Shosholoza Meyl
Long-distance train service in South Africa / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Premier Classe?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Shosholoza Meyl is a division of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) that operates long-distance (intercity) passenger rail services. It operates various train routes across South Africa,[1] carrying approximately 4 million passengers annually.[2] Before 2009, Shosholoza Meyl was a division of Spoornet, but it was transferred after the formation of PRASA.
Industry | Rail transport |
---|---|
Headquarters | Braamfontein |
Products | Long-distance passenger rail |
Website | shosholozameyl.co.za |
"Shosholoza" is the name of a popular South African song about workers on a train and it therefore means moving forward. "Meyl" is a word that is related to a South African word for "long distance train", according to the Spoornet/Shosholoza Meyl website. The company's name prior to change was "Mainline Passenger Services".
In August 2010, Shosholoza Meyl suspended services claiming either contract difficulties (between Transnet and Prasa) or unreliable trains. Some services began to resume in November 2010.[3][4]
Shosholoza Meyl services were suspended by PRASA following a fatal crash with a goods train on 12 February 2020. A revised service was introduced from 27 November 2020,[5] which due to Covid-19 restrictions limits seating capacity and passengers need to supply their own food, drinks, and bedding.[citation needed]