Residents of and visitors to Robertson can now take a picturesque train ride on the New Cape Central Railway’s steam train.
In 1893 Cape Central Railways started the railway between Worcester and Mossel Bay. In 2020 Derick du Toit, the founder and owner of New Cape Central Railway (NCCR) decided to reignite the route.
The train runs over weekends and offers passengers a unique experience of the Langeberg region.
“I started thinking about the idea in 2019. The company has been recreated and now we have a tourist train. This project took a lot of time and I hope everything will run smoothly and that we will get a lot of support.”
He was also the co-founder of the Ceres Railway company, which was started in 2015.
“That is where my interest in trains stems from. The railway line ran right through the golf estate in Ceres which was also founded by myself and I had the idea to bring back a steam powered tourist train as well as the freight service for which it was intended.”
Their website states the following: “Creating opportunities and cultivating potential in the region motivates NCCR to maintain momentum under extreme pressure; pressure and heat used to power a train that changed the trajectory of business in the region. At NCCR we believe that the potential and vast beauty of the region remains untapped, and we proudly bring trains, people and the beauty of this area together.”
The train runs every Saturday with trips at 08:00 and 13:00. Tickets include wine tastings.
The train also has a deli kitchen on board where passengers can buy something to eat.
Trips for the public start on Saturday 16 September.
