The Milnerton Railway
In May 1898, Milnerton Estates requested
permission of the Cape Parliament to build a railway line to a terminus on Jan
Biesjes Kraal. Permission was granted and in April 1899, tenders were called
for the construction of the Milnerton Railway.
There was already a line heading north from Cape Town, which crossed the Salt River near Koeberg Road, but negotiations with the Cape Government Railways (CGR) resulted in a decision to link up with the existing network nearer Cape Town at Craig’s Crossing, which was a road traffic bridge giving access to the defensive fort named Craig's Tower, situated on Woodstock beach.
Blackie, the first locomotive in South Africa, crossing the bridge across the Salt River c. September 1861
Craig's Tower and Jan Biesjes Kraal are both indicated on this sketch map of 1806
Unable to provide rolling-stock or any other facilities, the Directors were quite happy to grant running powers free of charge to the CGR. Specifications of the railway had been worked out: it was to have an initial length of four miles, and would cost approximately £11,300.
There was already a line heading north from Cape Town, which crossed the Salt River near Koeberg Road, but negotiations with the Cape Government Railways (CGR) resulted in a decision to link up with the existing network nearer Cape Town at Craig’s Crossing, which was a road traffic bridge giving access to the defensive fort named Craig's Tower, situated on Woodstock beach.
Unable to provide rolling-stock or any other facilities, the Directors were quite happy to grant running powers free of charge to the CGR. Specifications of the railway had been worked out: it was to have an initial length of four miles, and would cost approximately £11,300.
The CGR offered to supply the required
four miles of rails from second-hand stock and to build a viaduct across the “Salt
River Swamp” – offers that were gratefully accepted. At the end of 1899, the
CGR reported: “The short line of Railway from Craig’s Crossing to
Milnerton is very nearly finished… The viaduct which has been constructed
across the mouth of the Salt River is a new class of structure for South
Africa, namely Jarrah, which has been used for the piles.”
Train crossing viaduct c. 1945
The dearth of trucks and suitable rolling stock during and after the Anglo-Boer War caused a delay in the line becoming operational, but at last, in October 1903, Carl Jeppe, who had resumed his position as Chairman of Milnerton Estates, was able to tell his colleagues that “the Railway Department will be prepared to give us a train consisting of an engine and about six carriages in three weeks’ time, to run to Jan Biesjes Kraal and back at £7. 10s. It is intended to make a charge of 1/- per head return, with which this Company wants to be credited by the Railway Department.”
The dearth of trucks and suitable rolling stock during and after the Anglo-Boer War caused a delay in the line becoming operational, but at last, in October 1903, Carl Jeppe, who had resumed his position as Chairman of Milnerton Estates, was able to tell his colleagues that “the Railway Department will be prepared to give us a train consisting of an engine and about six carriages in three weeks’ time, to run to Jan Biesjes Kraal and back at £7. 10s. It is intended to make a charge of 1/- per head return, with which this Company wants to be credited by the Railway Department.”
The true start to the actual operation of the Milnerton Railway was
Boxing Day 1903 when, despite the virtual absence of any residents, the CGR
provided pleasure trips on the new line. Public response was indicated by the
returns for tickets sold: 540 bookings took place at Cape Town Station, plus
542 at Woodstock. This dropped to an unimpressive 59 and 86 respectively the
day after, though a fair sum was collected from passengers travelling without
tickets.
Picnic-goers arriving at Milnerton station 1903
Initially, the Milnerton Railway operated only on Sundays and Public holidays, but in 1904 the CGR agreed to undertake a daily service. Trains, it was made known, would run at 20 miles an hour, two carriages being held sufficient for the time being to cope with the weekday flow of traffic. The inaugural notice read: “CAPE GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS Opening of MILNERTON RAILWAY 23rd September, 1904. Until Further Notice.” The advertisement listed, besides Cape Town and Woodstock stations, three others – Paarden Island at 3.20 miles, Yzerplaats [sic] at 4.14 miles, and Milnerton Terminus at 5.40 miles from Cape Town, respectively. The journey itself would take 20 minutes each way. Four trains ran on weekdays, two in the morning and two in the afternoon. On Saturdays, there was an extra train in the afternoon, to cater for racegoers, while on Sundays, traffic was restricted to a mere two trains.
Troops marching up Knysna Road in 1914. The train and lagoon can be seen in the distance, as can the roads laid out on the 'island', which were later overgrown with Port Jacksons. Jan Biesjes Kraal homestead is the house on the left.
