Recapture the romance of a bygone era when travellers experienced the magic and mystery of Africa in a relaxed and elegant fashion. The classic wood-panelled coaches are the epitome of comfort with period features combining with modern technology. The service is discreet and friendly with an enthusiastic team of chefs ensuring guests’ every need is catered for. There is an accent on fresh local ingredients and traditional dishes are a specialty. Every morning there is a full breakfast with dishes cooked to order.

Meals are served in one sitting only and are complemented by fine South African wines. The dress on board the train is casual. In maintaining the atmosphere there are no radios or television sets on board and the use of technology that has the ability to disturb other guests is confined to the privacy of the cabins.

Each train has accommodation carriages, dining cars, a lounge car (±36 seats), small gift shop, smoking lounge (±8 seats) and observation car (±32 seats) with open-air balcony. The two types of cabins are refined and spacious offering passengers privacy and comfort with double or twin beds and fittings and facilities that are of the highest standard.

All have en-suite bathrooms with shower, toilet and basin, tea-and-coffee facilities (Emeralds only), safes, air conditioning, linen and amenities and are serviced daily. There is adequate storage and small cupboards with hangers and shelves. Click below for virtual tours.

A highlight of any journey is a visit to Rovos Rail’s private station in Pretoria, home of the Shongololo Express. This is the busy hub of a provisioning operation, which rivals that of a world-class hotel in terms of efficiency and attention to detail.

The 60-acre property boasts a small railway museum in addition to its other comprehensive facilities and will, with the addition of semaphore signals and a footbridge, recreate the atmosphere of a fully fledged railway system. Rail enthusiasts will be drawn to the vast carriage and loco sheds where teams of dedicated personnel keep the rolling stock in order.

This 10 000m2 roofed workshop straddles 15 railway lines with concrete inspection pits below and is the ultimate repair and maintenance facility for any train operation. The low, red-bricked buildings alongside the 300m platform house laundries, gleaming stainless-steel kitchens and well-stocked storerooms.

The two types of cabins are refined and spacious offering passengers privacy and comfort with double or twin beds and fittings and facilities that are of the highest standard. All have en-suite bathrooms with shower, toilet and basin, tea-and-coffee facilities (Emeralds only), safes, air conditioning, linen and amenities and are serviced daily. There is adequate storage and small cupboards with hangers and shelves.

Emerald Double
Emerald Twin
Gold Double
Gold Twin

As so often happens, it was a combination of influences and events that led to the purchase of the first coach, the start of what would become Rovos Rail. A Wilbur Smith heroine with her own private railway coach, a man called Phil Acutt with a passion for trains and the presence of the Witbank Steam Railway in the coal-mining town where Rohan Vos ran his successful auto spares business, all played a part.

“Rohan has always been obsessed with things mechanical,” remembers Anthea Vos, who has been at his side throughout and has raised a family in and around developing the railway business. “In fact, he started his first business with the capital derived from the sale of a 1940 Packard and a 1928 Austin that he had rebuilt. Rohan was involved in so many ventures, but I didn’t see this one coming.”

In 1985, Rohan and Anthea took up a last-minute invitation on a Magaliesberg train trip for business suppliers. “I became a train widow on that day,” says Anthea. “I sat all dressed up by myself; Rohan spent most of the time in the engine with the driver. The irony was that we should have seen then how difficult it would be – the train broke down and we were bussed back to town.”

The same year, influenced by his friend Phil Acutt’s love of trains and the work done by the Railway Preservation Society in Witbank, Rohan attended an auction to buy a coach or two – the intention was to restore four carriages and hitch them to a South African Railways train as a family caravan. Steam-train enthusiast, Geoff Pethick, was present at the auction and assisted him. “It was the 26th of September – a cold day with rain in the air – and I’d hoped Rohan wasn’t another penniless lunatic with grand ideas,” he recalls. “As we chatted, I quickly realised that here was a man of vision.”

