Shosholoza Meyl
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Shosholoza Meyl | |
Type of Company | |
---|---|
Founded | |
Headquarters | Braamfontein |
Industry | Train transport |
Products | Passenger transport service |
Employees | ~ |
Website | / |
Shosholoza Meyl is the long-distance passenger services unit of Spoornet, the South African main-line railway operator. Shosholoza Meyl operates many train routes across South Africa [1], carrying approximately 4 million passengers annually [2].
Meyl is a word that is related to a South African word for "long distance train", according to the Spoornet/Shosholoza Meyl website. The company's name prior to change was "Mainline Passenger Services".
Contents |
[edit] Routes
Shosholoza operates three types of trains:
Semi - luxury Premiere Classe trains:
Johannesburg - Kimberley - Cape Town(twice weekly)
Tourist Trains (sleeping cars only):
- Johannesburg - Kimberley - Cape Town(four times every week)
- Johannesburg - Pietermaritzburg - Durban (three times every week)
- Johannesburg - Bloemfontein - Port Elizabeth (twice weekly)
- Durban - Pietermaritzburg - Bloemfontein - Kimberley - Cape Town (weekly)
Economy Trains (sitters only on certain routes):
- Johannesburg - Bloemfontein - East London (Daily except Saturdays), will convey sleeping cars as from 1 November 2006
- Johannesburg - Pretoria - Polokwane - Musina (Daily except Saturdays), will convey sleeping cars as from 1 November 2006
- Johannesburg - Pretoria - Nelspruit- Komatipoort (Daily except Saturdays), will convey sleeping cars as from 1 November 2006
- Johannesburg - Kimberley - Bloemfontein (weekly), sitters only
- Johannesburg - Bloemfontein direct (weekly),sitters only
- Johannesburg - Pietermaritzburg - Durban (Daily except Tuesdays), sitters only
- Durban - Pietermaritzburg - Bloemfontein - Kimberley - Cape Town (weekly), sitters only
- Johannesburg - Kimberley - Cape Town (Daily), sitters only
- Johannesburg - Bloemfontein - Port Elizabeth (Daily except Saturdays), sitters only
- Johannesburg - Pretoria - Nelspruit- Hoedspruit (weekly), sitters only
- Johannesburg - Mafikeng - Kimberley(weekly), will convey sleeping cars as from 1 November 2006
- Johannesburg - Mafikeng (monthly), sitters only
- Mafikeng - Kimberley(daily), sitters only
- East London - De Aar - Cape Town(weekly) , will convey sleeping cars as from 1 November 2006
[edit] Track & Equipment
Shosholoza Meyl trains run on the Cape gauge (1067mm) Spoornet main-line track. The trains are locomotive-pulled. Most routes are completely electrified 3kV and 25kV systems, usually class 6E1 locomotives on the 3kV system and class 7E1 on the 25kV system. Diesel is used on the Johannesburg – Port Elizabeth trains between Bloemfontein and Noupoort, and on the Durban - Cape Town trains between Bloemfontein and Kimberley. Before 2002 the Pretoria – Cape Town trains were hauled by diesel between Kimberley and De Aar.
The trains are made up of three types of coach:
- Sleeper 4: six 4-person compartments and two 2-person coupés, plus shower and toilet facilities.
- Sleeper 6: six 6-person compartments and two 3-person coupés, plus shower and toilet faclities.
- Sitter: 72 seats, in 18 rows of 4 seats with an aisle in the middle, plus toilet facilities. There are also various older types of carriages with differing levels of comfort used as sitter's.
Since 1 July 2006 Shosholoza Meyl operates its sleepers and sitters in separate trains. As from 1 November 2006 sleeping cars will be re-introduced on selected Economy Trains.