Green Rail and Ride!

IMAGES:
1. the Southern Line (Cape Point Route)
2. Riding the Southern Line (Photo: Jacques Marais)
3. Muizenberg Beach Huts as seen from the train (Photo: Peter haarhof)
4. The Brass Bell on Kalk Bay Station (Photo: Jacques Marais)
5. Noordhoek Farm Village - hosts of the launch (Photo: Jacques Marais)

Yesterday (27 May 2010), I had the priviledge to join a bunch of cool people in the Cape Town tourism industry for an "educational" with the Southern Line Tourism Route who teamed up with the Green Cabs to launch the Green Rail and Ride.

The word "educational" didn't have a particularly fun ring about it but the day certainly was a good outing. We met at Cape Town Station for registration and a much needed cup of coffee, and a welcoming breakfast pack provided by the Protea Hotel in Sea Point. Actually registration was more a meet and greet as familiar faces were grinning at each other and unfamiliar ones were being introduced.

Cape Town Station was also a great surprise! The construction is not quite complete but shiny floors, open glass doors and efficient staff, information office, security and information boards made it a very pleasant, welcoming and safe meeting point. We were escorted to Platform 1 for the business express - which was a very fancy train - for the journey to Fish Hoek station. A speedy journey with no stops meant that we didn't get enough time to "ooh and aah" out the window once we hit Muizenberg and the False Bay coastline... but we did have a return journey to look forward to!

We transferred onto buses bound for Noordhoek Farm Village where the launch of the Green Rail and Ride took place - held in the warm and welcoming environment of the Toad in the Village. The speeches and presentations were prepared as everyone warmed up on tea and coffee. We were introduced to a fantastic product by the partners in this project of going green to get to the point - City of Cape Town, Metrorail; Tourism Enterprise Programme and the Green Cabs.

Cape Town is one of very few cities in the world that can boast being able to offer tourists an option where they can travel by rail along a spectacular coastline. As a City committed to improving it's eco-credentials this iniative allows a low-carbon option of travelling by train and with Green Cabs to access Cape Point. Green Cabs goes the extra mile to educe its carbon footprint by converting the petrol component of its fleet of vehicles to run duel-fuel on petrol and LPG and the diesel component on BioDiesel (2nd generation Cooking Oil!) - thus achieving a saving in CO 2 emissions of between 15 - 20%! Woo Hoo!

So what is the initiative:
Tourists travel in a designated Southern Line Tourism Route Carriage and are accompanied by informed ambassador guides and dedicated security guards. Guides accompany travellers for the entire day.

the fare of R600 per person includes all these services as well as:
a return train ticket
return transfer and entry fees to the African Penguin Colony at Boulders Beach in Simon's Town as well as Cape Point Nature Reserve.

Launching to the public on the 1st June, the service will be available mid-week i.e. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Trains depart from Cape Town Station at 09h32 in the morning from Platform 5 and return from Simon's Town Station at 15h18 in the afternoon to arrive back in the city by 16h26!

No more guilt trips! This is a scenic, cost effective, low carbon option to visit the Cape Point Route!

Metrorail Southern Line Tourism Route also offers a hop-on hop-off ticket to Obsevatory, Newlands, Muizenberg, Kalk Bay and Fish Hoek Stations for just R30 per one day ticket OR R50 for a 2-day ticket. Cape Point Route suggests taking the 2 day ticket and staying overnight in Muizenberg, Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek or Simon's Town.

Thanks to all the partners for a great day and we look forward to massive use of this great programme!