Gautrain Urban Railway System

The Gautrain Urban Railway is primarily designed to cater for urban commuters,andit is probably less well known that this network also opens up sightseeing opportunities for tourists, both local and foreign. Not only can you very easily get from OR Tambo International to the heart of Sandton, but you can now select tourism opportunities between Park Station in the South and Hatfield in the North.

1. Paying for your ticket (or topping up your card) before you get to the platform:

If you are a tourist and you want to travel between different stations during your stay - either for shopping, dining or sightseeing - we recommend that you purchase a Gold Card and load it with Rand. This will enable you catch trains and buses (and park if you need to), without having to wait in queues at the ticket office, and you can re-charge your ticket at any time.

2. Knowing how to get to the station of your choice:

The route is simple to follow if you understand the basics about the train map:The Red Route (north to south)is the one that should be explored by tourists, as it takes you through the main cities and suburbs of the greater Joburg area, and gives you access to attractions that are in and around the Gautrain Stations. The Blue Route (east to west) is mainly for commuters as there is little at this stage to attract a tourist to this route.The Gold Route (east to west) is the line for arriving/departing passengers - it runs from Sandton Station to OR Tambo and back again.

route map2 590x453

3. Deciding how you will get from your station to your final destination (accommodation, attractions, restaurants, etc).

Generally speaking, you only need to change trains if you are on an east/west route, and your destination is on the North/South Route, or vice versa. We recommend that you use the Sandton Station for your change overs, as here you can select any train travelling North or South.

Getting to your final destination: You can either take one of the taxis that are always found at the stations (when the trains are running) or the Gautrain Bus which travels on routes to and from the station. Until you are familiar with the bus routes, we recommend that you catch a taxi from the Station to your final destination. Look for the official taxis, which have been selected and approved by Gautrain Management.

Take a look at our Virtual Tours of the 10 Gautrain Stations so that you can recognise what the outside looks like - each one is different. Fortunately, the Gautrain website contains comprehensive information on all these points, including the bus and train timetables, and our website provides all the details of attractions around the main stations, and how to get there. For all Gautrain queries, please go to their Contact page