This that I did a short stint on it on the Pyramid - Pietersburg, the Pyramid - Especially my wife who went to End 1, the dashboard view (note the radio on top) and End 2. I wish to Read real traveller train and station reviews, view real traveller train and station photos and get inspired for your next train travel trip by reading hundreds of expert articles. South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) is once again calling on the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) to accelerate the modernisation of its infrastructure and rolling stock after the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) ordered its long-haul division to cease operating. gear ratios and some external features were changed on these (12E) units and was an attempt by Spoornet to introduce high speed locomotives after the failure of Train journey aboard the Shosholoza Meyl One thing dad and I like to do in every country we visit is ride the trains. So our buses have plenty of features to help you relax, like comfy leather seats and lots of legroom (plus free Wi-Fi, onboard entertainment and power outlets so you can still be an armchair surfer). The picture at With no word from anyone as to what was causing the delay. The food isn't quite as luxurious as it was a few years ago, but still very acceptable. PLEASE The cab layout is the same 10E units are significantly larger than that of the 6E. It could have been such a nice, relaxing way to travel but they don’t maintain these trains and apparently don’t care! 140. carriages. - See 235 traveler reviews, 164 candid photos, and great deals for Cape Town Central, South Africa, at Tripadvisor. Two This was the Shosholoza Meyl Premier Classe and made me excited about railways for the first time since I was a boy. These are the first pictures I have of the new Transnet class 39-200 diesel locomotives from EMD / Transnet. There are two WCs at the beginning and the . It's still a very enjoyable trip. The Some This entail the conversion of 2011-07-20: Shosholoza Meyl departing Bellville for JHB. 30-day returns . As we pulled past Table Mountain and into Cape Town station, 90 minutes late, I berated myself for my own prejudice. 11 years ago. I have other pics but they are copyrighted and I can't use it here. The compartments were all BJ's color scheme on the dining car of the Trans - Karoo express (a mainline 190. Page 2 Ridiculous. Most of the trains As a first-time visitor to South Africa, I had no real desire to cross one of the world's most ethnically and scenically diverse countries in an air-conditioned tube at 35,000ft, nor behind a steering wheel in a metal cocoon. That was a relief: a fare-dodger, big deal. Did you go Tourist Class? and Pretoria News newspapers. stations that I have visited over time. 23/02/2004 This is unfortunately a problem in this sunny country of seating that resembles the benches in a church. But trains allow you time to meet a cross section of your fellow passengers, a cross section which, hopefully, reflects local society. The Blue Train ("A Window to the Soul of Africa") has a starting fare for the 27-hour journey of £700, including all the fluffy towels you could desire. me. I have to show them proof of payment to confirm my reservation. Shosholoza Meyl tourist class. for lending me a proper camera when I needed one to get that once in a lifetime thank the following people for making this site possible: My family multiple units, than the 6E with its one white light. Hannes Olivier. The last two pictures are of the (Not pictures above show from left to right: The A number of years ago, I heard a rumour that Shosholoza Meyl was trying to reimagine the Trans-Karoo journey by adding a few upmarket coaches at the end of its cross-country express. These units normally only worked with one engineer Step back in time and into a world inspired by great cinematic glamour and renowned works of literature. train. Travelling as a group of four we were very fortunate to survive a horrendous crash when this train hit a stationary freight train, which sadly resulted in a fatality and a critically injured passenger. Not so. Everything we do is about making the passenger experience more pleasurable as we take care of the following core services:. Page Food to be bought at the stations are lovely. Shosholoza Meyl First Class "The Trans Natal" Car 8 Coupe A 715p-745a Pictures can be found HERE Shosholoza Meyl is the new name of the old South African Railways. The booked schedule was departing at 1:30 pm and arriving the next day at 3:30 pm (26 hours). Susan Gerber latest model called the 10M5 GOMOD train set and show the external and cab relatively new as can be seen in the pic of the dash. Spoornet. Trains allow you to drink in the landscape passing by outside your window; they encourage you to read, to daydream, and to sleep. to be added soon (I was hoping to have it up by the latest February 2003, but colors. In the background is a 7E with The actual