{"id":78834,"date":"2018-03-05T15:21:24","date_gmt":"2018-03-05T13:21:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mobserver.co.za\/?p=78834"},"modified":"2018-03-05T15:24:59","modified_gmt":"2018-03-05T13:24:59","slug":"middelburg-train-station-deserted-decayed-neglected","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/news-headlines\/2018\/03\/05\/middelburg-train-station-deserted-decayed-neglected\/","title":{"rendered":"Middelburg train station deserted, decayed and neglected"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was declared a national monument in 1987 and is a heritage site. This is supposed to be one of Middelburg\u2019s beacons. However, the Middelburg Mpumalanga Train Station<\/a> cannot be compared to the Middelburg Netherlands Train Station<\/a> at all.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Garbage bins overflowing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mpumalanga has two passenger lines available in comparison with the Netherlands, which has approximately 569 lines.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Blue fences broken down.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stone buildings and blue fences have now changed into a deserted, decayed, neglected, ghost area. Middelburg’s drug addicts regularly meet here to wheel and deal. Currently the station is a criminal’s paradise.<\/p>\n

You can’t inquire about anything at the station because there is nothing.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Compared to twenty years ago, the station is not in a good condition. Garbage bins overflow, telephone booths don’t even operate, fences have been broken down and palm branches are strewn everywhere.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Palm branches strewn everywhere.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Broken windows and glass scattered in the area and in general, the whole area is in a state of neglect.<\/p>\n

It was a valuable place handled with love and respect what was then, and is now, can not be compared.
\nTrains carrying goods run everyday for twenty-four hours. The passenger train, called the Pride of Africa, runs only on Wednesdays (Nelspruit to Middelburg to Pretoria).<\/p>\n

\"\"
A deserted telephone booth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Shosholoza Express only runs on Fridays and Sundays (Johannesburg to Middelburg to Komatipoort) and makes a return journey also on Sundays (Komatipoort to Middelburg to Johannesburg).<\/p>\n

The question is, why is this place so neglected?<\/p>\n

 <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is both a security and environmental risk to residents who live and work in the area.
\nIf made functional again, the railway station can serve the community, create jobs and perhaps boost tourism.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Other news:<\/h3>\n

Video shows motorcycle crash (not for sensitive viewers)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ex-soldier on trial for killing girlfriend<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Private Property looks forward to an exiting future with Middelburg Observer<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Video – Farm attack victim’s grave dug up, desecrated<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Want breaking news on the go?<\/h3>\n

Add us on WhatsApp for regular news updates. Save the Middelburg Observer standby number 072 248 3855 on your phone and send a WhatsApp message with the words \u201cAdd me\u201d to receive news links.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Middelburg Train Station was built according to the Middelburg Train Station in the Netherlands, between 1890 and 1894.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5031,"featured_media":78840,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"hasGravity":false,"cxt_article_byline":"Morgan Jansen van Vuuren","cxt_disable_google_ads":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,2],"tags":[10647,10646,21966,10645,21990,10644,10643],"class_list":["post-78834","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news","category-news-headlines","tag-decayed","tag-deserted","tag-middelburg","tag-middelburg-train-station","tag-mpumalanga","tag-neglected","tag-train-station"],"category_labels":{"Category":"News","SubCategory":"Local news"},"tag_labels":["decayed","deserted","middelburg","middelburg train station","Mpumalanga","neglected","train station"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78834","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5031"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78834"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78834\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78834"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78834"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}