The Rovos Rail Magic 2026/2027

Meals are enjoyed in Edwardian-style dining cars. The focus is on local ingredients and South African cuisine (e.g. springbok loin or seared scallop), with almost all the food being made on the train, rather than being pre-made. The gourmet meals ensure that you will never go hungry. On long trips they have 4,000 to 5,000 eggs on board!

The idea is not to have to care about money while on the train, so you can drink what you want, when you want, and in the quantities you want at no extra charge. If you want a bottle of wine sent to your room, it will happen. Expect to be plied with excellent South African wines and bubbly (but not French champagne).

Halaal/Vegetarian: Halaal food can be arranged but only for the first evening of a trip and only if the journey departs from Pretoria, and at an additional cost. Alternatively, Rovos offers a fantastic vegetarian course.

"In maintaining the spirit of a bygone era of train travel, there are no radios or television sets on board as well as no Wi-Fi. Should guests need to stay connected, they can purchase local SIM cards or use international roaming. Reception is not guaranteed on all our routes, especially while the train is moving."

Device Policy: "We encourage a digital detox while travelling with us. The use of any electronic device that can disturb other guests is confined to the privacy of the suites. Talking to friends and catching up with emails is discouraged in public areas." They are especially forbidden in the dining car.

Warning: the lack of devices often leads to meaningful conversations and lifelong friendships being formed!

The observation car is the most enjoyable of all the carriages, so get there early and stake your claim to it. A highlight of luxury train travel is the chance to form meaningful connections with fascinating individuals from across the globe; this often occurs in shared spaces like the lounge and observation car, while the bar becomes a hub after dinner.

Pro tip: head towards the observation car at sunrise whilst the others are sleeping, and have it to yourself. There are also board games available for guests to use.

DBL Lengthways: Double bed aligned parallel to the train’s direction of travel. Your body moves with the train’s motion; less side-to-side sway felt while lying down. Often gentler for people sensitive to movement.

DBL Crosswise: Bed aligned perpendicular to the direction of travel. You lie “across the motion,” so rocking may feel more pronounced, especially in curves. Some love the cradle-like sway - others less so. Likely both occupants have a view straight out the side window.

Address: 1 Transnet Avenue, Capital Park, Pretoria. (It is also their head office). Phone: 012 315 8242.

Directions from OR Tambo International Airport (JNB):

• Exit the airport onto the R21.
• Stay in the left lane and merge onto Scheiding Street.
• Continue as Scheiding Street becomes Bosman Street.
• Drive to the end of Bosman Street and turn right onto Boom Street.
• Take a slight left onto Paul Kruger Street. Cross over Flowers Street and Trouw Street.
• Drive under the first railway bridge, then take a slight left onto Transnet Avenue.

Gautrain Station Warning: Rovos Rail's Capital Park Station is NOT at the same place as the Pretoria Gautrain Station. They are about a 15-minute drive apart. You will need to take an Uber from the Gautrain station to Capital Park.

Shuttle Transfers: Recommended operators include Swift Kruger Shuttles, Ekala Eco Tours, EZ Shuttle, and Ulysses Tours & Safaris.

"Since the pandemic, we have experienced an increase in challenges on the South African railway network. We seldom have these issues in all the other countries we visit. Mitigating steps: We built in more time on all our journeys travelling South Africa... Since December 2023 – when our national railways granted us permission to haul our trains in South Africa utilising our own locomotives and crew – we have increased our existing fleet. We now operate 11 diesel, 8 electric and 4 hybrid diesel-electric locos. Running our own locos comes with many positives but also a huge shift in our operational costs... our rate increases in 2026 and 2027 are, and will be, higher than average."

1 March 2026 (Naute, Namibia): A southbound train derailed due to a bridge washaway. Tragically, a Rovos Driver and a TransNamib Pilot passed away. No passengers were injured. Guests were safely transported via bus and flight to Cape Town.

18 April 2025 (Gwanda, Zimbabwe): A head-on collision with a cargo train occurred on the private BBR line. No guests were injured, but four staff members required medical attention. Tragically, colleague Elliot Padi later passed away from his injuries. The line was reopened on 24 April 2025 and operations resumed safely.

In October 2025, Rovos Rail was voted the 4th best luxury train in the world (alongside Belmond, Orient-Express, and Rocky Mountaineer).

Whilst train travel is not without its incidents, a March 2024 study by the Railway Safety Regulator of South Africa indicated that Rovos Rail had the least incidents of all railway operators surveyed.

Note: Values of 0 for Group B indicate the information was not required to be submitted due to exemption. A score of 4=Agree, 5=Strongly Agree regarding safety culture requirements.

• 1986: Rohan Vos gets permission to run a train on South Africa's national rail network. Rovos Rail is founded.
• 1987: The first trip in locomotive 2702 Bianca (named after his daughter).
• 1989: The Victoria Hotel in Pretoria is restored; serves as the departure point for the first trip.
• 1993: The inaugural trip to Dar es Salaam takes place.
• 1999: The new Rovos Rail Station (Capital Park) is opened by Mr Leslie Boyd.
• 2001: The first 9-day Golf Safari.
• 2015: The Shongololo Express is bought (fully merged into Rovos in 2024).
• 2019: The inaugural "Trail of Two Oceans" to Lobito, Angola.
• 2023: Rovos Rail purchases 38-Class combination units to switch between electric and diesel due to SA load-shedding and cable theft.

Fun Fact: The Vos family also owns a racehorse named "Rovos Rail", born in 2023 to parents "Freighttrain B" and "Mavara Vegas".