Rail transport in South Africa
Encyclopedia
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...
's railway system is the most highly developed in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. The South African rail industry is publicly owned.
History
The first track for steam-powered locomotives was a line of about 2 miles (3.2 km) by the Natal Railway CompanyNatal Railway Company
The Natal Railway Company was formed in January 1859 for the construction of a railway in Durban.Unlike later railways in South Africa, the Natal Railway Company made use of Standard gauge of rather than Cape gauge of ....
, linking the town of Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
with Harbour Point, opened on the 26th June 1860. Cape Town had already started building a 45 miles (72.4 km) line linking 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...
to 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...
in 1859 but was hampered by delays and could only open the first section of the line to the 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...
on the 13th of February 1862. Railway lines in other provinces started later, but a national "link-up" was established in 1898, creating a national transport network. This national network was largely completed by 1910. Though railway lines were also being extended outside of South Africa, as far north as Northern Rhodesia (present-day Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
), the vision of Cecil John Rhodes
Cecil John Rhodes
Cecil John Rhodes PC, DCL was an English-born South African businessman, mining magnate, and politician. He was the founder of the diamond company De Beers, which today markets 40% of the world's rough diamonds and at one time marketed 90%...
, to have a rail system that would run from the "Cape to Cairo", would never materialize.
Upon the merger of four provinces to establish the modern state of South Africa in 1910, the railway lines across the country were also merged. South African Railways and Harbours (SAR & H) was the government agency responsible for, amongst other things, the country's rail system.
Electrification of the railways began in the 1920s with the building of the Colenso Power Station
Colenso Power Station
Colenso Power Station was a coal-fired power station, located in Colenso on the banks of the Tugela River. It was built in the 1920's by the South African Railways to supply electricity for the railways, but was subsequently sold to the Electricity Supply Commission .-History:Steep gradients on...
for the Glencoe
Glencoe, KwaZulu-Natal
Glencoe is situated in the Umzinyathi District District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.The main economic activity in the area is coal mining while sheep and cattle ranching are also practiced.-History:...
to Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
route and the introduction of the South African Class 1E
South African Class 1E
Between 1925 and 1945 the South African Railways placed altogether one hundred and seventy-two Class 1E electric locomotives in service, spread over seven orders.-Manufacturers:...
.
During the 1980s, the transport industry was reorganized. Instead of being a direct government agency, it was modelled along business lines into a government-owned corporation called Transnet
Transnet
Transnet SOC Ltd is a large South African rail, port and pipeline company, headquartered in the Carlton Centre in Johannesburg. It was formed as a limited company on April 1, 1990. A majority of the company's stock is owned by the Department of Public Enterprises, or DPE, of the South African...
. Transnet Freight Rail (until recently known as Spoornet
Spoornet
Transnet Freight Rail is a South African rail transport company, formerly known as Spoornet. It was part of 'South African Railways and Harbours', a state-controlled organisation that employed hundreds of thousands of people for decades from the first half of the 20th century and was widely...
) is the division of Transnet that runs the rail system. Though there are no plans to end government-ownership of the national rail network, some small portions of the rail system have recently been privatized.
Network
Transnet (and previously Spoornet and its predecessor) became famous for its luxury rail lines, most notably the Blue TrainBlue Train (South Africa)
The Blue Train travels an approximately journey in South Africa between Pretoria and Cape Town. It is one of the most luxurious train journeys in the world...
, which runs from Cape Town to Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. The Blue Line has frequently been named the best luxury train line in the world, and the 1600 kilometres (994.2 mi) run is a popular tourist attraction for South Africa.
With the increasing coverage provided by the nation's highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
system, long distance passenger travel has declined in South Africa. While many commuters still use rail for their daily commute
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
, nationally, only half of the nation's 20000 kilometres (12,427.5 mi) of track is being fully utilized, and some 35% of the nation's track carries no activity or very low activity. Accordingly, Transnet is moving towards an emphasis on freight, rather than passengers, to keep the rail system profitable.
For a look at the South African transport network, including the railways, view this map from the United Nations.
A high speed rail link
Johannesburg-Durban High Speed Rail
In April 2010, the South African Minister of Transport proposed a Johannesburg-Durban high speed rail system. There are concerns about the cost and engineering difficulty of the project, which would have to cross the Drakensberg mountains. but the minister repeated proposals in June 2010...
has been proposed, between Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
.
