Blue Train (South Africa)
Blue Train passes through the Karoo | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Luxury train |
| First service | 1923 |
| Current operator(s) | Transnet Freight Rail |
| Website | bluetrain |
| Route | |
| Termini | Pretoria Cape Town |
| Distance travelled | 1,600 km (990 mi) |
| Average journey time | 27 hours |
| On-board services | |
| Sleeping arrangements | Yes |
| Catering facilities | Yes |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
The Blue Train is a luxury train that travels an approximately 1,600-kilometre (990 mi) journey in South Africa, between Pretoria and Cape Town. It is one of the most luxurious train journeys in the world. It offers butler service, two lounge cars (smoking and non-smoking), an observation car, and carriages with gold-tinted picture windows, in soundproofed, fully carpeted compartments, each with its own en-suite bathroom (many of which are equipped with a full-sized bathtub). The service is promoted as a "magnificent moving five-star hotel" by its operators, who note that kings and presidents have travelled on it.
The train runs through South Africa diagonally, with an average travel duration of 27 hours.