It’s a mild afternoon in December at the Irene Country Club.
A group of 60 not-so-intrepid travellers enjoy a pre-boarding lounge experience at the hotel ahead of the two-and-a-half days they are about to spend aboard one of the world’s most luxurious trains.
A saxophonist belts out soft jazz in one corner while guests snack on canapés, riblets, puff pastries and meatballs — all washed down with champagne, wine, beers or soft drinks.
Blue Train staff — who will be in charge of the five-star experience aboard — make occasional announcements on the PA system on the status of the train approaching Irene station, about 1km away. The boarding lounge was moved from Pretoria Station in the CBD to Irene to maintain the right tone for passengers, most of whom are from overseas.
Once the train has drawn up at the platform, passengers are shuttled to it from the country club and escorted to their suites by butlers who will cater to their every need during the journey.
Upon boarding, the butlers give us a quick rundown of the spacious cabins, adorned with plush furnishings and modern amenities. Each compartment features comfortable beds, en suite bathrooms with marble countertops and gold fixtures, spacious closet space and a phone with a speed-dial to the butler.
The value the Blue Train brings to South Africa far exceeds the costs of operating it. The money that international guests spend on the train is only a fraction of what they spend in South Africa in total
— Godfrey Cader, Blue Train MD
Breakfast, lunch and dinner represent the best cuisine South Africa can offer. Fresh fruit, pastries, cereal, juices and eggs in different variations are served for breakfast. Lunch is a selection of fantastic local dishes and deserts, but the dinner service is an event by itself.
In keeping with the train’s high standards, male guests are asked to don formal shirts and jackets, while women pack elegant evening gowns. Gourmet dishes from grilled springbok to succulent racks of lamb are served, while the saxophonist serenades diners into the night, turning the dining car into a moving restaurant worthy of a Michelin star.
In the daytime, a viewing car at the back offers guests an unobstructed view of South Africa’s natural beauty as the train glides through picturesque landscapes of the Free State and the Northern Cape’s arid Karoo.
At Kimberley, passengers can disembark for two hours. Those interested are taken on a tour of the Big Hole, the deepest hole excavated by hand during the diamond rush of the 1870s.
Godfrey Cader, the new MD of the Blue Train, owned and operated by Transnet, joins us for the rest of the 900km journey to Cape Town. He says the train can accommodate a maximum of 72 guests, served by 32 staff including waiters, barmen, chefs and technicians who attend to faults. But the policy is to leave a couple of suites empty on every trip in case there’s a problem with one of the cabins and guests have to be moved.
Cader reports that the train is particularly popular with visitors from Australia, the US and the UK, with growing interest from Japan since the pandemic ended. Other African countries account for some of the passengers, but the train is hoping to lure more South Africans as well.
Cader acknowledges the fare for foreigners — which starts upwards of R36,000 per person sharing — is out of reach for the ordinary South African, but the management occasionally offers discounted specials.
“We have tour operators who specialise in domestic travel and we organise domestic specials with them. They will advertise and push sales very hard with a three-month lead time to get more local tourists to book.”
Fares starting at R18,700 per person sharing, including a free flight home to Gauteng or Durban, were being advertised this week for South Africans.
The Blue Train does not only run between Pretoria and Cape Town route. It can be chartered privately for trips to Durban, the Kruger National Park or even Victoria Falls.
Transnet is in discussions with corporates that might want to privately charter it for team-building experiences or special events. There are two identical train sets but one has been out of action since it derailed during a maintenance run some four years ago.
Transnet has issued a request for information to the private sector to gauge interest in a possible concession arrangement to operate the train.
“The main thrust of this thing is not so much for Transnet to give away ownership of the Blue Train,” Cader said. “This is a key national asset for us, it’s an international icon. [Transnet] wants to maintain ownership but in partnership with an investor to bring the necessary funding to renew the train.”
He admits the train is not immune to the infrastructure challenges that plague the railway network, and cable theft and vandalism often cause delays.
But things have improved since Transnet contracted security companies on an outcomes basis, meaning that the fewer instances of crime there are, the more the companies are paid.
“We have seen an improvement not only for Blue Train but all trains that run on network.”
Cader is confident the Blue Train, which achieved its revenue target for the first time last year though it still reported a loss, can soon make a profit, especially if the second train re-enters operation.
“The value the Blue Train brings to South Africa far exceeds the costs of operating it. The money that international guests spend on the train is only a fraction of what they spend in South Africa in total.
“Many of the Australians tourist agents arrange tours for Australians for up to three months. If a group like that comes to South Africa and books the train for a three-day trip but are here for three more months, how much more money are they spending?”
At the end of the line in Cape Town, we passengers disembark with faces wreathed in smiles after an unforgettable journey.
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