Eersterivier – Protem / Bredasdorp railway line

Eersterivier – Protem / Bredasdorp
Route length:	216 km
Gauge :	1067 mm ( cape track )
Legend from Bellville and Cape Town 0 Eersterivier to Stellenbosch Faure Eerste River Firgrove 14th Somerset West Lourens River Van der Stel National road N2 Beach Sir Lowry's Pass National road N2 Sir Lowry's Pass , National Road N2 Steenbras Palmiet River Elgin Patryslaage Vet River Groenrug Houhoek Jakkals River Jakkals River 75 Botrivier Houhoek River Bot River The vlei mission Swart River National road N2 Connection to Caledon Grainery 107 Caledon Drayton Krige Boy clip Skildskloof Rietpoel Turning point Langkuil Soutkuil Halfaampieskraal 176 Klipdale Kykoedie Sout River 192 Protem Kars River Napier Grootsand River Small Sand River Kars 216 Bredasdorp

The Eersterivier – Protem / Bredasdorp railway is a single-track, partially electrified railway line in South Africa . It connects the Cape Town conurbation via the Hottentots-Holland Mountains with the Overberg district in the Western Cape Province . It is 216 kilometers long.

history

at Sir Lowry's Pass

The 14 kilometers between Eersterivier and Somerset West was opened on October 21, 1889 by Cape Government Railways . As early as February 1, 1890, the extension was extended to Sir Lowry's Pass . Work on the mountain route began on July 12, 1899. By August 1, 1902, Caledon was reached. The branch to Strand was opened in 1905. It was originally planned to extend the route east via Riviersonderend and Swellendam to Mossel Bay . However, since the New Cape Central Railway already operated the Worcester –Swellendam – Mossel Bay route , the Caledon – Swellendam extension no longer appeared profitable. Therefore, the route was only extended via Rietpoel and Klipdale to Protem. The opening of the last section took place on June 30, 1915. The Klipdale – Bredasdorp branch was operated by SAR / SAS from April 19, 1924 . Today the Cape Town Metrorail only runs on the Eersterivier – Strand section. The rest of the route is no longer served by passenger traffic.

course

SAR class GEA No. 4010 and 4029 in Steenbras (1973)

The route begins in Eersterivier, a northern suburb of Cape Town and leads via Faure and Firgrove to Somerset West, 14 kilometers away. After the Van der Stel station, a short branch branches off to Strand. Until then, the trains of the Metrorail Cape Town (Bellville line) operate . The connection between Eersterivier and Strand is electrified. To the east, the route reaches Sir Lowry's Pass and the pass itself, where it rises to an altitude of 415 meters. At the apex there is a 217 meter long tunnel. Here the national road N2 is crossed twice . On the east side of the pass, the route runs north of Grabouw to Elgin station. Botrivier and Caledon can be reached along the N2 national road . After the Krige stop, the route separates from the N2 national road and reaches Klipdale station. The 40-kilometer branch to Bredasdorp branches off at Klipdale station. Bredasdorp station is the southernmost station in Africa . A turning loop was created at the northeast end of the station so that trains from Cape Town can go directly to Bredasdorp . The branch from Klipdale to Protem is 16 kilometers long. The tracks end in Protem at a track triangle .

literature

• Boon Boonzaaier: Tracks Across the Veld JNC Boonzaaier, 2008, ISBN 978-0-620-41711-2 .