Shosholoza Meyl
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| Shosholoza Meyl | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Type | |
| Founded | |
| Headquarters |  Braamfontein |
| Industry | Train transport |
| Products | Passenger transport service |
| Website | http://www.spoornet.co.za/ShosholozaMeyl/index.jsp |
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].
Shosholoza is the name of a popular South African song about workers on a train. 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
- 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 DC and 25kV AC 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 facilities.
- 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.
