Opposition to Choo-Tjoe persists as railway clearing progresses

GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - For the second time, while the work on reviving the George-Knysna railway is making steady progress, John Stegmann of the Garden Route Cycleway Association (GRCA) has submitted a request to the National Assembly for an independent review of the concession granted for the rebuilding of the line.

In 2025, Transnet Freight Rail granted a 25-year concession to Classic Rail and Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe for restoring a steam train service along this line as a tourist attraction.

According to Stegmann, rail operations on the line ceased in 2010, after which the 67km corridor was reclassified as a permanent public way, granting ongoing public access. He argues that it has significant potential for non-motorised transport (NMT), public health, tourism and economic development in the region.

His submission to Parliament raises concerns about Transnet's legal authority to grant a concession on land no longer designated as a rail reserve, and about compliance with procurement and consultation requirements, as well as whether public interest uses were adequately considered.

Stegmann says the rail reserve was reclassified and proclaimed a 'permanent public way', which gave the public permanent access to the land as if it were a road. He believes a continuous walking and cycling route would better align with national and local policy priorities than a steam train service. He asks for a legal review, a comparative cost-benefit assessment, disclosure of processes followed, and suspension of implementation pending a review.

Martin Hatchuel, spokesperson for Classic Rail and Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe, did not want to comment on Stegmann's application. He said they have advanced with vegetation clearing up to kilometre 12 along the rail line from Sedgefield eastwards. The restoration of rolling stock is also making progress. "We are very upbeat about our progress."

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.

In response to the GRCA's request for a review of the concession last year, Transnet said it followed stringent procurement procedures aligned with national legislation, and that the process undertaken with the George-Knysna line was fair, competitive and compliant with relevant legal frameworks.

Clearing of the railway line between Sedgefield and Goukamma is under way. Photo supplied

Below are the points of concern Stegmann listed in his submission to the Speaker of the National Assembly, dated 5 January 2026:

1. Purpose of this Submission

This submission respectfully requests that the National Assembly order an independent review of the 25-year concession recently awarded by Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) to revive railway operations between George and Knysna. The purpose of such a review is to determine whether the concession complies with statutory mandates, land-use status, procurement requirements, and the constitutional obligation to act in the best interests of the public.

2. Background and Current Status

Rail services on this branch were severely disrupted in 2006. Transnet declined to fund repairs on the basis that the service was unprofitable and required ongoing subsidy. Rail operations ceased and the service was formally decommissioned in 2010. Since that time, no active freight or passenger rail operations have been conducted along the corridor.

Subsequent to decommissioning, the former rail reserve was reclassified and proclaimed a Permanent Public Way (PPW). The public is thereby granted permanent access to the land as if it were a road.

3. Strategic Importance of the George–Knysna Permanent Public Way

The 67 km continuous corridor between George and Knysna constitutes an exceptionally rare and valuable public asset. It traverses multiple communities and connects residential areas, schools, workplaces, tourism nodes, and natural landscapes at a consistent, gentle gradient. Few comparable corridors exist anywhere in South Africa. Its long-term non-motorised mobility use will materially shape mobility, health, safety, tourism, and economic opportunity in the Southern Cape for decades to come.

4. The Concession Award

Despite the above, Transnet Freight Rail has recently and unilaterally awarded a 25-year concession to a private consortium to reinstate a heritage steam train service along this corridor. This decision was taken without an independently published assessment of alternative public uses of the corridor and without demonstrable consideration of whether TFR retains lawful authority over a proclaimed permanent public way.

5. Governance and Legal Concerns

This submission raises the following governance concerns that warrant urgent review:

Whether Transnet Freight Rail retains the legal mandate to concession a corridor no longer designated as a rail reserve;
Whether applicable procurement, Treasury, and consultation requirements were complied with;
Whether the concession improperly forecloses public-interest uses of a permanent public way;
Whether Parliament was appropriately informed of, or exercised oversight over, a long-term disposal of public-use capacity.

6. Public Interest and Policy Alignment

National, provincial, and municipal policy increasingly prioritise non-motorised transport, public health, inclusive mobility, and climate resilience. The conversion of this corridor into a continuous walking and cycling route would align directly with these objectives. Such a route would provide safe, car-free access for children, commuters, the elderly, and tourists, delivering measurable benefits in health outcomes, household transport affordability, and tourism-linked employment.

7. Comparative Use Considerations

A heritage steam rail service is, by necessity, a single-use, access-restricted operation that requires fencing, safety exclusion zones, and periodic public closures. By contrast, a non-motorised mobility corridor is continuously accessible, low-risk, and scalable, with proven international and local precedents for sustained economic return. No evidence has been presented that reviving the steam train represents the highest or best long-term public use of the public way.

Only a non-motorised mobility use can cater for both nostalgia and necessity; and do so brilliantly.

A non-motorised mobility corridor, used by thousands of individuals daily, will retain the iconic Outeniqua Steam Train ambiance for pedestrians, runners, and cyclists to savour. An independent Historical Steam Park, with considerable public appeal and assured commercial success, could be created in the region where it is in view of the Rail Trail and the N2.

The non-motorised corridor uniquely includes the realistic expectation that its benefits will soon be extended to Plettenberg Bay and eventually to all those along its extension linking George to Gqeberha.

8. Requested Action by the National Assembly

It is respectfully requested that the National Assembly:

Direct an independent legal and statutory review of Transnet Freight Rail’s authority to award the concession;
Commission a comparative cost-benefit assessment of rail reinstatement versus non-motorised public use;
Require disclosure of procurement and consultation processes followed;

Suspend irreversible implementation steps pending completion of the above reviews.

9. Conclusion

The decision regarding the future of the George–Knysna public way will bind the region for at least a generation. This submission does not oppose heritage preservation or tourism in principle, but asserts that governance, legality, and demonstrable public benefit must guide the use of a permanent public asset. A structured review is both prudent and necessary to ensure that this corridor serves the greatest possible public good.