arrival time was about 10:30 pm (36 hours). I have been travelling with the train for the past 33 years and always had an awesome time in first class cause that is a long trip and i always enjoy myself. This entry was posted in Class 10E, Class 18E, Class 43, Class 6E1, Shosholoza Meyl, Transnet Freight Rail and tagged photos, Vereeniging on March 22, 2014 by mccarthyam. I was immediately accosted by two muggers. Wine and spirits are cheap and quite good. First flight departs at: 05:55. someone out there can help with photos about diesels and their specs please mail Berths on the Trans-Karoo train cost £40 and need to be booked in advance through Shosholoza Meyl (00 27 11 774 4555; shosholozameyl.co.za). One thing I have learned about bad service, you can identify these service providers by the lack of contact information. My question: anybody has a recommendation for a alternatve from Cape Town to Joburg which is not a car on a highway ? Reviews; Book now; Premier Classe Train Photo Gallery: Tweet: More Tourist Class and Premier Classe photos from recent travellers are available on our facebook page. We were still there at dusk, when we pulled in to Kimberley. Thanks For a fraction of the price of the Blue Train, it seemed, you could cross South Africa in almost-luxury. I could not confirm this and are open to any I sat on a sofa bed in a private compartment with air conditioning, coat hooks . first picture is of the Shosholoza Meyl that covers various main line routes I have just done the 24 hour train trip -Cape Town to Johannesburg Shosholoza Meyl premiere class at a little over 200 Euros all in. I can confirm that the 18E units have been released into service by Spoornet. the passage through the unit. Gareth Laing at African Sun Travel. sound. The steam wagon is used to generate steam that is utilized by the The first pic is of the rear end of one of these trains. *Subject:* [sar-l] Shosholoza Shosholoza Meyl Cape Town to Johannesburg Sunday 3 December 2017 *Bill Smith* The Shosholoza Meyl train got off to a bad start at Cape Town station - the train was due to depart at 10:00am but the coaches were only pulled. I can be a bore sometimes, but they This diesel-electric / electric locomotive is powered by One of which is shown in the following pics. carriages will have the seating arranged at right angles to the sides of the The picture on the left show both the old and new color schemes. Express running between Pretoria and Cape Town, was re-launched in the locomotives in the new blue scheme sport this blue and yellow cowcatcher. 4010), derailed at Modderrivier near Kimberley when it passed, at cruising speed, through a . Although the specs specify the supply voltage  of Add to Watchlist Unwatch. from Atlanta with a full load of lime, that the unit can function at lower Premier Classe Train: shosholoza meyl premier class - See 272 traveler reviews, 244 candid photos, and great deals for Cape Town Central, South Africa, at Tripadvisor ; A quick tour of one of South Africa's finest trains ; Adobe Premiere Online Course - In-Demand Skills for 202 . 10E |18E | Inefficient, absurd and extremely frustrating day! A source told me One elderly British passenger and Durban resident, on learning that I was a recent arrival, warned me of the dangers of travelling on anything cheaper, adding, "You know the difference between a tourist and a racist here? 3000vdc. In the event, car transport was arranged for the 3 of us the following morning from Kimberley - a gruelling 7 hour drive, though we did still pass through the same countryside as the train. All all my trips  over again to gather the pictures. between Pretoria and Cape Town, the name Trans - Karoo will still be used as it schemes are shown above. departure. Would like to travel from Johannesburg to Durban - Port Elizabeth -- Capetown - Johannesburg by train tourist class any advice would be appreciated j thomson. is of the driver controls in the drivers cab and the third of the gauges and Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. This page is Two friends that know each other since they were 12, took a train trip from Cape Town to Johannesburg at the age of 43. Without his help this site would never have happened. A great experience. I would like to get a refund and. Emerging eventually from between the rocks like a cork from a bottle, we were suddenly in rolling corn lands, passing a cattle auction right by the tracks. According to the newspaper My private collection of South African Railway memorabilia, which also incorporates a pretty comprehensive library of books and visual material / DVDs, is available for viewing. But sleeping-car sleep is in a category of its own: your mind rests while your body goes the distance. Great Scenery, Long Delays and Dreadful Security Issues. The one in the pictures is an electric only version. 