| Metrorail Western Cape Region | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Metrorail logo | |||
 A MetrorailX'Trapolis Mega train running nearKalk Bay station. | |||
| Overview | |||
| Owner | PRASA | ||
| Locale | |||
| Transit type | Commuter rail | ||
| Number of lines | 5 | ||
| Number of stations | As of March 2025: Operational: 104 Total: 121 | ||
| Annual ridership | 22.9 million (Mar 2024–Feb 2025)[1] | ||
| Chief executive | Raymond Maseko | ||
| Website | www | ||
| Operation | |||
| Operator(s) | Metrorail | ||
| Character | Suburban railway | ||
| Rolling stock | |||
| Number of vehicles | 85 trainsets (1,094 coaches) | ||
| Technical | |||
| System length | 460 km (290 mi) | ||
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | ||
| Electrification | 3 kV DCoverhead catenary | ||
| Top speed | 90 km/h (56 mph) | ||
| |||
Metrorail Western Cape is acommuter rail system operating in theCape Town metropolitan area and surrounds, in theWestern Cape province ofSouth Africa. The system operates as a division of the nationalPRASA, and forms part of the broadernational Metrorail network.
The system serves theCity of Cape Town,Drakenstein,Stellenbosch, andSwartland. It connectscentral Cape Town with areas such asMalmesbury,Paarl,Stellenbosch,Wellington,Strand,Mitchells Plain,Khayelitsha, andSimon’s Town. Some areas, including theAtlantic Seaboard,Durbanville, and parts ofBlouberg do not have rail access.
Annual ridership reached 22.9 million passengers for the period March 2024 through February 2025.[2]
As of March 2025, 104 Metrorail Western Cape stations are operational, out of a total of 121.[2] The system covers about 460 km of track. It operates on a1,067 mm narrow gauge and uses 3 kV DC overhead electrification. All services either commence or terminate at the mainCape Town station in the centre of the city, which has 24platforms.
| Line name | Stations |
|---|---|
| Cape Flats Line | 16 |
| Central Line | 33 |
| Malmesbury Line | 24 |
| Northern Line | 48 |
| Southern Line | 28 |
The Cape Flats Line travels east from Cape Town as far asMaitland, then turns south throughAthlone, rejoining the Southern Line at Heathfield. The service terminates atRetreat.[2]
The Central Line serves areas to the southeast of the city centre. Trains run from Cape Town toLanga on two different routes, one around the southern side and the other around the eastern side of Pinelands. From Langa they travel on one of three lines, going either toMitchell's Plain, toKhayelitsha, or throughBelhar toBellville.[2]
The Northern Line serves thenorthern suburbs of Cape Town as well as some outlying towns. Some trains travel fromCape Town station toBellville along the old main line throughSalt River,Maitland,Goodwood andParow, while others travel along the relief main line viaCentury City. After Bellville, trains run on one of three routes: throughKraaifontein andPaarl toWellington; viaKuils River andStellenbosch to Muldersvlei; orKuils River andSomerset West toStrand.[2]
There are also two longer-distance trains stopping at all stations en route daily. One along the main line toWorcester and at 174 km (108 mi) the longest possible route on a commuter train in South Africa. The other is the only diesel-hauled commuter train in the Western Cape toMalmesbury which travels 78 km (48 mi) on the route toBitterfontein.
The Southern Line travels from central Cape town through theSouthern Suburbs toMuizenberg, and then along the edge ofFalse Bay toSimon's Town.[2] AlthoughSimon's Town is the southern terminus, many trains terminate atFish Hoek because the line south of Fish Hoek is single-track.
Frequencies can vary vastly from weekday peaks to weekend-off peaks. Services to Simon's Town, Bellville via Century City, Strand, Muldersvlei (via Stellenbosch) and Wellington are less frequent over weekends with a train about every hour on Saturdays and every two hours on a Sunday. In contrast, weekday frequencies on some lines offer three-minute headways.
Every train displays a four-digit train number. The route and destination of a specific train can be determined by just looking at the train number.Up trains travel towards Cape Town and carry even train numbers, down trains travel away from Cape Town and carry odd train numbers. Destinations can be derived from the following table:[3]
| Line | Train no. | Route | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern | 01xx | Fish Hoek ↔ Cape Town | Some Saturday trains extend to Simon's Town |
| Southern | 02xx | Simon's Town ↔ Fish Hoek | Simon's Town shuttle |
| Cape Flats | 05xx | Retreat ↔ Cape Town via Pinelands | |
| Northern | 23xx | Eersterivier ↔ Bellville | Some Saturday trains extend to Cape Town |
| Northern | 25xx | Kraaifontein ↔ Cape Town via Salt River | |
| Northern | 26xx | Kraaifontein ↔ Cape Town via Monte Vista | Including one daily train to/from Malmesbury |
| Northern | 27xx | Bellville ↔ Cape Town via Salt River | |
| Northern | 28xx | Bellville ↔ Cape Town via Monte Vista | |
| Northern | 32xx | Strand ↔ Bellville | |
| Northern | 34xx | Stellenbosch ↔ Eerste River | |
| Northern | 35xx | Wellington ↔ Cape Town | |
| Central | 90xx | Bellville ↔ Mutual via Langa | |
| Central | 94xx | Nyanga ↔ Maitland via Pinelands | |
| Central | 95xx | Langa ↔ Cape Town via Pinelands | |
| Central | 99xx | Nolungile ↔ Cape Town via Mutual |
In 2013,PRASA signed aR51 billion contract withAlstom to supply 600X’Trapolis Mega trainsets, with local production included.[4] Older rolling stock (Class 5M2) is being phased out. By March 2025, 72 X’Trapolis Mega sets operate in the Western Cape.[2]
Existing infrastructure (2018)[5]:
