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Poor cost recovery and disruption to other slower train services are cited as the reasons for the demise of the MetroBlitz. [11]After the MetroBlitz service came to an end in 1985, the five Class 12E locomotives were repainted blue with yellow whiskers and replaced Class 6E1 numbers E1341 to E1345 as Blue Train locomotives between Pretoria and Kimberley.
The Blue Train's origins date back to 1923, when the Union Express commenced between Johannesburg and Cape Town, it was named the Union Limited in the reverse direction. [5] The Union Express introduced luxury features including a dining saloon in 1933 and air-conditioned carriages from Metro-Cammell in 1939.
Because Kimberley is the junction of the main Cape Town–Johannesburg main line with another line from Bloemfontein, it is served by several routes of the Shosholoza Meyl inter-city service. [2] [3] Kimberley railway station is also used by the luxury tourist-oriented Blue Train and the private train holiday company Rovos Rail.
They worked the Blue Train between Pretoria and Kimberley until about 2005, when that function was taken over by the dual voltage Classes 14E and 14E1. These were able to work the Blue Train over the full distance between Johannesburg and Cape Town across the 25 kV section between Kimberley and De Aar as well as on other electrified routes. All ...
Today passenger train services to and from Kimberley are provided by Spoornet's Shosholoza Meyl, with connections south to Cape Town and Port Elizabeth and north to Johannesburg. Luxury railway experiences are provided on the main north–south line by the Blue Train and Rovos Rail.
Shosholoza Meyl, the inter-city rail division of PRASA, operates several long-distance passenger rail services from Cape Town: a daily service to and from Johannesburg via Kimberley; a weekly service to and from Durban via Kimberley, Bloemfontein and Pietermaritzburg; and a weekly service to and from East London.
It is the terminus of various Metrorail commuter rail services in the northern part of Gauteng, and a stop on Shosholoza Meyl inter-city services from Johannesburg to Polokwane and Nelspruit. Pretoria is also the northern terminus of the luxury Blue Train service from Cape Town .
The reactivation of the service between Johannesburg and Musina is announced for 30 August 2024. [15] But the frequency will be very low, only one couple of trains per week is offered. The Blue Train is a luxurious passenger train and a popular tourist attraction for South Africa, [11] which runs from Cape Town to Pretoria. It was the winner of ...