Cape Rail Company

Cape Rail Company Slow down with us.
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Cape Rail Company is a heritage railway operator in the Western Cape, running restored vintage trains out of Cape Town on day trips and short overnight journeys, at a pace made for looking out of the window. Cape Rail Company is a heritage railway operator in the Western Cape, running restored vintage trains out of Cape Town on day trips and short overnight journeys, at a pace made for looking out of the window rather than rushing past it.

🗓🛤🎉Plan your December/January Holiday early!We're slightly stunned that the festive season is at hand once again - I thi...
17/09/2026

🗓🛤🎉Plan your December/January Holiday early!

We're slightly stunned that the festive season is at hand once again - I think I heard Mariah Carey in shops the other day already...

Join us on one of our epic train trips from Cape Town to the Elgin Railway Market in December or January - let yourself slow down and relax.

Dates:
5, 12, 19, 20, 21, 23, 27, 28, 30, 31 December
2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 23, 30 January

Prices from R799 per adult - available at:

🌐www.caperail.co.za
📩 [email protected]
📱079 401 9353 (Calls or WhatsApp)

Meet the team #11: Brett - Fireman, started on the Spier Train in 2005.Back in 2005, Brett saw an advert in the newspap...
15/09/2026

Meet the team #11: Brett - Fireman, started on the Spier Train in 2005.

Back in 2005, Brett saw an advert in the newspaper for Spier's Sunset Trains (yes, newspaper!). He called the number on the ad (answered by the legendary Ian Pretorius), and asked if he could get involved cleaning and polishing the locomotive. This led to Brett being introduced to Les Labuschagne, who taught him how to bring a steam locomotive to life. That is where it all started.

When Spier's trains came to an end and Atlantic Rail got going, Brett got back in touch with Ian and was asked to form Friends of Atlantic Rail, the group that went on to provide the train and loco crews for both Atlantic Rail and Ceres Rail for many years. A great deal of what happens on our trains trace back to those initial days.

His best memory from the Ceres Rail/Cape Rail era is a hard-won one: working as fireman on the ill-fated trip to fetch no. 3321, right at the very beginning of operations.

Showing how odd it still is for the public to see an operating steam locomotive, Brett shared a memory of steaming over a level crossing one day, and watching the driver of a car waiting at the crossing take one look at the locomotive going past and letting his jaw drop clean open.

Thank you, Brett. We are glad you are with us.

14/09/2026

School holidays, and the train is running from Bot River to Elgin again!

The Overberg Explorer leaves Bot River, windws through the orchards and farmland of the Overberg, and pulls up to the Elgin Railway Market for your stop. Guests have approximately 2 hours to enjoy the market - enough time to eat properly, soak in the atmosphere, and get through the market without a wild rush. Then back to Bot River right back the way you came - by train.

The trip is about 5 hours from start to finish, with a total of about 3 hours on the train, and 2 hours at the market.

🗓️ 3 & 4 October 2026, Departing Bot River at 08h00, and 13h30.

🎟️ R320 adult
🎟️ R275 pensioners, 60 and over
🎟️ R199 children 17 and under
🎟️ Under 3 travel free, without an allocated seat

The train is hauled by diesel locomotives, and is not currently wheelchair accessible.

Live availability and bookings on the website www.caperail.co.za - or contact us via [email protected], or 079 401 9353 (WhatsApp and Calls)

12/09/2026

Depot Diaries #8: Train Manager Duties

From an operational perspective, each of our trains runs with a Train Manager onboard who is responsible for the safe operation of the train.

From ensuring crew are properly signed-on, breathalysed, and fit for duty, to carrying out vacuum tests, completing load certificates, and ensuring a safely operating train - our Train Managers tie the whole operation together.

Do you have any memorable Train Manager moments?

Meet the team #10: Jenny, Coach Controller, since 2024Jenny has loved train travel her whole life, with her love stoked...
09/09/2026

Meet the team #10: Jenny, Coach Controller, since 2024

Jenny has loved train travel her whole life, with her love stoked by the fact that her father worked for the South African Railways, and as children they often went on holiday by train.

When she was living in Knysna, she and her family would take their visitors on the Outeniqua Tjoe-Choo - which gave her a taste of what was to come.

Her own working life was spent with 30 years in the medical field.

