06/09/2026
🌊 DID YOU KNOW? 🚂
Did you know that before the railway reached Scottburgh and Park Rynie, a journey from Durban to the area could take up to SIX DAYS by ox-wagon? 🐂😲
That all changed in 1897, when the Natal Government Railways completed its South Coast railway extension through Scottburgh to Park Rynie.
🚂 The new railway reduced a journey that could previously take up to six days to approximately FOUR HOURS!
Building the line was an incredible engineering achievement for its time. Between Isipingo and Park Rynie, engineers had to construct 12 river crossings, with more than 1 kilometre of bridges in total.
The enormous bridge across the Umkomaas River alone stretched approximately 251 metres, finally allowing the first train to cross the river in September 1897.
And here's another fascinating little piece of history…
📜 In the original 1897 railway records, Scottburgh station was actually listed as "Scottsburg"!
The arrival of the railway helped transform travel along the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, connecting communities and opening this beautiful coastline to more visitors than ever before. 🌊🚂
It's amazing to think how different a trip to Scottburgh would have been more than 125 years ago!
📍 Follow Pearly Shells as we uncover more fascinating facts and forgotten stories from Scottburgh and the beautiful KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.