Several coaches were purchased and taken to the Society’s yards in Witbank to be rebuilt. One of them, Private Saloon 15063, is still in service and another, an engineer’s caboose, stood at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront for many years where it served as the marketing and reservations office. The complications of working with the South African Transport Services administration soon convinced Rohan that he needed to be self-sufficient where possible. As a result, he purchased a 1938 Class 19D locomotive from Lowenthal’s Scrap Metal in Johannesburg. It was rebuilt by Rovos Rail and named BIANCA after one of his daughters.

Negotiations began with Sam Taute of SAR and Rohan was granted permission to run his train in December 1986. This was when the idea of running a vintage train as a business venture was born. The tariff quoted by the authorities for hauling the train was, however, extremely high and would have made the “family caravan” an extravagant exercise.

After his objection to the charge, the Railways returned a well thought-out curve ball, giving Rohan the right to sell tickets. “I remember the occasion very clearly: on a wintry evening I was subsiding into a hot bath with my Red Heart Rum and coke close at hand. There’d been a power cut, so musing by candlelight about the consequences of turning a hobby into a business, I let my imagination float around in delusions of grandeur. But I knew that launching into the arena of tourism and trains, of which I had no experience, held many dangers. It was an uncharted course and I had little idea where to start, let alone where to aim. However, a unique challenge was right up my street and the decision was made to go ahead. This was – unknown to me at the time – a life-changing moment and sadly, during the next few years or so, I had many agonising thoughts regretting the move. I could never have imagined how all-consuming the business was to become both financially and emotionally.

“Consisting of a locomotive and seven carriages, the train was launched on 29 April 1989, and with four paying passengers, friends and press we set off for the Eastern Transvaal. So, with a four-night Lowveld experience and in 1991 the Pretoria to Cape Town run, the business began to find direction. But, as any train operator or airline will confirm, running a schedule is risky and nerve-wracking. To project consistency and reliability to agents and passengers, it’s imperative to run according to the advertised schedule. Of course, this wears rather thin when passenger loads are less than the number required to break even financially. I found to my horror that one can lose considerably more money establishing a schedule and consequently a reputation than it might cost to buy or construct the hardware.

“To finance this one-way street, I had sold various cash-generating businesses in and around Witbank, mostly to my management partners. Just prior to the train launch, I sold my Witbank and Secunda spares businesses to a public company. I accepted shares for this transaction and these were lodged with the bank as security for the overdraft to finance the train operation. Then, surprise surprise, the public company went insolvent and my shares were valueless. My bankers, of course, were not amused.

“So, with the first democratic elections coming in 1994 and confidence in the business future of South Africa tumbling to an all-time low, they put pressure on me to repay the overdraft. Although I was of the opinion that they were well enough secured and that I could service the account, they were not interested and proceeded to summons me for the outstanding amount in late 1993. The operation was close to break-even at this time, but nobody was interested in investing in the business and I had exhausted every possible avenue of financial assistance.

“Visiting the London World Travel Market during this trying time, I met tour operator Philip Morrell, owner of Jules Verne in London. Between us, we hatched a plan to run the train from Cape Town to Victoria Falls. The package was advertised in the Sunday Telegraph during late December and it was with trepidation that I answered the call from him soon after Christmas. To my relief, he reported that sales were going extremely well and nearly four train loads had been booked. My answer, after a suitably stunned silence, was ‘send cash’.

“And so, bankruptcy was avoided by a nose, and to illustrate the turnaround it was in fact a year later that I purchased 38 redundant carriages from the South African Railways. Since then we have never looked back, although the scars of battle are always there reminding me never to relax.”

Armed with Les Pivnic’s book on dining cars, Rohan started the search for suitable coaches. An early target was the Jewish Guild Country Club in Johannesburg where three vandalised and dilapidated dining cars stood as part of an aborted restaurant venture. All three – KEI, NILE and MODDER – were hauled to Witbank and returned to the rails. In the years since then, family life has been inseparable from the business with Rovos Rail growing up alongside the Vos children. Family holidays always had another agenda as they scoured the far ends of the country for coaches and locomotives to add to their collection.

