Cape Town railway station

Cape Town
Railway station
The terminal of Cape Town station (before upgrading)
General information
Location	Adderley Street, Cape Town, 8000
Coordinates	33°55′20″S 18°25′35″E
Owned by	PRASA
Line(s)	Metrorail: Shosholoza Meyl: Premier Classe:
Platforms	24 terminus platforms
Tracks	24
Connections	MyCiTi BRT Golden Arrow Bus Services Minibus taxis
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
History
Opened	1863
Rebuilt	1961

Blackie, the first locomotive in South Africa, previously displayed at Cape Town Railway Station, now awaiting relocation to a new railway museum to be erected near the station

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.

Lines

Metrorail Lines

Cape Town station is the hub of the Metrorail Western Cape commuter rail network, which is operated by the Metrorail division of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). The network consists of four lines, all of which originate from Cape Town: the Southern Line via the Southern Suburbs to Simon's Town; the Cape Flats Line via Athlone to Retreat; the Central Line via Langa to Mitchell's Plain, Khayelitsha and Bellville; and the Northern Line via Bellville to Paarl, Stellenbosch and Somerset West.

Shosholoza Meyl

Shosholoza Meyl, the inter-city rail division of PRASA, operates several long-distance passenger rail services from Cape Town: a daily service to and from Johannesburg via Kimberley; a weekly service to and from Durban via Kimberley, Bloemfontein and Pietermaritzburg; and a weekly service to and from East London. These trains terminate at Cape Town station, as well as making a brief stop at Bellville.

Shosholoza Meyl also operates a semi-luxury Premier Classe service from Cape Town: weekly trains to and from Johannesburg via Kimberley.

Other

Cape Town Railway Station is also used by the luxury tourist-oriented Blue Train and the private train holiday company Rovos Rail.

In years past, Cape Town Railway Station was the starting point for many adventurers on their way to explore Africa. They would buy some or all their supplies in Cape Town and then take a steam train out of Cape Town Station.

Services

Preceding station		Metrorail		Following station
Terminus		Template:MWC lines Monte Vista		Template:MWC stations toward Template:MWC stations
		Template:MWC lines Mutual		Template:MWC stations toward Template:MWC stations
		Template:MWC lines		Template:MWC stations toward Template:MWC stations
		Template:MWC lines Pinelands		Template:MWC stations toward Template:MWC stations
		Template:MWC lines		Template:MWC stations toward Template:MWC stations
		Template:MWC lines		Template:MWC stations toward Template:MWC stations
Shosholoza Meyl
Terminus		Template:SMeyl lines		Template:SMeyl stations toward Template:SMeyl stations
Premier Classe
Terminus		Template:PC lines		Template:PC stations toward Template:PC stations

Cape Town's first railway station. circa 1870.

History & Alterations

The First Structure

The first railway station in Cape Town was a rudimentary wooden structure built in 1861, and was located near the current Golden Acre shopping centre. Cape Town's railways were in their infancy and the early station was small and simple.

Cape Town's second station. circa 1900.

The Victorian Building

In 1875 Cape Prime Minister John Molteno began construction of a massive stone complex to serve as the central station to the rapidly expanding railway network being built. The site for it was chosen near the bottom of Adderley street (where its successor still stands).

It was large enough to contain the increasing number of train platforms, as well as the headquarters of the recently formed Cape Government Railways, but additional enlargements were nonetheless added over the coming years.

Cape Town's modern station.

The Current Station

Nearly a hundred years later in the nineteen-sixties, the historic stone Victorian building was demolished by the Apartheid government to make way for a modern building that would allow for the racial segregation of all commuters.

The current station complex is the result of alterations due to the preparations for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. Like its predecessor it covers between 25 and 35 city blocks. The renovations are a joint initiative between PRASA-Metrorail and Intersite, the property management company. The immediate emphasis was on improving the look and feel as well as commuter comfort, with better access, information, safety and security ahead of the 2010 soccer World Cup.

Notable places nearby

Cape Town railway station is the only one in the City Bowl, so it is the nearest station to all the places of interest in central Cape Town. In the immediate vicinity of the station can be found:

• Cape Town City Hall
• Cape Town Civic Centre
• Artscape Theatre Centre
• The Grand Parade
• Castle of Good Hope

See also

• Cape Government Railways
• South African "Blackie" 0-4-2WT

Cape Town station in 1875.