Western Cape

The journey begins at 07h45 from the platform at Harbour Bridge Hotel and Suites, Dockrail Road, Foreshore, Cape Town. Once aboard you will enjoy a 3-hour rail experience to Elgin, traveling through the beautiful Cape, up the majestic Sir Lowrys Pass, and then down into the Elgin Valley. We have a fully licensed cash bar on board as well as a dining car providing coffee and other snacks. Various books and memorabilia are also available for purchase onboard. We also have a card machine to make life easier.

Our destination is the fabulous Art Deco & Art Nouveau-inspired Elgin Railway Market (www.elginrailwaymarket.co.za) where you will spend a few hours at your leisure. At the market, whilst enjoying the live music, you can wander through the many stalls offering delicious food, and a wide selection of local wines, ciders, and gin. Various bespoke craft stalls selling a wide range of goods including jewelry, leather goods, wire art, etc are also on site. There is a wonderful play area outside for the children to enjoy too.
We depart from Elgin at 14h15, arriving back in Cape Town at approximately 18h00. PLEASE NOTE: Delays do occur on the railways that are out of our control. Delays of up to 2.5 hours have been known to occur at times. The time at the market will be adjusted, and will thus influence the time that the train arrives back at the departure point.

07h45 Depart from platform at Harbour Bridge Hotel & Suites (33.9135° S, 18.4260° E), Dockrail Rd, Foreshore, Cape Town
11h15 Arrive in Elgin (subject to delays en route)
14h15 Departure from Elgin (adjusted if delays occur en route)
18:15 Arrive back in Cape Town (subject to delays)

We are so excited to have you on board!

Arrangements

Duration 10 hours 15 minutes

When The service is available all year round, generally operating on Saturdays and Sundays.

WhereHarbour Bridge Hotel & Suites, Dockrail Rd, Foreshore, Cape Town

Weather This service runs in all weather conditions.

What to Wear Comfortable clothing. Closed footwear is advised.

Things to Bring Cash or Cards for goods sold on the train and at the market. A jersey or light jacket should the weather change.

Guests or Spectators-

Requirements

Minimum Age 0 years

Minimum Height 0.0 m

Maximum Height 0.0 m

Fitness Level No Fitness Requirement

Qualifications Not Applicable

Maximum Weight 0.0 kg

Certification None Required

Experience Level No Experience Requirement

Inclusions and Exclusions

Inclusions

The rail journey from Cape Town to Elgin Railway Market (Elgin) and back.
Unforgettable memories

Exclusions Food, Drinks, and all personal purchases are for your own account. We do have a card machine on board.

Notes

1. For information regarding wheelchair access, please email bookings@ceresrail.co.za
2. We do not permit  our own food or drinks on board, but we do allow baby foods and items related to health conditions
3. No smoking is permitted.
4. We cannot control the actions of communities alongside the rail line, although we do our best to. We do have sporadic incidents of stones that are thrown at the train through certain areas; we undertake to do our best to monitor the known hotspots to ensure passengers are protected, and communities are engaged. We have patrollers on duty at various points along the railway line.

JOURNEY TIMELINE
07h00 – 07h30: Passengers Arrive
07h15: Train arrives at the platform
07h15 – 07h55: Passenger boarding
08h00: Departure

11h45: Arrival at Elgin Railway MarketThis time may change due to delays on the rail network with regards to crossing other trains, infrastructure maintenance, and other safety checks. Delays in excess of 30 – 60 minutes are no uncommon and should be planned for.
13h30: Train opens for reboarding (passengers to board at their leisure)

14h15: Departure from Elgin Railway MarketDepending on the time of arrival at the market, a decision may be made to delay departure to ensure passengers have enough time at the destination. This will be communicated to passengers by the staff onboard.

18h00 – 19h00: Arrival back in Cape Town.Passengers are advised not to arrange evening events after the train at a time too close to the arrival of the train back in Cape Town due to possible delays in arrival.
** NOTE – The departure time from Elgin Railway Market is heavily dependent on the time of arrival. If lengthy delays are experienced on the way to the market, the departure time from the market will be modified. We have experienced delays en-route of up to 2.5 hours in some recent trips.

NOTES

The ticket is a return ticket and includes the cost of your journey with us.
No personal food and drink items are permitted onboard. We have a fully stocked bar, dining car (for snacks), and coffee onboard. Payment by cash or card is accepted.
We are wheelchair accessible (with wheelchair bathroom) in the Lounge Coach.
No smoking is permitted onboard.
Closed shoes are to be worn at all times.
A light jersey or jacket is advisable in the case of sudden weather changes.
We strive to have a steam locomotive as part of the trip at all times, but there is the rare occasion that we have a breakdown and are forced to use only diesel locomotives. Please note, there are diesel locomotives part of the train every trip that we do.

GENERAL RULES AND OTHER INFO

If you are in need of assistance, go to the Coach Controller or Train Manager.
Obey the instructions given by our Train Manager (orange visi-vest) and our Coach Controllers (yellow visi-vest).
Please do not stand or kneel on the furniture and tables, and keep dirty feet off too.
Everyone loves to peek out of the window, but please do not hang out of the windows; it is dangerous due to vegetation along the track as well as soot from the steam locomotive.
Please do not throw litter out of the windows – cleaning staff and bins are available on board.
No bare feet – the plates between the coaches shift and passengers are at risk of getting injured if their feet are bare.
NEVER throw anything out of the train; whether it be sweets, chips, money; this is prohibited as it has a knock-on safety effect.
We cannot control the actions of communities alongside the rail line. We do have sporadic incidents of stones that are thrown at the train; we undertake to do our best to monitor the known hotspots to ensure passengers are protected, and communities are engaged. We have patrollers on duty at various points along the railway line.