INTRODUCTION OF RAILWAYS IN SOUTH AFRICA

CAPE

Date

SWARTKOPS - UITENHAGE

22/9/1875

WELLINGTON - WORCESTER

16/6/1876

PORT ELIZABETH - ADDO

26/7/1875

PORT ELIZABETH - ALICEDALE

27/5/1876

EAST LONDON - BLANEY

18/12/1876

BLANEY - KING WILLIAMS TOWN

1/5/1877

BLANEY - KEI ROAD

1/5/1877

BELVILLE - MULDERSVLEI

9/1876

MALMESBURY - KRAAIFONTEIN

12/11/1877

WORCESTER - TOUWSRIVIER

7/11/1877

TOUWSRIVER - KOUP

4/11/1878

KOUP - BEAUFORT WEST

5/2/1880

BEAUFORT WEST - HUTCHINSON

14/5/1883

PORT ELIZABETH - DE AAR

31/3/1884

HUTCHINSON - DE AAR

31/3/1884

WELLINGTON - CERES

1885

EAST LONDON - QUEENSTOWN

5/5/1880

QUEENSTOWN - STERKSTROOM

15/10/1880

GRAAFF REINETT - UITENHAGE

1879

ALICEDALE - GRAHAMSTOWN

3/9/1879

WYNBERG - KALKBAAI

5/5/1883

DE AAR - ORANJE RIVIER

3/11/1884

PORT ALFRED - GRAHAMSTOWN

1/12/1884 (A 1/4/1913)

ORANJE RIVIER - KIMBERLEY

28/11/1885

GRAAFF REINETT - ROSMEAD

1898

BOWKER`S PARK - TARKASTAD

5/12/1900

SIR LOWRY`S PASS - CALEDON

1/8/1902

MALMESBURY - EENDEKUIL

15/11/1902

KALBASKRAAL - HOPEFIELD

28/2/1903 (NG) (CONV. 19/12/1926)

MAITLAND - OTTERY

1/2/1904 (P) (A 1/7/1908)

KLIPPLAAT - OUDTSHOORN

1/3/1904

PAARL - FRANSCHHOEK

7/6/1904

MILNERTON JCTN. - MILNERTON

22/9/1904 (P) EXTENDED TO ASCOT 28/5/1908 (P), AND TO TYGERBERG, NOVEMBER 1916 (P); THE LINE WAS CLOSED IN MARCH 1957.

KING WILLIAM`S TOWN - SOMERSET EAST

17/10/1904

MAFEKING - BUHRMANNSDRIF

1/11/1904 (P) (A. 16/5/1907)

ARTOIS - WOLSELEY (CERES ROAD) LOOP LINE

DE AAR - PRIESKA

19/9/1905

ALIWAL NORTH - LADY GREY

2/11/1905

VAN DER STEL - STRAND

16/12/1905

SWELLENDAM - VOORBAAI

22/1/1906 (P) THIS AND THE SECTION FROM WORCESTER TO SWELLENDAM WERE ACQUIRED BY THE GOVERNMENT ON 1/8/1925

HUTCHINSON - CARNARVON

1/8/1906

INDWE - MACLEAR

29/8/1906

VALLEY JCTN. - WALMER

15/12/1906 (NG) (U. 1949)

AMABELE - BUTTERWORTH

17/12/1906

PORT ELIZABETH - AVONTUUR

1/1/1907 (NG)

KNYSNA - TEMPLEMAN

14/7/1907 (P) (NG) (U 1949)

MOSSEL BAY - GEORGE

25/9/1907

BARKLEY BRIDGE - ALEXANDRIA

18/5/1909

TOTAL MILES

1401 MILES

TRANSVAAL

INDIA JCTN - DRIEHOEK

27/4/1903

INDIA JCTN - NEW CANADA (CANADA JCTN) 1/11/1903

LANGLAAGTE - VEREENIGING

15/12/1904

RAYTON - CULLINAN

27/3/1905 (P) (A 1/7/1909)

KLERKSDORP - FOURTEEN STREAMS

6/4/1906 (P) (A 6/4/1907). (2,5 MILES OF THIS LINE IN THE CAPE).