Maps
Specifications
Nearly all railways in South Africa use a narrow gauge trackRail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
. This was selected in the 19th century to reduce the cost of building track across and through the mountains found in several parts of the country . Initially, a rapid speed commuter line called Gautrain
Gautrain
Gautrain is an mass rapid transit railway system in Gauteng Province, South Africa, which links Johannesburg, Pretoria, and OR Tambo International Airport...
will use (standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
). Ultimately, the hope is that the conversion
Gauge conversion
In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...
to standard gauge will also enhance rail's potential as a freight carrier.
During the late 19th century and the early 20th century numerous 2 foot narrow gauge railways
Two foot gauge railways in South Africa
At the beginning of the twentieth century, two foot narrow gauge railway lines started playing a significant role in transporting various agricultural and mineral produce from locations hardly accessible by road...
were constructed.
South African trains connect through the AAR coupler
Janney coupler
The Janney coupler, also known as a knuckle coupler, buckeye coupler, alliance coupler and AAR coupler is an automatic coupler patented by Eli H...
, developed in the United States at the end of the 19th century. Remarkably, though South Africa has long been ahead of Europe in coupling systems, it has lagged behind most of the world in its braking system
Brake (railway)
Brakes are used on the cars of railway trains to enable deceleration, control acceleration or to keep them standing when parked. While the basic principle is familiar from road vehicle usage, operational features are more complex because of the need to control multiple linked carriages and to be...
; most trains in South Africa continue to use vacuum braking
Vacuum brake
The vacuum brake is a braking system employed on trains and introduced in the mid-1860s. A variant, the automatic vacuum brake system, became almost universal in British train equipment and in those countries influenced by British practice. Vacuum brakes also enjoyed a brief period of adoption in...
. However, the conversion to air brakes has finally commenced.
Between 50% to 80% of the rail lines in South Africa are electrified
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
. Different voltages are used for different types of trains. Most electrified trains run 3000 V DC (overhead
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
); this is used primarily for commuter lines, and has been in use since the 1920s. During the 1980s, higher voltages (25 kV AC
25 kV AC
The 25 kV Alternating current railway electrification system is commonly used in railways worldwide, especially for high-speed rail.-Overview:This electrification system is ideal for railways that cover long distances and/or carry heavy traffic...
and—much less frequently—50 kV AC (both overhead) have been used for heavy duty lines (also more sleepers
Railroad tie
A railroad tie/railway tie , or railway sleeper is a rectangular item used to support the rails in railroad tracks...
per kilometre), primarily in the transport of iron ore.
Rolling stock
South Africa uses a variety of rolling stockRolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
from a number of manufacturers.
In 1957 Union Carriage & Wagon
Union Carriage & Wagon
Union Carriage & Wagon is a rolling stock manufacturer located in South Africa.In 1964 UCW delivered their first electrical locomotives to the South African Railways, the South African Class 5E1, Series 2...
was founded in Nigel
Nigel, Gauteng
Nigel is a small gold mining town in Gauteng Province, South Africa. The town is on the edge of the area known as the East Rand, the industrial engine room of Johannesburg....
for local production of rolling stock.
Accidents and incidents
- 2 February 2002, 24 people die in the 2002 Charlotte's Dale train collision
- 26 October 2005, 2005 Deelfontein train collision, head-on collision between the Blue TrainBlue TrainBlue Train may refer to:In rail:* Blue Train , a South African luxury train* Blue Train , the generic name for sleeping car trains in Japan...
and the Trans Karoo - 13 November 2006, Faure level crossing accident, 19 people was killed at a level crossing near Somerset West when a metrorail train collided with a truck carrying farm workers.
- 21 April 2010, 3 crew died in the 2010 Pretoria runaway2010 Pretoria runawayThe Pretoria train accident occurred on 21 April 2010 when a train of carriages ran away for from Centurion Station and derailed at Pretoria. Three people were killed and seven were seriously injured.-History:...
of a Rovos RailRovos RailRovos Rail is a private railway company operating out of Capital Park Station in Pretoria, South Africa. The Society of International Railway Travelers has regularly named the Pride of Africa, as the train is called, as one of the World's Top 25 Trains because of its excellent accommodation, public...
train - 25 August 2010, Blackheath level crossing accidentBlackheath level crossing accidentThe Blackheath train accident occurred at 7:03 a.m. on 25 August 2010 when a Metrorail commuter train crashed into a minibus taxi on the Buttskop Road level crossing in Blackheath, a suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. The minibus was carrying fourteen children to school; nine died on the scene...
,10 children died as a result of a level crossing crash between a Metrorail commuter train and a minibus taxi.