All the engines acquired for Rovos Rail have been named after the Vos children – Brenda, Bianca, Tiffany and Shaun – and nothing could be more appropriate as the family’s history and memories are so tightly interwoven with the Rovos Rail story of acquisition and expansion. On the 10th anniversary of Rovos Rail, the magnificently restored and rebuilt locomotive – 25NC 3484, which had been converted from coal-firing to oil – was christened MARJORIE by Rohan’s mother, Mrs Marjorie Vos.

Before the first commercial trip, Joy Strydom joined Rovos Rail as its first employee in May 1988 and is still with the company. “Rohan called me out of the blue and we met at a Cape Town restaurant with a railway coach bar. Rohan spent most of the time checking it out to see what had been removed and which features remained. The romance of the railway project – and his enthusiasm – had me hooked.”

Through two decades of hard work, trying times, bankers and accountants (who were by turns sympathetic and sceptical), the birth of a new democracy and a tourism surge, there’s been a special magic about Rovos Rail. “Many of us in those early years didn’t believe that Rohan would ever achieve what he’d set out to do,” says Pethick. “It’s wonderful to see that, despite ups and downs, Rovos Rail is doing well and has helped preserve much of our railway history.”

JOURNEY CHARTERS
In a series of journeys lasting from 48 hours to 15 days, Rovos Rail links some of Africa’s greatest destinations. The beautifully rebuilt trains – which may be hauled by diesel or electric locomotives – carry a maximum of 72 passengers in 36 superbly appointed suites and are available for charter on any scheduled journey.

CHARTER TRAIN PACKAGES
There are many itinerary options combining our 42- or 72-bed train with other entertaining products for bespoke charters including incentive groups, historical expeditions, cycling tours and private gatherings. We are happy to advise clients of these options to help construct exciting and practical itineraries to suit the available time and budget.

The EVENTS TRAIN
It is a perfect venue for weddings, private gatherings, incentives, conferences and product launches accommodating up to 250 guests. Limited only by time and distance, there are many alternative uses for the train, which include a three-hour circular trip around Pretoria or a one-way journey to any destination within eight hours’ rail travel time from Pretoria. Only suitable for day trips and depending on the number of guests, the Events Train can host – with full bar facilities – a four-course sit-down lunch or dinner for up to 120 guests OR for up to 250 guests, canapés served for the duration of the journey.

The Events Train is also an ideal venue for WEDDING couples looking for something old-world, enchanting and romantic. Depending on the number of guests, it can host – with full bar facilities – a four-course sit-down lunch or dinner for up to 120 guests for the duration of the three-hour journey. Guests are greeted at our private station in Pretoria by a sparkling wine reception before the bride makes a grand entrance in the cab of a steam locomotive. After the ceremony in the charming Edwardian station, guests step on board to enjoy five-star hospitality and the gentle rocking of the train as it winds its way through Jacaranda City.

Each train has accommodation carriages, dining cars (±42 seats), a lounge car (±26 seats), small gift shop, smoking lounge (±11 seats) and observation car (±32 seats) with open-air balcony. Maintaining the spirit of a bygone era, there are no radios or television sets on board. The three types of suites available – Pullman (7sqm), Deluxe (10sqm) and Royal (16sqm) – offer passengers privacy and comfort with double or twin beds and fittings and facilities that are of the highest standard.

All have en-suites with shower, toilet, basin and bath (Royal only), tea facilities, safes, air conditioning, linen and amenities and are serviced daily. There is adequate storage and small cupboards with hangers and shelves. Please see Public Cars and Suites for more details.