PIENAARSRIVIER - SETTLERS

21/6/1906 (NG) (CONV 1923)

APEX - WITBANK

26/12/1906

PRETORIA NORTH - RUSTENBURG

27/12/1906

NANCEFIELD - PRIMVILLE

SPRINGS - ERMELO

13/3/1907

KRUGERSDORP - ZEERUST

5/7/1907

BREYTEN - MACHADODORP

6/2/1908

TOTAL MILES

694 MILES.

ORANGE FREE STATE

HAMILTON - TEMPE

1/9/1904 (P) BUILT FOR MILITARY PURPOSES (C 1/4/1931)

ORKNEY - VIERFONTEIN

1/8/1905 PARTIALLY IN TRANSVAAL

MODDERPOORT - LADYBRAND

16/12/1905 (P) (A 1/7/1909)

MARSEILLES - MASERU

18/12/1905

DOVER - PARYS

22/12/1905

SPRINGFONTEIN - FAURESMITH

6/2/1906

HARRISMITH - KROONSTAD

21/6/1906

BLOEMFONTEIN - BETHLEHEM

2/7/1907

HAMILTON - BEACONSFIELD

8/4/1908 PARTIALLY IN CAPE

TOTAL MILES

549 MILES

NATAL

NEW HANOVER - GREYTOWN

25/7/1900

KELSO JCTN - UMZINTO

8/8/1900

STANGER - KEARSNEY

2/1/1901 (NG) (P) (U CIRCA 1914)

TUGELA - MTUBATUBA

26/6/1903

MTUBATUBA - SOMKELE

17/9/1903 (U 1928)

TALANA - VRYHEID (LUCAS MEYER)

12/11/1903

ESTCOURT - WEENEN

18/4/1907 (NG)

ENNERSDALE - WINTERTON

15/5/1907

PARK RYNIE - PORT SHEPSTONE (SOUTH SHEPSTONE) 2/9/1907

ESPERANZA - DONNYBROOK

3/6/1908 (NG)

PIETERMARITSBURG - RIVERSIDE (NATAL-CAPE LINE)

4/2/1907

VRYHEID (VRYHEID EAST) - HLOBANE

1/4/1909 (P) (A 1/4/1920)

TOTAL MILES

504 MILES

P - PRIVATE OWNERSHIP

A - YEAR ACQUIRED BY GOVERNMENT

NG - 2 FT GAUGE

CONV - DATE CONVERTED TO STANDARD GAUGE

C - DATE LINE CLOSED

U - YEAR LINE UPLIFTED.

SUBSIDIARY LINES

INDIA JCTN - ALBERTON

1/3/1911

UMLAAS ROAD - MID ILLOVO

13/4/1911 (NG)

WELVERDIEND - LICHTENBURG

11/5/1911

MERRIVALE - HOWICK

7/10/1911

SANNASPOS (WATERWORKS) - WEPENER

1/2/1912

FIRHAM - VREDE

1/5/1912

WOLSELEY (CERES ROAD) - CERES

20/5/1912

MALENGE - FRANKLIN

1/8/1912

BUHRMANSDRIF - ZEERUST

4/11/1912

SCHOOMBEE - HOFMEYER

2/12/1912

OTTERY - DIEPRIVIER

2/12/1912

HOPEFIELD - SALDANHA

5/3/1913 (NG) (CONV 19/12/1926)

ARLINGTON - SENEKAL

15/5/1913

GEORGE - OUDTSHOORN

6/8/1913

ERMELO - TENDEKA

15/12/1913

WINTERTON - BERGVILLE

5/1/1914

IXOPO - MADONELA

2/2/1914 (NG)

GREYTOWN - KRANSKOP

23/2/1914

BETHLEHEM - FRANKFORT

4/3/1914

GAMTOOS - PATENSIE

3/4/1914 (NG)

PIETERSBURG - MESSINA

5/5/1914

NELSPRUIT - GRASKOP

18/5/1914

DUNSWART - WELGEDAG

25/5/1914

ESTCOURT - NEW LEIGH (DEVIATION)

SEPTEMBER 1914

WALVISBAAI - SWAKOPMUND

11/2/1915

KRANZBERG - KARIBIB

21/6/1915

PRIESKA - KARASBURG

25/6/1915

CALEDON - PROTEM

30/6/1915

NEWINGTON - SOEKMEKAAR

4/8/1915

SCHROEDERS - BRUYNSHILL

5/10/1915

EENDEKUIL - KLAWER

15/11/1915

LADY GREY - NEW ENGLAND

29/11/1915

BOUGHTON - CEDARA

28/5/1916

BETHAL - VOLKSRUST

5/6/1916

ALIWAL NOORD - ZASTRON

30/6/1916

VIERFONTEIN - BOTHAVILLE

31/7/1916

BUTTERWORTH - UMTATA

18/9/1916

COLIGNY - PUDIMOE

18/10/1916

DONNYBROOK - UNDERBERG

24/11/1916

ASCOT - TYGERBERG

11/1916 (P) (C 3/1957)

PORT SHEPSTONE - HARDING

5/3/1917 (NG)

