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THE return of the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steam train has been delayed due to a shortage of spare parts.

Maintenance on the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe, which was scheduled for July, will continue until mid-September because of difficulties in sourcing spare parts.

Western Cape Finance, Economic Development and Tourism MEC Alan Winde said his office was inundated with calls from the public and steam train enthusiasts when the Choo-Tjoe’s operations between George and Mossel Bay failed to come back on line at the beginning of the month.

“According to a representative from Transnet, this has been delayed until mid-September due to a shortage of spare parts,” Winde said yesterday.

Parts for the old steam engine, which was first used in 1937, are not easy to find.

“The coaches of the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe are heritage assets and as such these spares are no longer commercially available,” Transnet spokesman John Dludlu said.

Winde said he was “very much looking forward to seeing our Southern Cape icon back in action”.

He is expected to brief the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steering committee, established to find a way to save the iconic steam train, on August 21 in George.

Initial estimates by Transnet, which planned to sell off non-core assets such as the Choo-Tjoe, put the cost of repairing the flood-damaged rail line and overhauling the coaches at about R130-million.

Winde said he planned to pave the way for increased co-operation between his department and the steering committee by inviting them to become a part of his efforts to find a lasting solution for the steam train’s continued operation.

A memorandum on the train, compiled by Transnet, was expected at the end of the month, when calls would go out for private sector investors to keep the train running.