Rail systems in nearby countries
The following countries mostly use gauge and are mostly connected together. Countries beyond those listed are of other gauges.- AngolaRail transport in AngolaRail transport in Angola. There are three separate unconnected lines - the Luanda Railway , the Benguela Railway and the Moçâmedes Railway A fourth system once linked Gunza and Gabala....
- Botswana
- Republic of the CongoRail transport in the Republic of the CongoThe Republic of the Congo has 795 kilometres of railway track which includes 285 km of private track . The track gauge is . The Congo-Ocean Railway connects Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire.- Railway links to adjacent countries :...
- isolated - Democratic Republic of the CongoRail transport in the Democratic Republic of the CongoRail transport in the Democratic Republic of the Congois provided by the Congo Railroad Company and the Office National des Transports and the Office of the Uele Railways .The national system is mostly operated by the Société Nationale des...
- half isolated - LesothoRail transport in LesothoThe only railway line in Lesotho is the Maseru branch line, which connects the capital city Maseru to the Bloemfontein–Bethlehem line in the railway network of South Africa...
- MalawiRail transport in MalawiMalawi Railways is the national rail network in Malawi, run by a government corporation until privatisation in 1999. As of 1 December 1999 the Central East African Railways, a consortium led by Railroad Development Corporation, won the right to operate the network.The rail network totalled 797...
- Mozambique, under repair
- NamibiaRail transport in NamibiaRailways in Namibia describes the provision of rail service as a mode of transportation in Namibia. Rail service in Namibia is provided by TransNamib...
- Swaziland
- TanzaniaRail transport in TanzaniaRail transport in Tanzania is conducted by two companies:* Tanzania Railways Corporation* TAZARA- Railway links with adjacent countries : Burundi - no - proposed DR Congo - decades ago there was a train ferry between Kigoma and Kalemie, in 2007 there are no ferry links and the DR Congo line to...
same gauge as far as Dar es SalaamDar es SalaamDar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
-
transshipment to gauge at KidatuKidatuKidatu is a town in southern Tanzania located in Kilombero district, Morogoro Region. The local population is about 3300. Primary economic activity is the large Illovo sugar plantation.Kidatu is a town in central Tanzania... - ZambiaRail transport in ZambiaRail transport in Zambia is primarily provided by two companies:* TAZARA Railway* Zambia Railways Limited-Railway links with adjacent countries: DR Congo - yes, Ndola to Sakania then Lubumbashi - , freight only. . The current operating status of Chililabombwe-DR Congo link not known...
- Zimbabwe
See also
- Two foot gauge railways in South AfricaTwo foot gauge railways in South AfricaAt the beginning of the twentieth century, two foot narrow gauge railway lines started playing a significant role in transporting various agricultural and mineral produce from locations hardly accessible by road...
- Avontuur Railway
- Cape Government RailwaysCape Government RailwaysThe Cape Government Railways was the government-owned railway operator in the Cape Colony from 1874 until the creation of the South African Railways in 1910.-Private railways:...
- Cape gaugeCape gaugeCape gauge is a track gauge of between the inside of the rail heads and is classified as narrow gauge. It has installations of around .The gauge was first used by Norwegian engineer Carl Abraham Pihl and the first line was opened in 1862.- Nomenclature :...
- Flying Dutchman FunicularFlying Dutchman FunicularThe Flying Dutchman Funicular, also known as the Cape Point Funicular, is a funicular railway located at Cape Point, near the Cape of Good Hope in the Western Cape province of South Africa...
- Kei RailKei RailKei Rail is a railway project in South Africa.The Eastern Cape government restored rail services between AmaBhele and Mthatha, on an abandoned branch from the East London-Springfontein main line. Infrastructure was rebuilt, and passenger services restarted in March 2008...
- MetrorailMetrorail (South Africa)Metrorail is an operator of commuter rail services in the major urban areas of South Africa. It is a division of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa , a state-owned enterprise which is responsible for most passenger rail services in South Africa...
- Natal Government RailwaysNatal government railwaysThe Natal Government Railways was formed in January 1877 in the Colony of Natal.In 1877 the Natal Government Railways acquired the Natal Railway Company for the sum of £40,000, gaining the line from the Point to Durban and from Durban to Umgeni...
- Shosholoza MeylShosholoza MeylShosholoza Meyl is a division of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa that operates long-distance passenger rail services. It operates various train routes across South Africa, carrying approximately 4 million passengers annually...
- Transport in South Africa