THE Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe will be closed for routine maintenance in July, a move that has caused confusion among tourism operators and residents who thought Transnet was finally pulling the plug on the iconic steam train.
The Choo-Tjoe‘s George-to-Mossel Bay operations will continue again in August until the end of November, by which time the Western Cape government hopes a rescue plan will be in place.
Transnet, which is focusing on core goods operations, wants to shut the Choo-Tjoe down.
A steering committee was formed last year to find ways to rescue the train service.
The train used to run between Knysna and the Railway Museum in George, but flood damage to the line between Wilderness and George in 2006 and 2007 meant the service had to be rerouted from George to Mossel Bay.
According to the Heritage Rail Association of SA, the Railway Museum, which is home to the Choo- Tjoe, could get a face-lift once plans submitted to the Transnet Foundation were approved.
HRASA director Ian Pretorius yesterday said Transnet Foundation acting head Susie Mabie had said earlier this month that funds had been allocated to upgrade the museum.
“The improvements are going to happen – that is a fact. But we don‘t know what, as Transnet hasn‘t announced that yet.”
Kobus Volschenk, George manager of the Transnet Heritage Foundation, said he could not comment on the upgrade, as he was still awaiting official notification.
Mabie told HRASA that Transnet also had funds to pay for the upgrade of coaches on the Choo-Tjoe.
Pretorius said: “The funding is to upgrade the coaches so that they are in a good condition to hand over to new owners when the railway is privatised.”
Western Cape Finance, Economic Development and Tourism MEC Alan Winde is in advanced talks with Transnet regarding the Choo-Tjoe‘s future.
As soon as he had final answers, he said, he would invite expressions of interest from the private sector.
“We need to convince Transnet of a public-private partnership. We as government should not dictate, but rather facilitate and ask business people to come up with viable propositions and see what happens.”