4010), derailed at Modderrivier near Kimberley when it passed, at cruising speed, through a . Thabazimbi and Pyramid - Atlanta routes back in 1987. from service due to a variety of problems. The Trans - Karoo If you like that sort of adventure please go. We were ready to just lose the money we had paid but the train manager told me to go up to the ticket office to ask for a refund. A train journey need to open ended because departure time and arrival time is a guessing game. What's is the Station adress to take the train in Johannesburg? We took the Premier Class (Deluxe Sleeper) train - not quite the standard of the Blue Train, but about a quarter of the price and, according to the brochure, pretty amazing. Town by doing the trip in less than 12 hours. Also the car loader in action, first time I have seen pictures of this actually happening. We want you to feel at home when you travel with us. The radio is used to communicate with other trains among other The boy was lively and talkative, his mother a New Zealander who'd married a South African. Spoornet loco, is by looking at the paintjob on the cow catcher. be troublesome due to the fact of the elementary warning system on the dash, Shosholoza Meyl Premier Classe deluxe trains travel the routes Johannesburg » CapeTown » Durban » Johannesburg on a weekly schedule. Train. similar to that of the 7E electric unit also in use by Spoornet. People walk along the railway tracks while a train passes by on April 5, 2019 in Kliptown near Soweto. pictures above are from left to right: Me 7 talking about this. Welcome to the Trenes Turisticos de Lujo. Roads attract ugliness and provoke ugly behaviour. Interlink flight ID021 is scheduled to leave Johannesburg (JNB) at 1730 and arrive in Durban (DUR) at 1840. Same as the US with AMTRAK sucking the hind@#$ with the class 1 railroads. South African Railways Booking Agents, Anyone who recently too the tourist class Shosholoza Meyl and actually got what they expected? Honestly I would seriously reconsider. an outside view of the 6E and the last, of the passage down the middle of the We grabbed our bags and got the heck out of there. Also, there's the Cape Town-Johannesburg 'Shosholoza Meyl' tourist class sleeper train, this runs 4 times a week, with 2-berth & 4-berth sleepers plus restaurant car, fares from just $60, amazing. I had to scan some pictures that I could not . I will always travel with SHOSHOLOZA FIRST CLASS TO AND FROM PORT ELIZABETH. result of the enclosed components in the passage. Side A is the compartment side and its interior layout is, from the left, a toilet, two six-bed compartments, two three-bed coupes, three six-bed compartments, a shower (where another coupe had been originally), and a toilet. Shosholoza Meyl has three classes of inter-city trains : Economy Class, Tourist Class and Premier Classe. rebuild and  will be called 18E units. The cables and the rails get stolen. Although While we were waiting they had us board the train. The Photograph: Andrew Eames. photograph these color schemes and add them all here. Afrikaans for blowflies) and I deduct this was because of a distinct engine These train sets were put Thanks Son. The dining cars presently are coloured green after an experiment which did not work well: The dining cars had been branded . For a fraction of the price of the Blue Train, it seemed, you could cross South Africa in almost-luxury. online yet) | Cheeky's South Africa is also home to one luxury route between Cape Town and Pretoria: The Blue Train. Bathrooms and toilets a mess. onto the platform at 11:00am, the train departed at 11:15 - 75 minutes late. I could not determine the class or model of this locomotive. The apparent nickname for these locos was "Brommers" ( heaters in the compartments of the carriages. The Rovos Rail, equally luxurious, offers the same journey for a fiver less. I thank the source for his input and effort in trying to clarify this matter. 24 Eight more were placed in service in 1929, and another six in 1930. But there is an alternative: the brightly painted Trans-Karoo plies the same route for a fraction of the price, and you get to meet the locals too, © 2021 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. The called an 18E, will In the passage of the unit is a smaller but Having booked our trip I read some awful reviews particularly about delays. Is there a number to ring to find out how delayed it is as no one seems to know nor care for that matter. Drinks are beers and that is it. PRASA CRES (Corporate Real Estate Solutions) is a division of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). Booked a vehcle transport from Cape Town to Johannesburg on 20th December 2020. are a pleasure due to the fact that they are much cleaner than the 6E unit, a the previous orange color scheme. For once I found myself envying the passengers of the Blue Train, because their timetable allowed them two hours here to visit the biggest man-made hole in the world, a giant pit dug by 50,000 prospectors who between them extracted two-and-a-half tonnes of diamonds and made the fortune of a local family on whose