Shosholoza Meyl

Shosholoza MeyL
Industry Rail transport
Headquarters Braamfontein
Products Long-distance passenger rail
Website http://www.shosholozameyl.co.za

Shosholoza Meyl is a division of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) that operates long-distance (intercity) passenger rail services. It operates various train routes across South Africa,[1] carrying approximately 4 million passengers annually.[2] Before 2009, Shosholoza Meyl was a division of Spoornet, but it was transferred after the formation of PRASA.

"Shosholoza" is the name of a popular South African song about workers on a train and it therefore means moving forward. "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".

In August 2010, Shosholoza Meyl suspended services claiming either contract difficulties (between Transnet and Prasa) or unreliable trains. Some services began to resume in November 2010.[3][4]

Routes

Shosholoza Meyl route map

As of December 2012 Shosholoza Meyl operates the following routes.[5]

Track and equipment

Shosholoza Meyl at Quarry loop near Touws River

Shosholoza Meyl trains run on the Cape gauge (1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)) Transnet mainline track. The trains are locomotive-pulled. Most routes are completely electrified 3 kV DC and 25 kV AC systems, usually class 6E1 or class 18E locomotives on the 3 kV system and class 7E on the 25 kV 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 locomotives between Kimberley and De Aar.

Consists

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 sitters.

Since 1 July 2006 Shosholoza Meyl has operated its sleepers and sitters as separate trains. Starting from 1 November 2006 sleeping carriages were re-introduced on selected Economy Trains, this decision was however reversed shortly thereafter. Now the Economy Trains convey 'Sitter' carriages only.

Incidents

On 4 January 2018, a passenger train operated by Shosholoza Meyl collided with a truck on a level crossing near Kroonstad. The train was derailed and at least one of the carriages caught fire. Twenty people were killed and 260 were injured.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.spoornet.co.za/ShosholozaMeyl/index.jsp?link=Train%20Routes
  2. ↑ http://www.transnet.co.za/BrowserDefault.aspx?tabid=599
  3. ↑ ""LEANER" SHOSHOLOZA MEYL SERVICE". Railways Africa. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
  4. ↑ "SHOSHOLOZA MEYL SERVICES REINSTATED". Railways Africa. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
  5. ↑ "Routes". Shosholoza Meyl. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  6. ↑ "South Africa train crash: Four dead in truck collision". BBC News Online. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
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