We welcome all travellers – singles, couples and groups. The dining cars are made up of two-seaters and four-seaters where guests eat together or individually. Our lounge and observation cars – with their big picture windows, sofas and booths – make for great mingling areas or quiet corners to while away the days.

Many of our passengers enjoy the formality of fine china and glassware, crisp linen and silver, and dress accordingly. Days on board are smart casual while evening attire is more formal. On long journeys we enjoy themed evenings where guests can dress up accordingly or opt for smart casual.

An enthusiastic team of chefs is responsible for overseeing the very important task of ensuring guests’ every need is catered for. There’s an accent on fresh local ingredients and traditional dishes are a specialty. Meals are served in one sitting only in the dining cars and are complemented by a selection of fine South African wines. Our bar menu is comprehensive although special items such as French Champagne would need to be requested in advance. Breakfast: 07:00-10:00 • Lunch: 13:00 • Tea: 16:30 • Formal Dinner: 19:30. Bar service is from 07:00-±01:00. All meals are served at these times unless otherwise stated in the itineraries.

For Rovos Rail passengers, a highlight of their journey is a visit to the private station at Capital Park, Pretoria. The once-bustling hub of steam locomotion is now the headquarters for Rovos Rail. The gracious railway station serves as the departure or arrival point for most of the train journeys.

The property boasts an ever-expanding railway museum – showing a historical collection of train paraphernalia – in addition to its other comprehensive facilities and will, with the addition of semaphore signals and a footbridge, recreate the atmosphere of a fully-fledged railway system. It is intended that, with time, this facility should become the foremost working train museum in the world.

The eyes of rail enthusiasts will be drawn to the vast carriage and locomotive sheds where teams of dedicated personnel keep the rolling stock in perfect order. This roofed workshop of 10 000m2 straddles 15 railway lines with concrete inspection pits below, and is the ultimate repair and maintenance facility for any train operation. The low, red-bricked buildings alongside the new 300m platform house laundries, gleaming stainless-steel kitchens and well-stocked storerooms. This is the busy hub of a provisioning operation that is world-class in terms of efficiency and attention to detail.

STATION TOUR & MUSEUM: Should you wish to visit our museum or do a site tour, which will show you the nuts and bolts of the company, we suggest arriving two hours prior to departure. If Pretoria is your arrival point, we suggest delaying your pick-up so you can enjoy the tour.

For the Empire-builders of old, the uncharted African interior was the landscape of a dream in the making. A dream that would etch its course in parallel lines that snaked their way northward from the Atlantic shoreline, conquering the distance from Cape Town to Cairo. The dream was not to be, as the Great African Railway reached only as far as a bridge across the gorge of the Zambezi River, overlooking the thundering smoke of the Victoria Falls.

But in the fading years of the 19th Century, the discovery of gold and diamonds drew thousands to the edge of the continent, and those lines of tempered steel began to bear the burden of industry, commerce, and society on the move. Soon, as the moneyed classes made their presence felt, the network added leisure travel to its list of duties, and in the slipstream of leisure came luxury. The Union Limited and Union Express, ferrying passengers between the mailships of Cape Town harbour and the goldfields of the Witwatersrand, were the standard-bearers of steam-powered opulence in the easy-living heyday of the 1920s, boasting everything from card tables to ceiling fans, to hot and cold water on tap.

A coat of royal blue and cream would later give the trains their distinctive livery, and it was from this line, in these shades, that The Blue Train – a “Palace on Wheels” – would ride the rails to legend. Withdrawn from service during the dark days of World War II, extensively refurbished and modernised in the Seventies and Nineties.

In 1997 a new Blue Train was introduced and its traditional route between Cape Town and Pretoria was extended northwards to the Victoria Falls. In the following year a second identical train came into service, allowing The Blue Train to add to its destinations Hoedspruit on the western edge of the Kruger National Park, and Port Elizabeth at the eastern end of South Africa’s Garden Route.

