Port Elizabeth's beloved Apple Express could be running by the end of March, if the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality and Transnet finalise their partnership agreement.
The two parties are working out the intricacies of how to structure the partnership.
The metro's 2018-19 draft annual report detailed how discussions between the metro and Transnet were ongoing following the success of the December 2017 pilot programme.
Between December 2017 and January 2018, the municipality partnered with Transnet to undertake maintenance of the narrow gauge line and restore the steam train with the intention of reintroducing the steam train experience.
The implementation of the steam service was piloted from Kings Beach to the airport and attracted 6,000 tourists during that period.
Transnet spokesperson Mike Asefovitz confirmed discussions between the parastatal and the municipality were ongoing.
He said they hoped to have the service running by March.
“Transnet and the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality are still in discussion and are working together to ensure that the iconic narrow gauge steam trains become a regular tourist offering in Port Elizabeth and an anchor for the tourist development in Nelson Mandela Bay,” he said.
“The parties have an understanding that a collaborative effort is required to ensure that the community benefits, especially in attracting more tourists to Nelson Mandela Bay and to ensure that tourists extend their stay with the provision of additional attractions.
“A basic understanding of the way forward has been established and now the focus is on the development of a long-term agreement that can be tabled to the council as well as the Transnet corporate structures for support, approval and implementation,” he said.
Apple Express CEO Nerina Skuy said they were in the process of relaunching the steam train.
“We're doing this with Transnet and you would have noticed there's some construction work taking place at the top end of the line in the airport precinct.
“We put in a loop so we can turn the locomotive around and run back to Kings Beach. It will run the same route it took and will be reintroduced shortly,” Skuy said.
Meanwhile, Bay economic development executive director Anele Qaba said there were legal issues pertaining to the way the partnership would be structured.
“The municipality has a budget for the train; however an agreement could not be signed and therefore funds could not be transferred due to legal issues that affect both institutions.
“Since those issues have not yet been resolved, there was no budget request and therefore no allocation was made.
“In summary, the budget can only be requested and allocated once the legal issues are finally resolved,” Qaba said.
Qaba said the issues that needed to be resolved before money is put into the project include the legalities of the city paying for fixing and maintaining Transnet's infrastructure and the implications thereof.
“On the other side, the Apple Express’s infrastructure and its maintenance is not Transnet’s priority as the operations of the Apple Express are purely for tourism which is not their core business,” Qaba said.
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