Travel to South Africa and enjoy a luxury train trip on Rovos Rail train trip to Cape Town – arguably one of the best luxury trains on this route. Your luxury train vacation will either start or end at the headquarters of this private railway company at Capital Park Station near Pretoria. Rovos Rail offers two beautifully restored Classic trains with a capacity of 72 passengers, accommodated in the most spacious and luxurious suites. The use of traditional and period décor provides an atmosphere of grandeur and elegance in the Observation area, Dining and Lounge cars. The personalized service ensures that each guest is well pampered for the duration of the trip – you will feel like family.
DESTINATION AFRICA
The Train
Features grand luxury with handsome wood paneling and Edwardian features, the air-conditioned suites accommodate two people offering the option of twin or spacious double beds in three suite configurations. In the en-suite bathrooms, original fittings combine with the modern technology of hot showers, hair dryers and shaver plugs.
The Royal Suites, each of which take up half a carriage, are spacious and elegant, measuring ±16 sq metres/±172 sq feet in size. Each has its own private lounge area and full bathroom with Victorian bath and separate shower. The Deluxe Suites (± 11 sq metres/±118 sq feet) also accommodate two passengers in either twin or double beds and have a lounge area and en-suite bathroom with shower. The Pullman Suites (±7 sq metres/±76 sq feet) are equipped with a comfortable sofa-seat during the day with a conversion to double or twin beds for the evening, and also have an en-suite bathroom with shower. The spacious suites offer passengers the opportunity to choose the level of comfort and luxury required. All suites offer comfort and luxury, with fittings and facilities that are of the highest standard. All are equipped with a writing surface and a personal safe for valuables. There is also a bar fridge filled with beverages of the passengers’ choice and room service is available 24 hours a day.
Steam, diesel or electric locomotives are used for various stages of the journey – each luxury train carry a maximum of 72 passengers in 36 luxury train suites. Operations are directed from the historic and restored Capital Park Station and locomotive yard, which is the heart and headquarters of this luxury train company.
Capital Park
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 in the old Transvaal is now the headquarters for Rovos Rail.
The gracious colonial-style railway station serves as the new departure or arrival point for all of the South African Rail journeys hosted by Rovos Rail. The only deviation is on the Garden Route where the luxury train operates from Cape Town. The home of Rovos Rail 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. It is intended that, with time, this facility should become the foremost working train museum in the world. The rail enthusiasts will be drawn to the carriage and loco sheds where a team of dedicated technicians keep the rolling stock in perfect condition. The 10 000sg metre workshop straddles 15 railway lines with concrete inspection pits – the ultimate repair and maintenance facility for any luxury train service. The red brick building alongside the platform houses operations for this luxury hotel on wheels. This is the heart of the operation, which rivals that of a world-class hotel in terms of efficiency and attention to detail.
Locomotion
Seven superbly reconditioned locomotives are the heart and soul of Rovos Rail and a sight to excite any rail enthusiast. Each locomotive has a distinctive character and is named after owners Rohan and Anthea Vos’ family. The oldest is also the smallest found on the platform at Winburg in the Eastern Free State. Named after their youngest daughter is the 439 Tiffany class 6 steam locomotive. The loco was purchased in 1987 and Dunns Locomotive in Witbank was commissioned to return the Class 6 to running condition.
2701 BRENDA, 2702 BIANCA and 3360 SHAUN are named after Rohan and Anthea’s other three children. They are Class 19D Locomotives, which were all built during the 1930s. All three locomotives were scrap and, after extensive restoration by Dunns Locomotive and the Rovos Staff, were put back into service in 1989.
Loco 3484 MARJORIE – named after Rohan’s mother – is a Class 25NC locomotive built in 1954 by North British in Glasgow. Due to the difficulties in running steam locomotives in South Africa, the decision was made to convert this locomotive from coal fired to an oil-fired engine. She can cover a distance of 200 kilometres without stop; whereas the coal fired locomotives need to stop for water every 80 kilometres.
Two Class 25NC locomotives have been restored and added to the fleet. Loco 3442 ANTHEA, built in 1953 by Henschel of Germany is named after Rohan’s wife. Loco 3533 KING ZOG is named after Rohan’s Dalmatian.
Rovos Rail operates the only luxury train of the classic Victorian steam era in South Africa – the 2 night luxury train journey to Cape Town offers the best luxury train value in South Africa