dls25
Mar 22, 11, 11:26 pm
I recently booked a Premier Classe train from Durban to Jo'Burg with this outfit. They suck.
1) I showed up at the station and the Premier Classe train was cancelled:mad: They re-booked me on the regular train which left two hours later and refunded the difference in fares. I boarded the train and we left about an hour late.
2) Regular Train leaves 1 hour late.
3) Durban station staff neglects to inform me that there is no dining car on this train (even though one is advertised) so I starve. Literally no food or drink available on a 12 hr train ride.
4) I go to sleep and wake up about 1 hour before the train is scheduled to arrive, so I figure I have 2 hours left. ETA comes and goes and I am still on the train. Ask train staff and they are clueless and state we will be there "soon". Another two hours goes by and we get the same answer from the staff. In the mean time we are starving, other passengers are going to diabetic shock, and babies are screaming from being hungry. I finally get to Jo"burg 7 hours late without receiving any info from train staff or anything remotely resembling an apology. After 19 hours on this train, I am finally able to get fed and watered. They had a medical team meet our train on the platform to attend to the diabetic pax.
5) From speaking with other pax, apparently being very tardy is a common occurrence with this company.
I'm a reasonable person and understand that things happen but the lack of communication by the train company staff was ridiculous. If had known any of this was going to happen I would have gone to the airport and bought a plane ticket (or at least eaten before I boarded the train).
To their credit, the train compartment was comfortable and and the showers and washrooms on the train were surprisingly clean. However, to someone that values their time their standard of reliability is not acceptable.
Thumbs Down.
1) I showed up at the station and the Premier Classe train was cancelled:mad: They re-booked me on the regular train which left two hours later and refunded the difference in fares. I boarded the train and we left about an hour late.
2) Regular Train leaves 1 hour late.
3) Durban station staff neglects to inform me that there is no dining car on this train (even though one is advertised) so I starve. Literally no food or drink available on a 12 hr train ride.
4) I go to sleep and wake up about 1 hour before the train is scheduled to arrive, so I figure I have 2 hours left. ETA comes and goes and I am still on the train. Ask train staff and they are clueless and state we will be there "soon". Another two hours goes by and we get the same answer from the staff. In the mean time we are starving, other passengers are going to diabetic shock, and babies are screaming from being hungry. I finally get to Jo"burg 7 hours late without receiving any info from train staff or anything remotely resembling an apology. After 19 hours on this train, I am finally able to get fed and watered. They had a medical team meet our train on the platform to attend to the diabetic pax.
5) From speaking with other pax, apparently being very tardy is a common occurrence with this company.
I'm a reasonable person and understand that things happen but the lack of communication by the train company staff was ridiculous. If had known any of this was going to happen I would have gone to the airport and bought a plane ticket (or at least eaten before I boarded the train).
To their credit, the train compartment was comfortable and and the showers and washrooms on the train were surprisingly clean. However, to someone that values their time their standard of reliability is not acceptable.
Thumbs Down.