The Blue Train has defined a new era of luxury travel, making the switch from steam to electric and diesel, linking veld to sea, tradition to progress, with a sense of style, grace, and mesmerising power that has never come close to being matched..

As The Blue Train’s tracks roll inevitably into the distance, so life’s course brings with it joys that must be celebrated. Graduations, engagements, weddings, honeymoons, anniversaries and milestone birthdays. All of these deserve a memorable venue, a special ambience, a reminder that you’re going places.

The Blue Train can be chartered for such occasions. Just for you, it can meander along its standard routes, or on custom-made trips and cross-border excursions that last from a few hours to several nights. It’s your sojourn, it’s your train. It’s our pleasure.

When not booked for use during a trip, the Conference Car is converted into an Observation Car that reflects and complements the amenities offered in the Lounge cars.

For those with more stern agendas, The Blue Train has the facilities to service business-oriented journeys. Our fully-equipped Conference Car can comfortably seat 22 delegates boardroom-style or accommodate smaller work areas combined with Observation Car amenities.

Whether you’re rallying your sales force, rewarding outstanding performance, wooing potential clients or hosting your year-end function, stay on line. Keep on track. Navigate your way through the ever-shifting landscape of doing business in the 21st Century. Meet your challenges and celebrate your successes on the move by stepping onboard a world where business is pleasure…

All-inclusive rates
With the exception of Caviar, French Champagne and external telephone calls, everything else onboard is included in the rate.

Beds
The beds fold out of the panel concealing the seats under it. Should guests require their bed to be made during the day, please ring for a Butler.

Butlers
Each coach has a Butler whose pleasure it will be to ensure that guests enjoy a memorable
experience. Butlers are available 24 hours a day for the duration of the journey.

Check-in
Check-in is between 06:30-07:00, boarding gates close at 07:45. Guests are requested to
check-in at least one hour prior to departure. Check-in takes place in The Blue Train VIP lounges situated at Cape Town and Pretoria stations.

Children
Children aged 5-years and younger are to share with parents or a responsible adult. No special meal menus are available for children. A strict children policy is applicable on board the train.

Dining
All meals and room-service snacks are included in the rate. Should guests require a snack the butler can be contacted. Lunch and dinner are usually served in two sittings and cater for 42 guests per sitting, while breakfast is served between 07:00 and 10:00 at guests leisure.

Disabled people
One train set is compatible for disabled persons. Customised wheelchairs on board The Blue Train have been specifically-designed to negotiate the train’s corridors. A Butler will be on-hand to assist guests should they require.

Double beds
Due to the limited number of double beds it is advisable that guests specify their preference upon making a reservation.

Dress code
In keeping with tradition it is a compulsory custom to dress formal for dinner to match the sheer elegance of The Blue Train. Evening wear is elegant for ladies and gentlemen are requested to wear a jacket and tie. During the day the dress code is smart casual. No shorts and flip-flops are allowed in the Dining Car.

Drinking Water
Bottled water is supplied in suite. The butler will provide more water on request.

Electricity
The electricity supply on-board is 220 volts. Lights switches are located at the door and the bedside table.

First Aid
Trained first aid personnel are on-board at all times. In the event of an emergency, doctors can be contacted at the various stations en-route.

Gifts for travelers
Post their overnight Blue Train trip, every guests receives a Blue Train miniature gold clock and a certificate that ‘authenticates’ their experience and certifies them as the official Blue Train “Ambassadors”. These clocks are not for sale and are only handed to travelling guests.

Gratuities
To show appreciation at the end of the journey, guests may leave a gratuity in the box located in the Club Car. Gratuities are shared amongst The Blue Train personnel on board.

Guest amenities
Guest amenities are provided in the bathroom of the suite.

Laundry
A limited on-board laundry and valet service is available and is included in the rate. Please contact a butler for assistance.

Local vendors / In-Bound
Destination Management Companies (DMCs)
For peace of mind, it is advisable for international tour operators / travel agents to use local vendors / DMCs who will do their ground handling and ensure that clients are taken care of whilst away in a foreign country.

