Apple Express media release

[John Ashworth]

THE PORT ELIZABETH APPLE EXPRESS
A Section 21 Company Not for Gain

MEDIA RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION

The Port Elizabeth Apple Express (PEAE) Section 21 Company, operator of the
Apple Express heritage tourism train on the PE-Avontuur narrow gauge line,
today announced that it would suspend its refurbishment programme and
curtail workshop services with immediate effect.

Although the future of this iconic, world-renowned operation is in jeopardy,
bookings for the summer season have been consolidated and the last ten
tourist trains will still run between now and 26 December, which includes
some corporate trains and a charter wedding train. There are currently no
further plans to runs any trains beyond this date.

In 2008, the provincial Department of Roads and Transport as part of its
"Back to Rail" strategy entered into two Service Level Agreements (SLA's)
with the PEAE to donate or give financial assistance to the operation in
order to promote tourism. This agreement, following the submission of a
fully-fledged Business Plan by the PEAE to the MEC for Transport, was
approved and signed on behalf of the Department on 15 August 2008 for an
indefinite period. This was announced publicly by the MEC for Transport at
the Department's "Back to Rail" launch at Loerie in December 2008.

In her keynote address MEC said, "The Department of Roads and Transport
recognises the potential for the communities served by the Apple Express,
and is committed to the development of its tourism service. The initiative
is part of the Province's Rail Renewal 'Back to Rail' strategy of
contributing to the lines with potential, and sustaining those already open.

"This history-making commitment paves the way for the preservation of a
unique railway heritage and a new day of hope for the communities served by
the line."

The Department has failed to honour this commitment since April this year,
although the PEAE were led to believe that the conditions of the agreement
would be fulfilled notwithstanding the Department's financial predicament.

In a letter, signed by HRL Salie (Acting Superintendent General, Eastern
Cape Department of Transport) and dated 19 November 2010, the PEAE was
summarily informed that no further financial assistance will be provided to
the operation by the Department.

Wes Kruger, PEAE chairman, said that the financial assistance from the
Department gratefully covered the operational costs, which included a minor
refurbishment programme as well as staff and overhead costs.

Kruger said that the Apple Express locomotives and rolling stock (coaches)
are part of the Transnet Foundation heritage collection and are under the
caretakership of the PEAE, who pays for its refurbishment, maintenance,
storage and security in lieu of using it to promote heritage rail tourism.

The Apple Express receives no other funding or financial assistance, except
for income from ticket sales and a certain amount of advertising gains which
are utilized for marketing, administration and subsidizing the refurbishing
of coaches.

Due to the valued subsidy, the PEAE Board ensured that the experience was
accessible to locals as ticket prices remained reasonable over the last
three years, with schools and community groups from previously-disadvantaged
areas given preferential rates.

Unless funding is forthcoming, this will very likely be the end of the line
for the Apple Express - a heritage rail icon running on the world's longest
narrow gauge line still open to the public and revered by steam rail
enthusiasts, preservationists and photographers worldwide for more than 100
years. In 2009 the Apple Express was selected as one of the top six narrow
gauge rail operations worldwide.

For more information please contact: Nerina Skuy

Cell: +27 (0) 82 921 8512
Email: <mailto:skuys@...> skuys@...

Issued: 24 November 2010

[Steve Appleton]

I offer my condolences to the Apple Express staff and volunteers who worked so hard to resurrect this train and bring it back to life when all hope of it ever running again seemed lost.

Closing it down now, just as it has regained its fame and reputation, must be a bitter pill for them to swallow, even the decision was forced upon them by others.

Let's hope that, after shutdown, Transnet Foundation looks after and protects this equipment, keeping it ready for the day when it can be operated again and that TF sees sense and does not let this icon fall into ruin or go to the scrapper's torch.

[Steve Appleton]

This is an example of a failed approach to the heritage rail policy enacted by Transnet.

By greedily requiring payment of access fees by the various non-profit heritage "social" operators, Transnet Freight Rail is directly adding to the running costs of the heritage operators' operations. Now that Apple Express is closing, that policy will have backfired there. Transnet will suffer a double financial blow. One of its subsidiaries, TFR, looses out on the access fees and its Transnet Foundation gains the cost of looking after, protecting and maintaining those heritage assests that were until now being looked after and maintained for them, free of charge by the Apple Express society.

It probably would have been cheaper, simpler and easier, and a damn sight more charitable, for Transnet to have allowed the heritage operators access to their rails at essentially no charge (and at only a marginal cost to TFR), thus helping ensure the heritage operators' survival and helping to fulfill Transnet's own social mandate of serving the community too. Not to mention the marketing opportunities that Transnet could have exploited! Will anyone at Transnet wake up and smell the coffee? I doubt it.

[Dylan Knott]

Tragic indeed.
Unfortunately, TFR are adopting policies to assist them financially. One would have thought they have some sort of social responsibility, but obviously this is being overlooked in favour of reducing any deficit.
I fear we will be left with fragmented preservation groups operating short trips all over the countryside, but at least we have something left.
Back to AE its hoped that the equipment is retained in good condition so should another operator step forward they can continue to operate.

[Aidan McCarthy]

Very sad, if the operation goes totally defunct hopefully Sandstone will be allowed to secure the equipment, otherwise I am afraid that it will go the way of other defunct operations where everything is destroyed by theft and vandalism.

[Derek Walker]

yet another part of our heritage down the tubes.

[John Ashworth]

APPLE EXPRESS NEWS

Hi Friends in Steam,

A few days ago I sent an email with an article on the Future of the Apple
Express which painted an extremely bleak prospect for this historic NG route.
One of the issues was of Access Fees to the tune of around R280,000 levied by
Transnet to be paid by the 3rd Decemeber 2010 or no trains would be allowed to
run on the line.

Since then I have been in contact with a reputable source who tells me that
negotiations have taken place with Transnet who will allow the trains to run as
long as access fees to the line are paid within 48 Hours prior to departure. As
for small matter of the R280,000 arrears, this still needs to be paid. I
emplore all who love the Apple Express to PURCHASE TICKETS and make DONATIONS in
order to help pay these arrears and to keep the historic train running.

There are two separate accounts for donations and for purchasing tickets.
The details are as follows:

Electronic banking details

Donations for Transnet costs: Suggest depositors use their Name and Country as
the reference (e.g. MORGAN/UK)
Account Name: PE Apple Express
Bank: First National Bank (FNB)
Branch Code: 261-050
Account No: 62052102250

Ticket purchases: Suggest travel date and surname is used as the reference (e.g.
191210/MORGAN)
Account name: Skuys Communications
Bank: ABSA Bank
Branch Code: 632-005
Account No: 4063873985

DECEMBER TRAVEL DATES AND DESTINATIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

04 December – Loerie
08 December – Loerie
11 December – Loerie
12 December – Chelsea
16 December – Loerie
19 December – Loerie
26 December – Loerie
29 December – Loerie

The January schedule will depend on available funds.

Please let us rally around and try to keep this historic line in operation, it
is just surviving by the skin of its teeth. We have lost the George-Knysna
line, let us not lose this one!
--

Bryn L. Morgan

Originally posted here