Pride of Africa

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Victoria Falls, in the foreground the railway bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe

The Pride of Africa ( German  pride of Africa ) is a luxury train operating in southern Africa .

concept

The train is operated by Rovos Rail . His style is historically based on the classic luxury trains of the 1920s. Steam locomotives are used wherever there is a supply of water and coal . Otherwise, electric or diesel locomotives are used.

The Pride of Africa is considered to be the most luxurious train in the world. Accordingly, great importance is attached to the clothing of the passengers. Casual wear is accepted during the day, but formal wear is expected for dinner. The “deluxe compartment” offers 11 m² with its own shower and the “Royal Suite” even 16 m² with its own bathtub.

The train travels at least once a year from Cape Town to Dar es Salaam (and back) and crosses South Africa on a distance of 6,000 km , Botswana on some routes , as well as Zimbabwe , Zambia and Tanzania . The connection has been offered since 1993. In 2009 there were a total of three trips. Previously, Rovos Rail had operated the Cape Town-Pretoria route under the brand name Pride of Africa since 1990 . The train runs under the name Pride of Africa on other routes in southern Africa, such as to Tsumeb in Namibia .

Since the train is designed as a hotel train, the landscape of southern Africa will travel through the landscape of southern Africa at a relatively leisurely pace within 14 days. In some cases, night trips are dispensed with and longer stays are made at places of tourist interest that vary depending on the route of the train.

history

On April 21, 2010, a Rovos Rail train started moving during a locomotive change near Pretoria and derailed. Three people died, 15 of the 19 cars were destroyed.

Routes

South Africa

The train runs on a south-north tour from Cape Town and stops in Matjiesfontein , Kimberley , Pretoria and Hoedspruit as well as at the South African-Zimbabwean border crossing at Beitbridge .

Botswana

Instead of via Beitbridge, the train is occasionally routed through Botswana territory on the alternative route via Mahikeng and Gaborone and, after crossing the border on the National Railways of Zimbabwe, reaches the city of Bulawayo in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe

If the Pride of Africa does not operate via Botswana, it drives from Beitbridge to Bulawayo and from there to the Victoria Falls on the border with Zambia.

Zambia

In Zambia, the train travels on the tracks of Zambia Railways from the Livingstone border station via Lusaka , Kanona , Kundalila Falls , Mpika , Kasama and Nkonde to Kapiri Mposhi , where it changes to the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA).

Tanzania

In Tanzania he only uses the TAZARA route to Dar es Salaam as the end point.

Namibia

The Pride of Africa also runs from South Africa to Namibia, where it drives to the cities of Swakopmund on the Atlantic coast and Tsumeb near the Etosha National Park.

Documentaries

A documentary film about a train ride with the Pride of Africa was first broadcast in 1996 for the SWR series Eisenbahn-Romantik .

An extensive, three-part documentary of 44 minutes each was created in 2007 and has already been shown several times in German public television programs under the title With the luxury train through southern Africa :

There is also an abridged, 90-minute version of this television documentary in two parts under the title Dream Train Through Africa.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Crash costs Rovos Rail R15 million. From iol.co.za on April 22, 2010 , accessed on January 1, 2013
  2. ↑ Luxury train Rovos Rail crashed near Pretoria
  3. ↑ List of the Railway Romantic episodes , accessed on February 23, 2010
  4. ↑ Historical broadcast dates and information about the three-part documentary (accessed on May 31, 2011)