Lounge Car
The Lounge Car is designed as a meeting place for Aperitifs and afternoon High-tea and is a no smoking area. The Club Car is ideal for post-dinner Cognac or hand-made Cuban cigar. The bar opens as soon as the train commences its journey and closes when the last guest departs.

Room Service
Room service is available 24-hours, free of charge.

Safes
Safes are provided in all suites. While every precaution is taken, The Blue Train cannot be held liable for loss of valuable items left unattended in suites.

Smoking
Smoking is only permitted in the Club Car. All suites, the Lounge and Dining Cars are strictly smoke-free zones.

Special Dietary Requirements
Kindly specify any special dietary requirements at the time of booking. The Blue Train is happy to accommodate all culinary requests.

Time
South Africa is +2 hours GMT (summer time).

What is the distance The Blue Train travels between Pretoria & Cape Town?
1660 km (904 miles)

How long is The Blue Train?
Long train – 399 metres; short train – 294 metres

How long has the train been in existence?
The Blue Train was launched and has been in existence since 1946

How many carriages (coaches) does the train have?
Long train – 19 carriages; short train – 14 carriages

Do you have a doctor on board?
Trained first aid personnel are on-board at all times. In the event of an emergency, doctors and emergency personnel can be contacted at the various stations en-route. Please note that The Blue Train personnel are not allowed to administer any medication to guests.

Can we open the windows?
For safety reasons, The Blue Train windows are double-glazed and cannot be opened. The Blue Train is fitted with a centrally-controlled air-conditioning system. All private suites are fitted with individually-controlled air-conditioning systems.

Are children allowed on board?
Children are allowed on board. Children aged 2 years and younger are to share a suite with parents or a responsible adult. No special meal menus are available for children. A strict Children Policy is applicable and must be signed by parents or guardians prior to boarding.

Who was the interior designer on the train?
The late American designer, David Barrett, who was the former president of the American society of interior decorators.

Does The Blue Train fare include gratuity?
The fare does not include gratuities. Our guests are not obliged to give the staff gratuities. However, should guests at their own discretion wish to do so, guests are encouraged not give gratuities to individuals, but to rather use the gratuity box located at the entrance of the club (smoking) car.

Gratuities are then shared equally amongst all the staff (including the kitchen staff) at the end of each trip

How many crew members on board at every trip?
28 crew + 2 technicians

What currency is used in the boutique shop?
South African Rands (R)

What routes does The Blue Train do?
Standard route is Pretoria – cape town and vice-versa. On charters, Pretoria – Durban, Pretoria – Kruger; Pretoria – Sun City; Pretoria – Bloemfontein and anywhere else where there are rail networks that are compatible to the blue train’s technology.

Distances
The distance between Cape Town and Pretoria is just under one thousand miles and The Blue Train does the journey in roughly 27 hours.

How much water does The Blue Train hold?
Each coach – 5,000 litres; entire train – 85,000 litres

Is The Blue Train privately-owned?
No. The Blue Train is owned by Transnet, a state-owned company

Which famous people have travelled on The Blue Train?

The Blue Train VIP Guest Record
Former SA Presidents – Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki
Arch-Bishop Desmond Tutu
SA President Cyril Ramaphosa
Imran Khan
Naomi Campbell
Quincy Jones
Mia Farrow
Sir Nigel Mansell
Paul Simon
Jonty & Kate Rhodes
John Corr
Earl & Lady Spencer)
Leo Sayer
Pieter Dirk Uys
Neil Young (From the band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)
Sir Peter Ustinov
Sir Elton John
Danny Glover
Karin Barnard
Sir Tim Rice
Kylie Minogue

How many SA provinces does The Blue Train traverse from Pretoria to cape town or vice-versa?
Four Provinces – Gauteng, North West, Northern Cape and Western Cape.