AVOID THE MAGALIES EXPRESS!

We paid close to R2,000 to take my in-laws and three small children on the Magalies Express to celebrate our baby's first birthday. We arrived at 08:30 and stood around waiting for the train which only departed after 10:15. We had a terrible stop-go trip without the refreshment car and with a group of people getting drunker by the hour sitting next to us. We arrived at Magalies at 13:25 (missing the estimated time by two and a half hours) which means we missed our arrangements for lunch. We were told to be back at the train at strictly 15:00. The train departed at 16:15 and only arrived back at Park Station at 19:45. This meant that the group of drunk passengers got drunker and more aggressive as the trip went on. At a stage I felt unsafe for my children's sake and requested that my wife move to the other end of the car with them. There were other unpleasant incidents on board and the delay further meant that we missed our reservations made in Johannesburg for the evening. <br> <br> What made the situation even worse was the lack of communication from a very unprofessional crew.