Trains just the ticket for long-distance travel
Rail has had its problems, but many travellers prefer it
● Ask South Africans about long-distance travel options and the answers will mostly be about cars, planes and buses.
Mention rail and to many it conjures up visions of passengers quaffing champagne on board the ultra-exclusive Blue Train — or of sweaty bodies crammed into tight spaces on commuter trains.
But there is more to rail travel than these two extremes.
While the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa struggles to overcome poor leadership — it was the worst-performing parastatal in 2015-16 and missed the deadline to file its annual report this year — passenger trains remain a popular choice for those heading off on their holidays.
A visit to Johannesburg’s Park Station revealed a wide range of travellers who said they chose rail because they found it safer and more comfortable than driving or flying.
Teenager Jezreel Williams took his 27th train ride this month — with his parents to Port Elizabeth for their annual vacation.
The 15-year-old said he still had vivid memories of his first train trip and he preferred rail to other forms of transport because he got a chance to spend time with his family while in transit.
Shosholoza Meyl
Rail travel spikes during the festive season, with Prasa scheduling 62 extra passenger trains between December 8 and January 18.
The Tourist Class Shosholoza Meyl runs from Johannesburg to Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London, and back, while the more upmarket Premier Classe trains run between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and Johannesburg and Durban. For the wealthy there is the Blue Train, which runs between Pretoria and Cape Town.
TripAdvisor gives Premier Classe 3.5 stars out of five, while Tourist Class gets three. Negative reviews mostly involve delays and late arrivals.
Also at Park Station were Mark Kidson and Jessica Jolliffe, from Zimbabwe, who were going to Cape Town on the Premier Classe train to see family and friends.
“I used to travel by rail as a child and I have not done it for over 15 years,” Kidson said. “Rail is a very cool way to travel, relax and take your time. We flew from Zimbabwe and decided to use the train from here to Cape Town. Yes, the coach is a bit expensive but the whole ride beats the price.”
The Wozniak family, from Manchester in England, said they had decided to travel by rail for the “tranquillity”, and the “beautiful South African landscape”.
Ian Wozniak said: “We came for a wedding and are now going on a vacation in Cape Town. We decided not to travel by plane because we are not rushing anywhere. Travelling by train is part of this vacation and it’s a beautiful experience.”
Pumla Gxagxa, who was travelling to Port Elizabeth with her friend Tembisa Masimla, said they used the train because of safety concerns, but she complained that there were too many unexpected delays.
“I like the train a lot, but I wish they would address the issue of delays,” she said.
“We always use the train to and from Port Elizabeth because we travel with luggage, so there is a lot of space for it and it is safe. The sleeper coach prices are reasonable too, so for us it is the best way to travel.”
Mmoni Shuping, Prasa’s platform manager at Park Station, said most delays were caused by occurrences beyond Prasa’s control. “Sometimes there are power failures caused by cable theft. Even rain can cause major problems with our schedules. The train running time is not guaranteed but is just an estimated time,” she said.
Shosholoza Meyl spokeswoman Daisy Daniel said trains were running at 96% occupancy this festive season. “We have added 62 special trains to cater for customer demand.” She said delays caused by “unplanned disruptions” were a challenge, but customers were kept informed.
According to Prasa’s 2015-16 annual report, 659 573 passengers rode on Premier Classe and Tourist Class trains during that financial year, and there was a satisfaction level of 74.6%.
But the state entity is still struggling to recover from the 2013 scandal of it awarding a R2.5-billion contract to a company called Swifambo for 70 locomotives, only to discover on delivery that they were not suitable for local railway lines.
In 2015, then public protector Thuli Madonsela released a report listing a host of instances of maladministration and impropriety at Prasa. In response, millions of rands have been spent on forensic investigations, but remedial action has been slow.