Amashova Train - JB Tours

[nickc]

The guys flew back from DBN last night. And thank goodness they did, because we have had word from the people they met on the train that at 9am this morning the train was only just leaving Ladysmith. Which means today is another whole day spent on that godforsaken train which is shockingly dirty. The toilets are FULL of urine all over the toilet, floor etc and stinks. The cabin itself is also disgusting.

 

I feel so sorry for the cyclists stuck on that train for the rest of today. And to think i was supposed to be on it... i would have had a heart attack by now.

 

JB Tours also failed to organise properly. There was a fair walk to the bus to PMB, no breakfast was arranged before the race after it had been specified. The tour guide was useless and non caring. Overall a disaster and JB Tours AND the Amashova should not be promoting this train as a viable option of travel as it is beyond a joke.

 

It cannot even be classed as a budget tour, as even on a budget holiday the service and facilities would be better.

 

 

What a pity - a few years ago trains used to be a clean safe and pleasant form of transport. Now the only one worthwhile is the Gautrain.

[Klappertjie]

Shocking! Considered JB Tours in the past and pleased to have read this article.

Edited October 17, 2011 by Klappertjie

[ricochet_rabbit]

PM the link to Shova (Annie from the organisers), maybe she can comment?

[JB Train Tours]

Thanks for the opportunity to reply on this article about the train tour from Jo'burg to the 2011 Amashova cycle race in KZN - being the organisers of the tour. Our company host about 160 train tours per annum to various destinations in Southern Africa. Some 8000 passengers travel every year with us. The majority of them are regulars, like cyclists traveling with us for the past decade to the Argus in Cape Town.

This was our first train tour to the 'Shova and unfortunately the train DID run late - in both directions. This was due to technical problems with Shosholoza Meyl. No one likes being late, neither do us. Hence our apologies to all the on board passengers.

The trains we use belong to our government. I.e.: Shosholoza Meyl. Sometimes they are spotless clean and the food good and sometimes not. We don't accept the latter either and meet with the authorities regularly to improve their services.

It is a public train and was never advertised as exclusively to cyclists only. Neither can they be booked together in one carriage because each carriage has got only two 2-bed coupes and we had 6 coupes booked.

Our company is well known for informing the passengers VERY well before the tour, as well as ON the tour, by means of complete Info Docs and a tour guide traveling along. This tour was no exception. Everyone on tour got to their places as advertised - albeit late!

The walking distance from the overnight hotel to the point of departure by bus was about 300m! Breakfast was served as advertised.

Our company will continue hosting train tours and keep Rail Tourism alive in South Africa, despite challenges put upon us by the authorities.

Our sincere apologies to everyone being negatively affected by the 2011 Amashova train tour. Looking forward in hosting cyclists, supporters, family members and friends on the 2012 Argus train tour from Jo'burg to Cape Town. Bookings have opened.

Regards. Johan Badenhorst, MP in P, JB Train Tours

[Falco]

Thanks for the opportunity to reply on this article about the train tour from Jo'burg to the 2011 Amashova cycle race in KZN - being the organisers of the tour. Our company host about 160 train tours per annum to various destinations in Southern Africa. Some 8000 passengers travel every year with us. The majority of them are regulars, like cyclists traveling with us for the past decade to the Argus in Cape Town.

This was our first train tour to the 'Shova and unfortunately the train DID run late - in both directions. This was due to technical problems with Shosholoza Meyl. No one likes being late, neither do us. Hence our apologies to all the on board passengers.

The trains we use belong to our government. I.e.: Shosholoza Meyl. Sometimes they are spotless clean and the food good and sometimes not. We don't accept the latter either and meet with the authorities regularly to improve their services.

It is a public train and was never advertised as exclusively to cyclists only. Neither can they be booked together in one carriage because each carriage has got only two 2-bed coupes and we had 6 coupes booked.

Our company is well known for informing the passengers VERY well before the tour, as well as ON the tour, by means of complete Info Docs and a tour guide traveling along. This tour was no exception. Everyone on tour got to their places as advertised - albeit late!

