Northern Line (Cape Town)

Northern Line
Overview
Status	Partially Operational; rest defunct
Owner	PRASA
Locale	Cape Town, South Africa
Termini	Cape Town Wellington
Stations	48
Service
Type	Commuter rail
System	Metrorail Western Cape
Services	1
Operator(s)	Metrorail
Rolling stock	Class 5M2
Technical
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	Overhead catenary
Route map Legend Cape Town 0:00 0:00 N2 Eastern Blvd Woodstock 0:03 0:03 Esplanade Salt River 0:07 Southern Line 0:09 Ysterplaat Salt River M5 Black River Pkwy Koeberg Road 0:09 Maitland 0:12 Cape Flats Line & Central Line via Pinelands 0:13 Kentemade Woltemade 0:15 0:15 Century City Mutual 0:17 0:18 Acacia Park Central Line Thornton 0:20 0:21 Monte Vista Goodwood 0:22 Vasco 0:24 0:25 De Grendel Elsies River 0:27 0:27 Avondale Parow 0:30 0:30 Oosterzee Tygerberg 0:32 Bellville 0:33 0:00 Central Line Lavistown branch 0:04 Stikland R300 Kuils River Fwy Kuils River 0:06 0:08 Brackenfell Blackheath 0:11 0:13 Eikenfontein Melton Rose 0:15 0:16 Kraaifontein Eerste Rivier 0:18 Fisantkraal Faure 0:24 Mellish Firgrove 0:30 Mikpunt Somerset West 0:36 Klipheuwel Van der Stel 0:39 Wintevogel N2 Settler's Way Kalbaskraal Strand 0:44 Abbotsdale Lynedoch 0:25 Malmesbury Vlottenburg 0:29 Stellenbosch 0:35 Du Toit 0:44 Koelenhof 0:50 0:56 0:27 Muldersvlei 0:33 Klapmuts N1 0:42 Paarl Berg River 0:47 Huguenot 0:50 Dal Josafat 0:54 Mbekweni 0:59 Wellington Malan Soetendal Hermon Voelvlei Gouda Tulbaghweg Artois Wolesley Romans River Breë River Botha Goudini Road Worcester to Durban & Johannesburg This diagram: view talk

The Northern Line is a commuter rail service in South Africa that in the Cape Town metropolitan area and its surroundings and is operated by Metrorail Western Cape. Northern Line services operate from central Cape Town to Bellville, and then from Bellville along three different routes. The first route runs along the main Cape Town–De Aar railway line to Paarl and Wellington. The second route passes through Stellenbosch to terminate at on the main line, while the third also passes through Somerset West to terminate in Strand.^[1]

Since March 2020 most of this line has not been operated. Maintenance has not been carried out and parts of the line are stolen or vandalised and not replaced. Communication by the operator is scarce, but when given often overly optimistic on its ability to return the service to its former shape. For all intends and purposes - this line was operated as a communter service in the past - the entire portion past Bellville is defunct.

Route[]

Most Northern Line trains travel from Cape Town station along the old main line through Salt River, Maitland, Goodwood and Parow to Bellville station. Trains on the Wellington route continue from Bellville along the main line through Brackenfell and Kraaifontein, and then through the farmland outside the city to reach the towns of Paarl and Wellington.^[2]

Other trains branch south-east after Bellville, passing through Kuils River to Eerste River; From there, some turn north to pass through Stellenbosch and terminate at on the main line, while others continue south-east through Somerset West along the line towards Caledon. Shortly after Somerset West they branch from this line to terminate at Strand on the False Bay coast.^[2]

The Northern Line also includes a service along the relief main line from Cape Town past Century City and Monte Vista to Bellville.^[2]

Station listing[]

The Northern line serves the following stations:^[1]

Operation[]

The line is made up of 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) track, electrified with 3,000 V DC overhead catenary; most of the routes are at least double track, except for the Strand and Stellenbosch lines beyond Eerste River. Services are operated mostly by electric multiple units of Class 5M2.

References[]