Wynberg, the route travels southwards stopping at Wittebome, Plumstead, Steurhof, Diep River, Heathfield (where it is joined by the Cape Flats Line) and Retreat; some Southern Line trains terminate here. Most trains on the line, however, continue south through stations at Lakeside and False Bay before reaching Muizenberg, where the railway line meets the False Bay coast.
From Muizenberg the line runs south-west, immediately beside the coast, with only a thin strip of rocks and beach separating the tracks from the sea. The stations at St. James and Kalk Bay are popular with beachgoers, as is Fish Hoek. The double track ends at Fish Hoek, the final destination of many trains on the line. Those that continue wind along the coastline on single tracks through Sunny Cove and Glencairn to the terminus at Simon's Town.
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