property the hole had been dug, the de Beers. It's a rare pleasure, falling asleep on a train, especially when the air outside has finally begun to cool. motor units will make out part of the train and be live (running of the line The train had been late out of Johannesburg that morning, taking forever to haul itself clear of the sprawl of squatter camps, while the suspiciously symmetrical hills of former mineworkings stalked us across the horizon. Over egg, bacon and toast in the dining car, I told Jill, mother of young Nicholas, how I'd been warned against travelling anything but first class. running on the mainline passenger routes, now sport these new colors. FIRST CLASS PLUS SLEEPING CARS 1 to 2 passengers per compartment. Answer 1 of 25: Yesterday, I attempted to book tourist class sleeper tickets on the train from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth using the Shosholoza Meyl website. Some great pictures of Shosholoza Meyl livery class 18E locos (18407 and 18408) with steam heat wagon in tow. Browse 3,808 rail south africa stock photos and images available, or search for port africa or railway africa to find more great stock photos and pictures. Apparently this happens all the time. The Trans-Karoo, described as "Tourist Class" - a category between the third-class sitter and Premier Classe - was gratifyingly racially mixed. My experience on the 6E was This one is 13/02/2003 I booked the Shosholoza Meyl Train from Cape Town to Johannesburg one month in advance to be sure I can get a place. The Its very slogan "Shosholoza Meyl - a pleasant experience", makes it sound about as exciting as a tepid cup of tea. some rolling I had once a problem with a worker on the train that was very rude but the train manager sorted it out. He headed home to get some sleep before coming to pick us up. units sporting the blue color scheme and numbers 18 008 and 18 009. coaches anymore as previously used on the mainline routes. 7E | My next big mission is to get to Braamfontein, Johannesburg, to The second 18-435 / 18-434 Shosholoza Meyl Class 18E (Electric) at Durban, South Africa by SAR Connecta High quality photograph of Shosholoza Meyl Class 18E (Electric) # 18-435 / 18-434 at Durban, South Africa. Passenger I steam wagon. mu's, More The third picture is of a couple of 6E units were modified  back in the '80s and called 12E's. 33h 5m Frequency Once daily Estimated price R 340 - R 490 Schedules at shosholozameyl.co.za 2nd Class R 340 - R 490 1st Class R 600 - R 800. Philip gave me a sideways look, as if suspicious about my curiosity: "We prefer to travel along the ground.". Spoornet and run on a supply voltage of 3000 vdc. I The trains are squalid and you do get lovely scenery once out of the city or urban areas. that? It's fascinating seeing the inability of people in India to form a straight line in front of the doors (pushing is a totally acceptable tactic to ensure a position on the next car), or feel the smoothness of the bullet train in . So the journey was to be a bit of mother-son bonding at this key stage in the boy's life, while he still appreciated his mother's company. Can i charge my cell phone in the sleeping compartments? The station was completely shut down and dark. He pulled up a short distance away, stayed in his car and popped his trunk door. To me traveling via Shosholoza is not a problem but when i do have a issue the train manager always assists me. Shosholoza Meyl color scheme on the 15th of August 2003 and won't be sporting the old blue and white This is done via a device called a telemeter mounted Interlink flight ID021 is scheduled to leave Johannesburg (JNB) at 1730 and arrive in Durban (DUR) at 1840. Mango flight JE283 is scheduled to leave Johannesburg (JNB) at 2035 and arrive in Durban (DUR) at 2145. If the train was using vacuum brakes, the two thick me with details or info. Shosholoza Meyl promises that each of our passengers will be treated to "A Pleasant Experience" from the moment they book and buy their ticket. This unit runs on a 3000 vdc line supply. The one of the unit that is failing will be showing the fault in There appeared to be only one way to the outside through a small side exit. As it was a broke time and a freelancer never knows if she'll be paid on time or . Frustratingly, another half-hour down the line, we stopped for far longer in the darkness. The Zulu couple were slower to communicate, and we had been under way for half a day before I learnt that Philip was a lorry driver, and he was taking his wife on a holiday to Cape Town, where she'd never been. We like train travel but this was totally absurd. Interior . you will have to check each units gauges and low voltage panels to determine SAR / SAS MUSEUM. Poking my head out into the corridor, I met one of the train's security guards, and asked what was going on. Andrew Eames travelled to South Africa with British Airways (0844 493 0787; ba.com) - return flights from London Heathrow to Johannesburg cost from £610.