GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - The team of service providers who will be restoring and maintaining the railway between George and Knysna for the reintroduction of the iconic Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe attended the long-awaited contract signing ceremony between Transnet and Classic Rail and Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe.
Included on the team are a structural engineer, rail track experts, a carriage interior craftsman, a conservationist, logistics and other consultants, and steam enthusiasts.
In a landmark moment at the Outeniqua Transport Museum on Monday, Classic Rail CEO Alan McVitty and Transnet Group CEO Michelle Phillips finally sealed the deal, ending a frustrating 20 years of waiting after the 2006 flood damage that had brought all rail activity to a halt.
A relieved McVitty said: "We've been through three tenders and two unsolicited bids. I want to thank Michelle for pulling it together and allowing us to make it happen." The concession is for a period of 25 years.
Work will start immediately following an assessment of the line.
The target launch date for the first services - on a 14km stretch between Sedgefield and Goukamma - is 1 May, in time for doing some marketing at the tourism indaba in Durban on 11 May.
McVitty said they will be focusing on making the Choo-Tjoe as successful as in the past, reliable and on time, providing an activity for the tour operators to build into their itineraries.
The Choo-Tjoe used to be the 10th most recognised tourism icon in South Africa that competed with Kruger National Park, Table Mountain and Robben Island. It also became the 10th most popular steam train in the world.
Suzy Kennedy (project manager), Dudley Isaac (logistics: Knysna and Sedgefield), Clive Holliday (overseeing the footplate for the locomotives), Shaun Ackerman (revamping and maintenance of rolling stock) and Kobus Volschenk (former operations manager of the Choo-Tjoe).
Economic generator
"That is what's driven the passion to make it happen, because it's a huge economic generator for the whole of the Garden Route. We've improved the timetable to make it an even better success."
There will be a Waterfront Express operating between Sedgefield and Knysna and a train operating between Sedgefield and the Transport Museum that will bring in about 300 visitors daily.
Garden Route District Mayor Andrew Stroebel said the Choo-Tjoe is the Table Mountain of the Garden Route and it fits perfectly within the vision for the Garden Route of tourism activities that do not hurt the environment. It also correlates with the expansion of the George Airport that starts next year.
"Private rail is the new future, but it only thrives when government joins hands with them. Thank you for Transnet for believing in this. Now we need to sell the packages, drive tourism and sell the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe line as well."
Scott Ronaldson (conservationist), Leon Steyn (Afri-Track Group Holdings, Namibia), Koos Pottas (Afri-Track), Lelsie le Roux (interior renovation of carriages and buildings), Dawie Möller (director, Afri-Track), Johan Laubscher (Afri-Track CEO) and Ruan Espach (structural engineer: Urban Engineering).
Phillips said they have been working very hard to turn Transnet around. The Choo-Tjoe contract is part of their goal to get the organisation back to its "glory days and even better".
"By working with the private sector we can mobilise investment and expertise to restore infrastructure that would otherwise remain idle."
She said the Choo-Tjoe will generate construction and maintenance jobs, boost tourism and stimulate small business activities in towns along the route.
"It will reclaim a piece of South African heritage. It aligns with Transnet's broader vision to optimise assets, improve efficiency and enable modal shift from road to rail."
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