T R AV E L
ROVOS RAIL TURNS
30
L
uxury locomotive Rovos
about hospitality.
local politics and
Rail is 30 years old. Rovos
In my naivety, I
how it affects his
Rail offers journeys ranging
believed what we
business on a
from 48 hours to 15 days, offering
were offering was so
weekly basis but, in
eight trips around Southern
unique that tickets
Africa with more trains that can
would sell easily. Boy,
accommodate 72 passengers. The
was I mistaken.”
newest route, Trail of Two Oceans,
It took a decade for the
short, “The railway infrastructure on which we are 100% reliant needs attention
which departed for its maiden
company to break even. “We
voyage in July this year, follows
managed to sidestep bankruptcy
efficiently. We have procured
the east-to-west copper trail from
more than once,” says Vos.
our own electric and diesel
Dar es Salaam to Lobito in Angola. “Our new route coincides nicely
When Rovos Rail did eventually
to enable our services to run
locomotives so that one day we
start making some headway, the
may become independent of
with our 30th birthday. I’d like
company – like many others – was
Transnet in this department.
to say it was planned but I can’t
impacted by events such as a
Our goal is to be as self-reliant as
take credit for the serendipitous
volcanic ash cloud, airline strikes,
possible,” says Vos.
timing,” says Rohan Vos, owner
the Ebola outbreak and a crippling
and CEO of Rovos Rail Tours.
global recession.
Asked if he ever thought
“It’s certainly been a
The business now employs 440 staff members at Rovos Rail Station, the impressive private
Rovos Rail would progress this
challenging and interesting ride,”
railway station and headquarters
far, Vos responds, “Not at all.
he says with a smile.
in Pretoria. “We also have our own
We lost so much money in the early days and we knew nothing 22
SILVER DIGEST // SPRING 2019
There is a great deal that Vos would like to say about
little museum that pays homage to our 30 years of operation and also
