Metrorail (Western Cape)

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Metrorail Western Cape Region
Locale	Cape Town, Western Cape
Transit type	Commuter rail
System length	423 km (263 mi)
Number of vehicles	79 trainsets (868 coaches)
Number of stations	109 (+ 5 halts)
Daily ridership	621,000 (as of 2004)
Track gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Owner	South African Rail Commuter Corporation
Operator(s)	Metrorail

Metrorail (Western Cape) operates commuter and suburban rail services in the Cape Town metropolitan area, as well as some services to nearby towns. The services are provided by Metrorail, who operate in the main cities of South Africa. The routes are probably the most comprehensive of any of the major cities in South Africa but some key areas have no train service, notably the Atlantic suburbs and Tableview.

In 2006 a serious level crossing accident killed 19 people. See 2006 Cape Town truck-train collision.

Most services 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.

There are 79 operational trainsets, made up of 868 coaches. There are 671 scheduled trains per weekday, operating over 423 kilometres (263 mi) of track to 109 stations and 5 halts. As of 2004 there were an average of 621,000 daily weekday passenger trips.^[1] There are four main routes, as follows.

Contents 1 Southern Line 2 Cape Flats Line 3 Bonteheuwel and beyond 4 Bellville and beyond 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Southern Line

Southern Line
Legend Cape Town N2 to Ysterplaat Woodstock Salt River to Cape Flats, Mutual Observatory N2 Mowbray Rosebank Liesbeek River Rondebosch Newlands Claremont Harfield Road Kenilworth Wynberg Wittebome Plumstead Steurhof Diep River Dieprivier from Cape Flats Heathfield Retreat Steenberg Lakeside False Bay Muizenberg St James Kalk Bay Fish Hoek Sunny Cove Glencairn Simon's Town

Main article: Southern Line (Metrorail)

This line runs next to False Bay on the section south of Muizenberg and serves some of the southern suburbs of Cape Town.

The following stations are served by trains on this route. Some services terminate at Fish Hoek or Retreat.

• Cape Town Railway Station
• Woodstock
• Salt River
• Observatory
• Mowbray
• Rosebank
• Rondebosch
• Newlands
• Claremont
• Harfield Road
• Kenilworth
• Wynberg
• Wittebome
• Plumstead
• Steurhof
• Dieprivier
• Heathfield
• Retreat
• Steenberg
• Lakeside
• False Bay
• Muizenberg
• St James
• Kalk Bay
• Fish Hoek
• Sunny Cove
• Glencairn
• Simon's Town

[edit] Cape Flats Line

Cape Flats Line
Legend Cape Town Woodstock Salt River Koeberg Road Maitland Ndabeni Pinelands Hazendal Athlone Crawford Lansdowne Wetton Ottery Southfield connection to Simon's Town Line Heathfield Retreat

This line runs on the same route as the Simon's Town line as far as Salt River and then serves the following stations

• Koeberg Road
• Maitland
• Ndabeni
• Pinelands
• Hazendal
• Athlone
• Crawford
• Lansdowne
• Wetton
• Ottery
• Southfield

The line then rejoins the Simon's Town before Heathfield station and trains terminate at Heathfield or Retreat

[edit] Bonteheuwel and beyond

Central Area

Legend Cape Town Woodstock Esplanade Salt River to Southern Suburbs Ysterplaat Salt River to Bellville via Monte Vista Koeberg Road Maitland Ndabeni Mutual to Bellville via Elsies River Pinelands to Cape Flats Langa Bonteheuwel Netreg Lavistown Heideveld Belhar Nyanga Unibell Philippi Pentech Sarepta Stock Road Lentegeur Mandalay from Cape Town via Elsies River from Cape Town via Monte Vista Bellville to Malmesbury and Worcester to Strand and Stellenbosch Mitchell's Plain Nolungile Kapteinsklip Nonkqubela Khayelitsha

Trains either run on the same route as the Cape Flats line as far as Pinelands, and then divert on a separate line to Langa or travel on a separate route out of Cape Town that pass the following stations

• Esplanade
• Ysterplaat
• Mutual
• Langa

After Langa, all trains pass through the next station, Bonteheuwel, where there is another diversion of routes. Some trains pass the following stations through to Bellville, Cape Town

• Lavistown
• Belhar
• Unibell
• Pentech
• Sarepta
• Bellville

The other route diverts south through the following stations

• Netreg
• Heideveld
• Nyanga
• Philippi

The line splits further here, one route serves Mitchell's Plain through the following stations

• Lentegeur
• Mitchell's Plain
• Kapteinsklip (terminus)

The other line serves Khayelitsha and has the following stations

• Stock Road
• Mandalay
• Nolungile
• Nonkqubela
• Khayelitsha

[edit] Bellville and beyond

Northern Area

Legend Cape Town Woodstock Esplanade Salt River to Southern Suburbs Ysterplaat Salt River Koeberg Road Maitland to Cape Flats Kentemade Woltemade Mutual to Langa Thornton Acacia Park Goodwood Monte Vista Vasco De Grendel Elsies River Avondale Parow Oosterzee Tygerberg Bellville Stikland to Mutual via Langa Kuils River Brackenfell Blackheath Eikenfontein Melton Rose Kraaifontein Eerste Rivier Lynedoch Vlottenburg Stellenbosch Du Toit Koelenhof Muldersvlei Faure Fisantkraal Firgrove Klapmuts Mellish Mikpunt Paarl Somerset West Klipheuwel Van der Stel Dal Josafat Strand Mbekweni Wellington Wintervogel Malan Kalbaskraal Soetendal Hermon Abbotsdale Malmesbury Voëlvlei Gouda Tulbagh Road Artois Wolseley Romans River Breede River Botha Goudini Road Worcester

This is complex network of lines that serve the northern suburbs of Cape Town as well as some outlying towns. Most services go on the same route as the Cape Flats line as far as Maitland, and then pass the following stations towards Bellville.

• Woltemade
• Mutual
• Thornton
• Goodwood
• Vasco
• Elsies River
• Parow
• Tygerberg
• Bellville

Services diverge here. Some go on the route of the main line to Johannesburg as far Wellington serving the following stations

• Stikland
• Brackenfell
• Eikenfontein
• Kraaifontein
• Muldersvlei
• Klapmuts
• Paarl
• Huguenot
• Dal Josafat
• Mbekweni
• Wellington

The other route from Bellville diverges to the south and passes the following stations

• Kuils River
• Blackheath
• Melton Rose
• Eerste River

This line diverges again, with one route serving the Somerset West and Strand area

• Faure
• Firgrove
• Somerset West
• Van Der Stel
• Strand

The other route is known as the Stellenbosch loop and serves the university town of Stellenbosch and then rejoins the main line to Johannesburg at Muldersvlei where services on this route terminate.

• Lynedoch
• Vlottenburg
• Stellenbosch
• Du Toit
• Koelenhof
• Muldersvlei

In addition, some services use an alternate route to Bellville (used by long distance passenger trains), passing the following stations.

• Esplanade
• Ysterplaat
• Kentemade
• Acacia Park
• Monte Vista
• De Grendel
• Avondale
• Oosterzee
• Bellville

Finally, there are trains to each of the following

• Worcester- this continues on the main line to Johannesburg beyond Wellington and serves some smaller communities along the way
• Malmesbury- this diverges from the main route at Kraaifontein and also serves a few small communities on the route to the town of Malmesbury.

[edit] See also

• Metrorail (South Africa)
• Cape Town

[edit] References

1. ^ (2006) 2006 Time Table. Metrorail Cape. 

[edit] External links

• Metrorail Cape Town website
• Map of current network