Trains finally found her again when she met Reggie, one of our long-time Coach Controllers, who told her about the trip to Elgin. She said, there and then, that she would love to work on the train one day. When she retired a few years ago, she remembered this, contacted us, and has been part of the team ever since.

In her own words, she is very proud to be part of such a great team. She has done close to 60 trips and still manages to see something different every time. What she loves most is meeting and chatting to people of every nationality and every walk of life.

Thank you, Jenny. We are glad you are with us!

🚂 Ask Cape Rail · No 04 · Where we depart from 🚂A question that gets asked often - and not unreasonably so - "Do you dep...
07/09/2026

🚂 Ask Cape Rail · No 04 · Where we depart from 🚂

A question that gets asked often - and not unreasonably so - "Do you depart from Cape Town Station." The answer is actually "No."

Our Cape Town trains depart from the railway platform alongside the AC Hotel Cape Town Waterfront - close to the V&A Waterfront and the CTICC.

If you're in doubt, search for "Cape Rail Company" on your favourite maps app, and it will bring you right to us!

P.S. We always advise to plan your arrival for a bit earlier than our departure time - just in case you take a wrong turn - we wouldn't want you to miss the train!

Meet the Team #9 - Rick - Managing Director - on the team since 2018:For this post, I get to write in first person - I...
04/09/2026

Meet the Team #9 - Rick - Managing Director - on the team since 2018:

For this post, I get to write in first person - I'm the one who has been writing the content the last few months, and I hope you've enjoyed a refreshed view on who we are and what we do.

I joined Cape Rail (then Ceres Rail) as a volunteer on the steam locomotives back in 2018, working up to qualify as a firelighter. I had a great many memorable experiences during that time, with the biggest being bringing the Red Devil into steam in 2019, and a footplate ride during one of her trips.

During Covid, I got involved in the running of the company, and took over the reigns formally in 2021.

In the journey of the last 5 years, its been a rollercoaster at times, but one that has taken us to so many different places. The vision for what Cape Rail is today was born many years ago, but it has taken blood, sweat, tears, floods, mudslides and so much more to get us where we are - not just as a company, but as a resilient team.

To my family - thank you for being on this journey with me.

To my team, thank you, you guys are the reason that we can pull this off week by week, and the reason why our passengers leave with a smile.

I look forward to the next 5 years, and to the things that we will do together!

I'm glad to be on the team.

So we have a new name. Now what? ⁉️Seeing that we've made so many key changes in the last five years - we felt that now ...
03/09/2026

So we have a new name. Now what? ⁉️

Seeing that we've made so many key changes in the last five years - we felt that now was the right time to claim the name we have been working towards for all these years.

We have long since stopped being a company focused on a train ride, and have become one that focuses on the entire journey - the whole experience of slowing down.

We run trips all across the Cape, mainly from Cape Town, and our recent win in the Best of the Cape Awards 🏅 only makes us more certain that we're on the right path.

Our name makes it clear who we have already become - Cape Rail Company.

🌐 Find us at www.caperail.co.za
📧 Bookings and enquiries: [email protected]

Today we become Cape Rail Company - We've worked hard to get here, and we feel we've earned this. 🎉Over the last 5 years...
31/08/2026

Today we become Cape Rail Company - We've worked hard to get here, and we feel we've earned this. 🎉

Over the last 5 years, we've made big strides in how we run our trains, how our passengers are treated, how we look after our staff, and how we do business. It's only fitting that we top it all off with a new name, logo, website and colour palette.

On the ground, it won't seem as if much changes, because the biggest changes are evident in who we have already become - this is just the final step. 🛤️

🌐 Our refreshed website is at caperail.co.za
📧 We've updated our bookings email address to: [email protected]

P.S. Ceres Rail Company still lives on as our freight operations company.

28/08/2026

Depot Diaries #8: The lengths we go to to find spare parts…

The team visited the beautifully positioned santosexpresslodge in Mossel Bay…but not to stay - The team at Santos kindly agreed to sell us vacuum cylinders, brake rigging, and bearings from their stationary coaches that we could use to maintain our fleet and build up a supply of hard-to-find spares.

Good condition parts are hard to find - we are thankful for these!

Address

Dockrail Road
Cape Town
8001

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 15:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 15:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 15:00
Thursday 09:00 - 15:00
Friday 09:00 - 15:00

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