The walking distance from the overnight hotel to the point of departure by bus was about 300m! Breakfast was served as advertised.

Our company will continue hosting train tours and keep Rail Tourism alive in South Africa, despite challenges put upon us by the authorities.

Our sincere apologies to everyone being negatively affected by the 2011 Amashova train tour. Looking forward in hosting cyclists, supporters, family members and friends on the 2012 Argus train tour from Jo'burg to Cape Town. Bookings have opened.

Regards. Johan Badenhorst, MP in P, JB Train Tours

IMO this is a very poor response from a PR point of view.

What you are effectively saying is that any person who books a tour is taking a gamble ie. it should be OK, but if it's not then tough luck, blame it on the public transport system.

That's not good enough.

[Katy]

IMO this is a very poor response from a PR point of view.

What you are effectively saying is that any person who books a tour is taking a gamble ie. it should be OK, but if it's not then tough luck, blame it on the public transport system.

That's not good enough.

 

+ 1

[Prozac]

IMO this is a very poor response from a PR point of view.

What you are effectively saying is that any person who books a tour is taking a gamble ie. it should be OK, but if it's not then tough luck, blame it on the public transport system.

That's not good enough.

 

+1 Not good enough ! :thumbdown:

[Prozac]

IMO this is a very poor response from a PR point of view.

What you are effectively saying is that any person who books a tour is taking a gamble ie. it should be OK, but if it's not then tough luck, blame it on the public transport system.

That's not good enough.

 

+1 Not good enough ! :thumbdown:

[Guest agteros]

...

Edited October 30, 2011 by agteros

[Sammajoor]

Seems par for the course in SA,you get shafted because of bad service delivery and then when someone does complain, you immediately shift the blame to someone else and state that you are still giving a "good service under the circumstances"

NOT

 

Grow a pair and apologise and see it doesn't happen again.

Edited October 18, 2011 by Sammajoor

[cyberaver]

Allow me to post from an a person who was on the train in question.

 

1) the train was advertised as the amashova train, not the small group of people on a public train going to the amashova. my mistake I suppose but the initial comms was about a train and this was never corrected by the tour company. they also did not confirm numbers until we had all paid and then let us know we were only 40 odd. <- bit late now that we have paid.

2) At no point did they say guys, you booked smaller compartments and we will have to split you from the group, can we try consolidate to take up two coaches together? nope nothing.

3) we arrived in JHB at the train station, its not well sign posted and no one was there to meet us, no signs no nothing. The train staff knew nothing of the arrangements and there was general disarray. we huddled together with other people with bikes and families with their kids waiting for some direction.

4) the guide arrived just after i phoned him to ask where and what we were to do. He did sort out the arrangements for the bikes. Which was take them down to the platform and load them into the guard carriage, we were also given our allocations for the ride. up until now, no mention that we are not together.

5) The train itself was grotty and not clean in any sense. we waited in our room and then when the train filled up we thought something was amiss. on texting the guide, i was then informed that no, we were not all together and we are infact split from the rest of the group with one couple next door because we booked coupes and their are only two per carriage. this is when they tell us..... we are on the train and now they inform us.

6) dinner was served later and was a chicken, chips and salad, the chips were raw. Anybody standing up to eat the chicken at this point a day before the race? didnt think so.

7) Bedding was provided around 10 and we all tried to get some rest, having left an hour late we hoped to catch up over night.

8) on waking, someone mentioned we were 4 hours behind. not from the tour company, form another passenger. mid morning, with nothing being communicated we finally saw the guide who told us we were 4 1/2 hours behind and they were trying to bring in a 1/2 hour. oh and by the way if you are hungry go to the food carriage cause they are turning the breakfast at the hotel into lunch. so youre on your own. the delay turned into 6 hours arriving at 1:00 instead of 7:30.

9) after fetching the gear and taking a ride to the hotel, we were told to put the bikes round back and go eat. This seemed to be the extended breakfast buffet held open for us, so 6 hours after the supposed time of arrival. Again, I wasn’t taking a chance and had toast and juice.