This enlarged section of the original plan for Milnerton shows the location of the station opposite the park on what is now Union Avenue.
The original brass plaque erected on the site of Milnerton Station
Initially, the Milnerton Railway operated only on Sundays and Public holidays, but in 1904 the CGR agreed to undertake a daily service. Trains, it was made known, would run at 20 miles an hour, two carriages being held sufficient for the time being to cope with the weekday flow of traffic. The inaugural notice read: “CAPE GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS Opening of MILNERTON RAILWAY 23rd September, 1904. Until Further Notice.” The advertisement listed, besides Cape Town and Woodstock stations, three others – Paarden Island at 3.20 miles, Yzerplaats [sic] at 4.14 miles, and Milnerton Terminus at 5.40 miles from Cape Town, respectively. The journey itself would take 20 minutes each way. Four trains ran on weekdays, two in the morning and two in the afternoon. On Saturdays, there was an extra train in the afternoon, to cater for racegoers, while on Sundays, traffic was restricted to a mere two trains.
Over
the next few years, the train service was extended to Ascot and eventually to Tygerberg. A Mr McLeod was appointed
stationmaster of Milnerton Station. He received £11 a month, besides permission to occupy Jan
Biesjes Kraal homestead, two rooms of which, however, were to be furnished by
the Company and reserved for the use of directors. A few years later, as a
measure of economy, the stationmaster was asked to carry out the duties of postmaster
for Milnerton as well.
Milnerton Station with its ticket office c. 1955 (Photo: Margot Pickard)
The only accident was recorded on 5 September 1929,
when a train approaching Milnerton Station from Tygerberg collided at the
Cambridge Road level crossing with a motor van belonging to Garlick’s Limited.
According to an eyewitness, the responsibility lay entirely with the driver of
the motor van, but the magistrate charged with the investigation ordered the
warning boards at the crossing to be illuminated.
During the Depression, the average shortfall of £300 to £400 per month
on the Milnerton line led to the decision to limit the trains to race days
only. Inevitably, there were regrets among the inhabitants, particularly those
who remembered the beginning of the century when the railway had first come
into operation. However, the new bus service along Koeberg Road, provided by the
Cape Town Motor Omnibus Company (Pty) Ltd., was greatly welcomed and altogether
there was a note of philosophical acceptance.
On 29 June 1949, Sir De Villiers Graaff, as Chairman of the Company, had to announce that the Government had given notice to terminate the working agreement entered into in 1904, under which the service had hitherto operated. The railway continued conveying race horses, but in June 1956 even this was stopped. The old Milnerton Station, now converted into a store for such goods as the Municipality possessed, was, on 4 July 1955, hired from the SAR for the reasonable sum of £1 a month.
On 29 June 1949, Sir De Villiers Graaff, as Chairman of the Company, had to announce that the Government had given notice to terminate the working agreement entered into in 1904, under which the service had hitherto operated. The railway continued conveying race horses, but in June 1956 even this was stopped. The old Milnerton Station, now converted into a store for such goods as the Municipality possessed, was, on 4 July 1955, hired from the SAR for the reasonable sum of £1 a month.
By the time my family moved to Milnerton in 1960, the track had long since been
removed, but the station still stood opposite the park. I remember peering
through the dusty windows of the ticket office. When the Otto du Plessis Drive
was constructed in 1963, the platform was finally removed and a commemorative
plaque erected on the site. The original brass plaque was stolen and replaced
with a synthetic one in 2011, but it has since been re-positioned during
road-widening to make way for the Integrated Rapid Transport bus lanes. The
MyCiti buses now transport up to 120 passengers per trip every few minutes in
peak periods.
Memories of bygone days were revived among older residents in 1967 when
they learned of plans to build a new railway to Montague Gardens. Covering a
distance somewhat longer than the original line from Cape Town to the
Racecourse, the new line was entirely industrial in its purpose, being designed
to serve a series of sidings in the new Petro-Chemical Complex.
After various disputes and arguments on technical aspects, the first
reading in Parliament of the Milnerton Railway Bill took place on 25 May 1972,
making provision for an expenditure, over another eight kilometres, of no less
than R9 million. Construction began in 1975, necessitating one road-over-rail
bridge on Otto du Plessis Drive, besides another on Koeberg Road and at the
northern end of the airfield runway at Ysterplaat.
The new road-over-rail bridge under construction
The new railway line cuts inland just before the lagoon mouth
The Blue Train heading up the West Coast
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