Northern Line (Cape Town)

The Northern Line is a commuter rail service in South Africa that in the Cape Town metropolitan area and its surroundings and is operated by Metrorail Western Cape. Northern Line services operate from central Cape Town to Bellville, and then from Bellville along three different routes. The first route runs along the main Cape Town–De Aar railway line to Paarl and Wellington. The second route passes through Stellenbosch to terminate at Muldersvlei station on the main line, while the third also passes through Somerset West to terminate in Strand.^[1]

Northern Line
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	PRASA
Locale	Cape Town, South Africa
Termini	Cape Town Bellville Wellington Muldersvlei Strand
Stations	48
Service
Type	Commuter rail
System	Metrorail Western Cape
Services	4
Operator(s)	Metrorail
Depot(s)	Salt River
Rolling stock	Class 5M2 Class 10M5 X'Trapolis Mega
Technical
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	Overhead catenary
Route map Legend Cape Town 0:00 0:00 N2 Eastern Blvd Woodstock 0:03 0:03 Esplanade Salt River 0:07 Southern Line 0:09 Ysterplaat Salt River M5 Black River Pkwy Koeberg Road 0:09 Maitland 0:12 Cape Flats Line & Central Line via Pinelands 0:13 Kentemade Woltemade 0:15 0:15 Century City Mutual 0:17 0:18 Acacia Park Central Line Thornton 0:20 0:21 Monte Vista Goodwood 0:22 Vasco 0:24 0:25 De Grendel Elsies River 0:27 0:27 Avondale Parow 0:30 0:30 Oosterzee Tygerberg 0:32 Bellville 0:33 0:00 Central Line Lavistown branch 0:04 Stikland R300 Kuils River Fwy Kuils River 0:06 0:08 Brackenfell Blackheath 0:11 0:13 Eikenfontein Melton Rose 0:15 0:16 Kraaifontein Eerste Rivier 0:18 Fisantkraal Faure 0:24 Mellish Firgrove 0:30 Mikpunt Somerset West 0:36 Klipheuwel Van der Stel 0:39 Wintevogel N2 Settler's Way Kalbaskraal Strand 0:44 Abbotsdale Lynedoch 0:25 Malmesbury Vlottenburg 0:29 Stellenbosch 0:35 Du Toit 0:44 Koelenhof 0:50 0:56 0:27 Muldersvlei 0:33 Klapmuts N1 0:42 Paarl Berg River 0:47 Huguenot 0:50 Dal Josafat 0:54 Mbekweni 0:59 Wellington Malan Soetendal Hermon Voelvlei Gouda Tulbaghweg Artois Wolesley Romans River Breë River Botha Goudini Road Worcester to Durban & Johannesburg This diagram: view talk edit

Operations on the Northern Line halted in March 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Operations resumed in late 2021 with trains on the relief main line past Century City and Monte Vista terminating at Kraaifontein. In early 2022, operations on the old main line through Salt River and Maitland as well as operations to Wellington resumed. In November 2023, operations to Strand resumed. In 2024, operations on the line to Muldersvlei station through Stellenbosch resumed. As of September 2024, all segments of the Northern Line are operational.

Route

Most Northern Line trains travel from Cape Town station along the old main line through Salt River, Maitland, Goodwood and Parow to Bellville station. Trains on the Wellington route continue from Bellville along the main line through Brackenfell and Kraaifontein, and then through the farmland outside the metropolitan area to reach the towns of Paarl and Wellington.^[2]

Other trains branch south-east after Bellville, passing through Kuils River to Eerste River; From there, some turn north to pass through Stellenbosch and terminate at Muldersvlei station on the main line, while others continue south-east through Somerset West along the line towards Caledon. Shortly after Somerset West they branch from this line to terminate at Strand on the False Bay coast.^[2]

The Northern Line also includes a service along the relief main line from Cape Town past Century City and Monte Vista to Bellville.^[2]

Station listing

The Northern line serves the following stations:^[1]

Cape Town
Woodstock		Esplanade
Salt River		Ysterplaat
Koeberg Road		Kentemade
Maitland		Century City
Woltemade (no longer in use)		Akasia Park
Mutual		Monte Vista
Thornton		De Grendel
Goodwood		Avondale
Vasco		Oosterzee
Elsies River
Parow
Tygerberg
Bellville
Kuils River			Stikland
Blackheath			Brackenfell
Melton Rose			Eikefontein
Eerste River			Kraaifontein
Faure	Lynedoch		Muldersvlei
Firgrove	Vlottenburg		Klapmuts
Somerset West	Stellenbosch		Paarl
Van der Stel	Du Toit		Huguenot
Strand	Koelenhof		Dal Josafat
	Muldersvlei		Mbekweni
			Wellington

Operation

The line is made up of 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) track, electrified with 3,000 V DC overhead catenary; most of the routes are at least double track, except for the Strand and Stellenbosch lines beyond Eerste River. Services are operated mostly by electric multiple units of Class 5M2.