ELGIN RAILWAY MARKET
Join Ceres Rail Company on a 160 km round-trip departing on Saturdays and Sundays at 08h05 from Cape Town. Our destination is the Art Deco “Elgin Railway Market,” an exceptional market experience.
The journey departs from Harbour Bridge Platform (close to the Cape Town International Convention Centre), and meanders through Cape Town and its surrounds until reaching the majestic Sir Lowrys Pass. Arriving at the foot of the pass, the train embarks on an epic climb up one of the steepest railway lines in South Africa. Cresting the peak, the train snakes it way into the lush Elgin Valley before arriving at the Elgin Railway Market.
Onboard our train, guests can enjoy the wonderful scenery from various seating options whilst sipping on drinks from our fully licensed cash bar, or snacking in our dining car.
The service is suited to all ages and promises to be an experience to never forget. Kids under 3 travel free.
Pricing
- Bar Lounge Seating (No under 18’s) – R899 per seat
- Lounge Seating – R899 per seat
- Day Sitter seating – R675 per adult, R500 per child, R540 per pensioner 60 and over
- Family Coupe (Maximum 2 adults and 2 children) – R1775 for the whole coupe
- Family Compartment (Maximum 4 adults and 2 children) – R3350 for the whole compartment
- Observation Car Individual Seating (Selected Dates only) – R975 per seat
- Observation Car (Group bookings only for 20 – 28 people) – Starts at R23 750 for 25 people in a private setting.
Let History Transport You
Journey Timeline
- 07h00 – 07h30: Passengers Arrive
- 07h15: Train arrives at the platform
- 07h15 – 07h55: Passenger boarding
- 08h00: Departure
- 11h45: Arrival at Elgin Railway Market
- This 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 Market
- Depending 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
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- 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
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- 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.
