T³ - Tuinroete Tourist Trophy

Maeder Osler, as he contemplates a forthcoming road trip in the teeth of the Garden Route winter gales, looks forward to a break-fast, non-fast, open-agenda meeting with Jasper and friends - preferably at that wonderful choo choo station eating house in Sedgefield - and to ask whether Jasper has given up on passenger rail, anywhere or everywhere, as sorely needed across Southern Africa?

There was once 22,000+ miles of track out there, and you could get anywhere by train. As in China, passenger trains were provided for the country, not for profit. Now, in China, 400km air routes have collapsed, totally giving in to high speed rail.

What about us?

While the ‘bullet-train’ to Polokwane has a green light, and the suits begin meetings to discuss acquiring land for that track, Jasper wonders why Shoshaloza Meyl was tossed into the history-bin.

Shilowa added Standard Gauge Gautrain to SA, CR is adding the Standard Gauge ‘Beit Bridge Bullet’, but what about the rest of the country? What about the high population density Egoli-Thekwini route? Why Limpopo Love only? Jasper wonders whether ’they’ even know we need passenger rail elsewhere, and considers one route, using the track we have, with standard technology, some old steel, and with a ‘meyl’ (and fee-meyl) twist.

See ‘The Grassy Karoo Special discussion’.