GINGINDHLOVU -ESHOWE

20/6/1917

CARNARVON - CALVINIA

2/2/1918

KOOTJIESKOLK - SAKRIVIER

16/9/1918

UMLAAS ROAD - PENTRICH

9/1/1919

KEETMANSHOOP - WINDHOEK

3/3/1912

PRETORIA WES - VOORTREKKERHOOGTE

1/11/1921 (P) BUILT FOR MILITARY PURPOSES (A 1/1/1924)

BOOTH JCTN - CATO RIDGE

28/11/1921

DUNSWART - APEX

12/4/1923

QUEENBRIDGE - DUFFS ROAD

21/5/1923

CANELANDS - MAIDSTONE

8/7/1923

BELMONT - DOUGLAS

9/8/1923

SETTLERS - TUINPLAAS

30/10/1923

WEPENER - ZASTRON

16/4/1924

KLIPDALE - BREDASDORP

19/4/1924

PINELANDS - LANGA

16/6/1924

HEILBRON - PETRUS STEYN

24/7/1924

LYDENBURG - STEELPOORT

10/9/1924

FRANKLIN - KOKSTAD

3/11/1924

FRANKLIN - MATATIELE

4/11/1924

OUDTSHOORN - CALITZDORP

14/11/1924

HERCULES - MAGALIESBURG

26/5/1925

ESHOWE - ISHOWE NORTH

26/6/1925

BUHRMANNSKOP - LOTHAIR

1/9/1925

NYLSTROOM - VAALWATER

1/10/1925

SENEKAL - MARQUARD

14/10/1925

TOUWSRIVIER - LADISMITH

19/10/1925

BALFOUR NORTH - FRANKFORT

18/1/1926

HARRISMITH - WARDEN

7/6/1926

UPINGTON - KAKAMAS

18/8/1926 (NG) (C 21/10/1949)

FORT BEAUFORT - SEYMOUR

19/11/1926 (NG) (CONV 20/5/1940)

CITRUS - PLASTON

22/11/1926

ADDO - KIRKWOOD

7/1/1927

ELANDSHOEK - MOUNT CARMEL

10/2/1927 (P) (NG) (U 1931)

KLAWER - BITTERFONTEIN

27/4/1927

MAKWASSIE - VERMAAS

1/7/1927

MATUBATUBA - GOLELA

4/7/1927

IMVANI - QAMATA

14/9/1927

CAMFERSDAM - KOOPMANSFONTEIN

31/1/1928

KLERKSDORP - OTTOSDAL

24/2/1928

POTCHEFSTROOM - FOCHVILLE

14/4/1928

GEORGE - KNYSNA

1/5/1928

BRITS - BEESTEKRAAL

11/6/1928

NABOOMSPRUIT - ZEBEDIELA

2/7/1928 (THE LINE BETWEEN NABOOMSPRUIT AND SINGLEWOOD WAS ORIGINALLY CONSTRUCTED AS A ROAD-RAIL TRACK UNDER THE DUTTON-STRONACH TRACTOR RAILWAY SCHEME WITH A GAUGE OF 2FT) (CONV 17/10/1927)

HERMON - PORTERVILLE

3/4/1929

CERES - PRINS ALFRED HAMLET

10/4/1929

BOTHAVILLE - BULTFONTEIN

16/4/1929

ARLINGTON - LINDLEY

31/7/1929

RUSTENBURG - MIDDELWIT

12/8/1929

MESSINA - BEITBRIDGE

31/8/1929

GAMAMS - WITVLEI

1/12/1929

FORT KNOCK -WOLTEMADE (RELIEF MOUNTAIN LINE)

PARYS - VREDEFORT

24/4/1930

PETRUS STEYN - LINDLEY

14/5/1930

EMPANGENI - NKWALINI

19/9/1930

WITVLEI - GOBABIS

6/11/1930

NEW ENGLAND - BARKLY EAST

10/12/1930

MOLTENO - JAMESTOWN

3/6/1931

GREYVILLE - BEREA ROAD

1931

NORTHAM - THABAZIMBI

26/2/1934

GERMISTON - ELSBURG

29/7/1937

TUINPLAAS - MARBLE HALL

21/9/1934

KLEINSTRAAT - MATROOSBERG

15/10/1934 (DEVIATION)

SPRINGS - KAYDALE

19/10/1935

POINT - CONGELLA

1/5/1936

PALINGPAN - MANGANORE

15/6/1936

KOOPMANSFONTEIN - LOHATHLA

30/6/1936

MIDWAY - BANK

6/11/1938

CROWN - LANGLAAGTE

12/1/1940

GERMISTON - JUPITER

2/12/1940

NEW CANADA - PHEFENI

29/1/1943

HERCULES - KOEDOESPOORT

7/6/1943

BOOYSENS - FARADAY

4/6/1945

OGIES - VANDYKSDRIF

1/6/1946

WHITES - ODENDAALSRUS

7/6/1948