This Tourism Week. 26 August 2010
Train Travel: Going Backwards Quickly
Train Travel in South Africa has taken some serious knocks lately, and it’s frustrating watching from the, um, sidelines as our industry loses ground once more.
This week, Transnet announced the closure of the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe, the iconic steam train that once ran between George and Knysna, and, more recently, served the George-Mossel Bay route. In a terse statement issued on the 24th of August, Mboniso Sigonyela (the company’s External Communications Manager for Group Corporate and Public Affairs), said: “In 2007, Transnet Limited identified the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steam train service operating between George and Mossel Bay as one of its non-core assets. Following extensive studies and stakeholder consultation, the company decided to follow an open tender process to find a new operator for the service.
“Unfortunately, this process could not identify a new operator and as a result, Transnet was left with no option other than to terminate the service subject to the required approval by the Minister of Public Enterprises in terms on the Public Finance Management Act – this has since been finalised. The Outeniqua Transport Museum in George will remain open to the public.”
Stakeholder consultation? I don’t remember anyone asking the tourism industry as a whole what it feels about losing what was once one of the most unique attractions in Africa.
Mossel Bay Tourism - which fought (successfully) to preserve the Choo Tjoe when the floods of 2006 closed the service between George and Knysna - was understandably angry: ‘Mossel Bay Tourism Upset Over Closure of the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe,’ and I have noticed one or two bleats in the press about the closure / suspension / fracas-that-is/was the Shosholoza Meyl - see ‘Shosholoza Meyl runs out of steam’ - and ‘PRASA’s Shosholoza Meyl has collapsed - DA.’ (PRASA being the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa - please note the bit about the its profligate spending.)
But if it’s true that only sixteen out of PRASA’s hundred-and-thirty locomotives are currently operational, the problem’s a much deeper one.
Apparently PRASA doesn’t get enough money to maintain its infrastructure: in a country where the road system is collapsing as quickly as a Cape Town cooling tower on a rainy Sunday Morning, and where the tourism industry is as important as ours, and which has as much to offer as ours, this is worrying indeed.
But in a country where the bulk of long-distance travellers are seriously financially challenged - this is criminal.
Around the world, companies and countries are pouring gazillions into rail travel. A quick Google reveals that a private resort in West Virginia is putting $15 million into train travel - ‘Greenbrier Resort investing in luxury train’ - and, even more impressively, that “High-speed rail is hot these days, as the Obama Administration promises to invest billions in faster train lines.”
In South Africa? Well, there’s the Premier Classe - but lookee here: “AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS - PRASA Management apologizes for the inconvenience caused due to the limited Shosholoza Meyl train service. Current operational routes are: JHB-DNB-JHB (the Trans Natal and Premier Classe); and JHB-CPT-JHB (Premier Classe only). Please be assured of our continuous efforts to ensure the service is re-instated soon.”
So the question has to be asked - where to for tourism in South Africa - especially since the only mode of transport in which the substrate seems to be in good order is flight.
Train travel was once the jewel in South Africa’s crown - so much so, in fact, that the Railways virtually had the monopoly on the marketing pf tourism in the country. And yes, I realise that that was in the bad old days - but it’s unpardonable that our train services have run out of steam.
And I wonder that the tourism industry hasn’t blown the whistle on the whole situation…
Heads Up
More books for the tourism industry at the BarefootBookshop: this week, San Rock Engravings - Marking the Karoo Landscape. Read our review - and buy it - here.
Stumble It!
3 users commented in " Train Travel: Going Backwards Quickly "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackThis is truly shocking and very, very tragic. I am saddened at the news and very disappointed. I loved going on the Outeniqua Choo choo as much as any tourist. I hope SA wakes up and realises what potential there could be in rail-travel if only enough effort was made to make it worthwhile and enjoyable. SAVE THE RAILS!!
This demonstrates, yet again, the total incompetence of the Western Cape’s provincial tourism department and Cape Town Routes Unlimited.
And I’m starting to think that I can’t take provincial tourism minister Alan Winde seriously at all. When I interviewed him at Indaba in May, he was full of great plans. I’m starting to think that he’s a popularist who can’t deliver — in the same mould as Jacob Zuma. I think incompetent advisors are leading him by the nose if you look at his tourism restructuring fiasco.
Please do not look further then the ANC government/PRASA/metrorail in this regard.
All who have any concept of the crisis in this country will realise that we have in fact been going backwards for years.
Metrorail has been in decline and has been mismanaged for over 20 years. Now the same appears to be on the cards for long distance train traval.
Add the Choo Choo to the senaria and you can see Zimbabwe on the horizen.
We as the Rail Commuters Action Group have been telling both government as well as the public about the criminal manner in which our rail systems operates and have many court results in our favour to prove this. As long as the present crowd continue to skim off funds and mismanage the rest nothing will get better. The public had better get used to the continued decline.
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