Central Line (Cape Town)

Central Line
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	PRASA
Locale	Cape Town, South Africa
Termini	Cape Town Kapteinsklip Chris Hani Bellville
Stations	33
Service
Type	Commuter rail
System	Metrorail Western Cape
Services	3
Operator(s)	Metrorail
Rolling stock	Class 5M2, Class 8M
Technical
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	Overhead catenary
Route map Cape Town 0:00 0:00 N2 Eastern Blvd Woodstock 0:03 0:04 Esplanade Salt River 0:06 0:07 Paarden Eiland Southern Line 0:09 Ysterplaat Salt River M5 Black River Pkwy Koeberg Road 0:09 Maitland 0:11 Northern Line Monte Vista branch Ndabeni 0:14 Pinelands 0:16 0:15 Mutual Cape Flats Line Northern Line Elsieskraal River 0:20 Langa Bonteheuwel 0:23 0:00 0:23 0:00 Netreg 0:03 0:05 Lavistown N2 Settler's Way 0:09 Belhar Heideveld 0:06 0:12 Unibell Nyanga 0:10 0:15 Pentech Philippi 0:14 0:18 Sarepta Northern Line R300 Cape Flats Fwy 0:24 Bellville Lentegeur 0:19 Mitchell's Plain 0:23 Northern Line Wellington branch Kapteinsklip 0:26 Northern Line Stellenbosch branch Stock Road 0:18 Mandalay 0:21 Nolungile 0:25 Nonkqubela 0:28 Khayelitsha 0:32 Kuyasa 0:38 Chris Hani 0:44

The Central Line is a commuter rail service in Cape Town, South Africa, operated by Metrorail Western Cape. Central Line services operate along two routes from central Cape Town to Langa, and then along three branches from Langa to various areas in the south-east of the city. The first branch runs to Mitchell's Plain, the second to Khayelitsha, and the third passes through Belhar to terminate in Bellville.

Route

Central Line trains depart from Cape Town station on one of two routes. The first route runs along the original Cape Town–Bellville main line through Salt River to Maitland, and then branches south to pass around the western and southern edge of Pinelands to Langa station. The other route runs along the relief main line past Paarden Eiland and then branches south through Kensington to Mutual station; from Mutual it runs along the eastern edge of Pinelands to Langa.

From Langa station all trains pass through Bonteheuwel station; some continue east through Bishop Lavis and Belhar, passing the University of the Western Cape before turning north and then west to terminate at Bellville. Other trains branch south after Bonteheuwel, passing Manenberg and Gugulethu to Philippi station. From Philippi, one branch passes south through Mitchell's Plain to terminate at Kapteinsklip station, while the other passes south-east through Khayelitsha to terminate at Chris Hani station.

Most trains to Mitchell's Plain use the Salt River route from Cape Town to Langa, while most trains to Bellville or Khayelitsha use the Mutual route, but there are some exceptions.

Station listing

The Central Line serves the following stations:

Cape Town
Woodstock		Esplanade
Salt River		Paarden Eiland
Koeberg Road		Ysterplaat
Maitland		Mutual
Ndabeni
Pinelands
Langa
Bonteheuwel
Netreg			Lavistown
Heideveld			Belhar
Nyanga			Unibell
Philippi			Pentech
Lentegeur	Stock Road		Sarepta
Mitchell's Plain	Mandalay		Bellville
Kapteinsklip	Nolungile
	Nonkqubela
	Khayelitsha
	Kuyasa
	Chris Hani

Operation

The line is made up of 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) track, electrified with 3,000 V DC overhead catenary; all parts of the line are at least double track. Services are operated mostly by electric multiple units of Class 5M2 and (on the Khayelitsha line) Class 8M.

Current situation

After 2011, PRASA was increasingly unable to maintain the line and the Khayelitsha line ceased operation in 2019 due to vandalism and metal theft. More recently, plans to reopen it have been thwarted by squatters occupying the railway territory. It is proposed to re-open the line by December 2022, though many previous deadlines have been missed. Rail workers attempting to restore the line have been assaulted by armed gangs.