The first railway station in Pretoria was built in 1892. It was built by the Netherlands-South African Railway Company (NZASM). It was built as the western terminus of its line to the harbour of Delagoa Bay (now Maputo).
In 1910, shortly before the creation of the Union of South Africa, the government of the Transvaal Colony decided to spend excess funds. With this in mind, instead of surrendering the money to the new national government it was decided to construct a new station for Pretoria. The new station was the first public building designed by Sir Herbert Baker.
On 19 February 2001, a signalling failure led to major delays to Metro-rail services in Pretoria. Angered by the delays, some commuters set the waiting room on fire. In the light of this, it spread to the roof of the building. Consequently, almost all of the roof caved in. However, the structure itself was saved. The restoration, which cost 18 million rand, started in June 2001 and finished in February 2002.
* The photo above was taken somewhere between 1910 and 1935. (the specific date taken is unknown).
Photo above by Unknown Photographer
The photo was a contribution from TSHWABAC Model Railway Club in Pretoria West.
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