The Northern Line is a commuter rail service in and around Cape Town

Cape Town

Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...

, South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 operated by Metrorail Western Cape. Northern Line services operate from central Cape Town to Bellville

Bellville, Cape Town

Bellville is a former city in the Western Cape province of South Africa; it is now part of the greater Cape Town metropolitan area. It falls within the area of the City of Cape Town municipality....

, and then from Bellville along three different routes. The first route runs along the main Cape Town–De Aar railway line to Paarl

Paarl

Paarl is a town with 191,013 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Its the third oldest European settlement in the Republic of South Africa and the largest town in the Cape Winelands. Due to the growth of the Mbekweni township, it is now a de facto urban unit with Wellington...

 and Wellington

Wellington, Western Cape

Wellington is a town in the Western Cape Winelands 45 minutes from Cape Town, in South Africa with a population of approximately 58,300. Wellington's economy is centered around agriculture such as wine, table grapes, citrus fruit and a brandy industry. The town is located 75 km north-east of...

. 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.

Route

Most Northern Line trains travel from Cape Town station

Cape Town Railway 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....

 along the old main line through Salt River

Salt River, Cape Town

Salt River is a mainly industrial suburb of Cape Town located near Table Bay to the east of the city. It is named after a river of the same name, this being a continuation of the Black River. The name Salt River is a translation of the Dutch "Soutrivier"...

, Maitland, Goodwood

Goodwood, Cape Town

Goodwood is a suburb situated between the northern and southern suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa. It is 10 kilometres from the city centre and accessible from the N1, N7 and N2 highways....

 and Parow to Bellville station

Bellville railway station

Bellville railway station is a railway station in the town of Bellville, Western Cape, South Africa. It is the second-biggest station in the Cape Town Metrorail railway network, after the Cape Town terminus. All trains on Metrorail's Northern Line pass through Bellville, and one branch of the...

. Trains on the Wellington route continue from Bellville along the main line through Brackenfell and Kraaifontein

Kraaifontein

Kraaifontein is a suburb of Cape Town, in the Western Cape province of South Africa.It is located in the city's northern suburbs and flanks the N1 Highway towards Paarl and Worcester to the north and south...

, and then through the farmland outside the city to reach the towns of Paarl

Paarl

Paarl is a town with 191,013 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Its the third oldest European settlement in the Republic of South Africa and the largest town in the Cape Winelands. Due to the growth of the Mbekweni township, it is now a de facto urban unit with Wellington...

 and Wellington

Wellington, Western Cape

Wellington is a town in the Western Cape Winelands 45 minutes from Cape Town, in South Africa with a population of approximately 58,300. Wellington's economy is centered around agriculture such as wine, table grapes, citrus fruit and a brandy industry. The town is located 75 km north-east of...

.

Other trains branch south-east after Bellville, passing through Kuils River

Kuils River

Kuils River is a town in the Western Cape province, South Africa. It is a level 2 administrative region, and is close to Cape Town's wine routes. It is located near the intersection of the M12 and the R102....

 to Eerste River

Eerste River

Eerste River, located in the Western Cape, South Africa, rises on Dwarsberg 60 km east of Cape Town at the head of Jonkershoek. The Eerste River catchment covers the eastern part of the Cape Flats lying to the west of the Hottentots Holland Mountains and south of the Tygerberg where the Kuils River...

; From there, some turn north to pass through Stellenbosch and terminate at Muldersvlei station on the main line, while others continue south-east through Somerset West along the line towards Caledon

Caledon, Western Cape

Caledon is a town in the Overberg region in the Western Cape province of South Africa, located about east of Cape Town. it had a population of 10,650. It is located in, and the seat of, the Theewaterskloof Local Municipality....

. Shortly after Somerset West they branch from this line to terminate at Strand on the False Bay

False Bay

False Bay is a body of water defined by Cape Hangklip and the Cape Peninsula in the extreme South-West of South Africa.- Description and location :...

 coast.

The Northern Line also includes a service along the relief main line from Cape Town past Century City

Century City, Cape Town

Century City is a 250 ha suburb of Cape Town, South Africa that was constructed as a mixed use development including entertainment, residential, retail and office components. Development began under Monex Development in 1997 and continues under the new owners, Rabie Property Group. Investment thus...

 and Monte Vista

Monte Vista, Cape Town

Monte Vista is a suburb of Cape Town, South Africa, whose name meaning 'Mountain View' is derived from the fact that Table Mountain is clearly visible from it. Bordered by Edgemead, Welgelegen, Plattekloof Glen, and Goodwood. Monte Vista Primary School was built in the 1960s....

 to Bellville.

Station listing

The Northern line serves the following stations:

Cape Town Cape Town Railway 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....
Woodstock Woodstock railway station (Cape Town) Woodstock railway station is a Metrorail railway station in Woodstock, Cape Town. It is the first station after the Cape Town terminus on the old main line to Bellville. Services on all of Metrorail's lines pass through the station....		Esplanade
Salt River Salt River railway station Salt River railway station is a Metrorail railway station in Salt River, Cape Town. It is the second station from the Cape Town terminus on the old main line to Bellville, and the junction where the Southern Line branches from the main line...		Ysterplaat
Koeberg Road		Kentemade
Maitland		Century City
Woltemade		Akasia Park
Mutual Mutual railway station Mutual railway station is a Metrorail commuter rail station located between the suburbs of Maitland and Pinelands in Cape Town, South Africa. It is situated next to the South African headquarters of the Old Mutual, from which it takes its name...		Monte Vista
Thornton		De Grendel
Goodwood		Avondale
Vasco		Oosterzee
Elsies River
Parow
Tygerberg
Bellville Bellville railway station Bellville railway station is a railway station in the town of Bellville, Western Cape, South Africa. It is the second-biggest station in the Cape Town Metrorail railway network, after the Cape Town terminus. All trains on Metrorail's Northern Line pass through Bellville, and one branch of the...
Kuils River			Stikland
Blackheath			Brackenfell
Melton Rose			Eikefontein
Eerste River			Kraaifontein
Faure	Lynedoch		Muldersvlei
Firgrove	Vlottenburg		Klapmuts
Somerset West	Stellenbosch		Paarl
Van der Stel	Du Toit		Huguenot Huguenot railway station Huguenot railway station is the main passenger railway station in the town of Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa. It is served by Metrorail commuter trains on the Northern Line...
Strand	Koelenhof		Dal Josafat
	Muldersvlei		Mbekweni
			Wellington Wellington railway station (South Africa) Wellington railway station is the railway station that serves the town of Wellington in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is the terminus of the Metrorail Northern Line service from Cape Town Station, except for a single train daily in each direction as far as Worcester...

Operation

The line is made up of track, electrified with 3,000 V DC overhead catenary; most of the routes are at least double track, except for the Strand and Stellenbosch lines beyond Eerste River. Services are operated mostly by electric multiple unit

Electric multiple unit

An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...

s of Class 5M2

SAR Class 5M2

The South African Railways Class 5M2 and Class 5M2A are electric multiple units that are used to provide commuter rail services by Metrorail in the major cities of South Africa. The original Class 5M2 trainsets were built by Metro Cammell between 1958 and 1960...

.