Q. Are there any train trips between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth or Cape Town and the Plettenberg Bay/George area ? - Pieter Nel
A. The short answer to your question is no - regular passenger trains ceased running between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth when the weekly Southern Cross service was abandoned in 2002, followed in 2007 by the Transnet-owned Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steam-hauled heritage and tourist train on the branch line from George to Knysna, which stopped running after the line was heavily damaged by flooding.
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It is a crying shame that neither the state railway operators nor the country's national and regional tourism authorities recognise the untapped tourist potential of the rail route between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, via Worcester and Oudtshoorn.
It is easily the country's most beautiful railway, picking its way through vineyards and impossibly beautiful and wild countryside - crossing deep gorges and traversing the Langeberg, Outeniqua and Swartberg ranges in dramatic fashion.
Instead, the route sees a mere handful of freight trains each week, along with occasional workings by special tour trains such as Rovos Rail's Shongololo Express.
On the upside, the Outeniqua Power Van - a tourist train of cute track-inspection trolleys - offers trips on demand from George to Groot Brak or up the spectacular Montagu rail pass. Although damaged by wildfires late last year, the mountain line is expected to reopen in April.
E-mail opv@mweb.co.za or text 082-490-5627.
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