10) we then waited to check in after 2, the room was clean and neat (thanks Balmoral!), we then went to go check our bikes in. we were told during lunch that the buses left from behind the balmoral. More on this in the pic. Turns out its from behind the Elangeni, a km up the road odd. Oh and you have to lug your shoes, hydration, food, all your gear etc for the ride over that km odd at 4am in Durban on your own…. Lucki we checked or we would have missed the bus and our ride….

********See attached map JB tours (its rough but disproves your 300m claim I think)*******

 

11) it was during this time we organized with some Hubbers and a hardnosed wife in JHB the boxes and flights and transport to not have to take the train back - BIG Thanks to Ricochet Rabbit who didn’t know us from dirt, still organized boxes and delivered them to us in Durbs, 30km’s from his house.

12) The hotel did mess our breakfast up which we ordered specifically so we could eat before we left but at this point it was minor.

 

Rode the Shova – Finished – got me a medal

 

13) the train back left at 7:30 pm, we left the guys at the hotel trying to load the bikes onto a bus to avoid having to ride 4 kms odd in the dark and rain back to the station. Not sure of the outcome

14) as reported by my wife, they got back last night at 7:30pm – a full 24 hours after leaving Durban and I am sure JB did nothing to compensate them on board the train.

 

So overall, no comms or discussion on the numbers or the organization, more interested in getting our money.

No compensation for rapidly changing timelines for transport.

General miscommunication around arrangements for the Shova.

Trains are to be avoided as transport in SA

[Zerin]

11) it was during this time we organized with some Hubbers and a hardnosed wife in JHB the boxes and flights and transport to not have to take the train back - BIG Thanks to Ricochet Rabbit who didn’t know us from dirt, still organized boxes and delivered them to us in Durbs, 30km’s from his house.

 

I am the hardnosed wife.

 

And JB Tours should be glad that my brother in law took my place so I personally was not on that train because hardnosed would be a slight understatement.

 

This train trip was advertised as a relaxing and enjoyable ride to Durban. My biggest irk here is that JB Tours failed to mention that we would be surrounded by the rest of the public. And call it what you like, that is no way for a cyclist, about to ride over 100km, to travel to Durban. We thought it was cyclists only and would be at least half decent.

 

It is also advertised as a way for the family to travel. Well, if you think taking your wife and children on a train with toilets full of stinking urine is acceptable, then perhaps you need to do a rethink. Or at least a rethink on the VERY DISHONEST way you market these tours. It is fake advertising to the hilt.

 

And lets not even get started on that train only getting into JHB at 6pm on Monday night. So much for getting to work all clean and relaxed for the day on Monday eh? And i understand that delays on the track are not in the hands of JB Tours, but some decent communication from the tour guide would have helped - you know, just a tad. 24 hours solid on that train? Oh hell no.

 

Would you want to take your family on a train with evident hygiene issues such as this:

[Sammajoor]

Doesn't the CPA protect you against such a misrepresentation of the truth.

Any lawyers on the forum, that could enlighten us, the uninformed?

[GrumpyOldGuy]

JB Train tours also advertises extensively to motorcyclists at shows where I have seen them a number of times. Been a keen motorcyclist as well as a cyclist, I have enquired on a few of their tours and was actually considering trying one, but after reading this story, I will need to reconsider that.

 

I personally dont believe the apology from the organiser was good enough either, to me it comes across as "indifferent and righteous" and not how I would expect an operator to react to what appears to be a very legitimate complaint.

[TNT1]

 

I personally dont believe the apology from the organiser was good enough either, to me it comes across as "indifferent and righteous" and not how I would expect an operator to react to what appears to be a very legitimate complaint.

 

I agree. If I was involved, I'd be getting everyone to post on helopeter, and I'd lodge a complaint at the CPA.

[fandacious]

Would you want to take your family on a train with evident hygiene issues such as this:

 

i hope you dont ever use the porta toilets @ the races. Because they look nothing like this...