The future of heritage rail and rail tourism depends on the ability of the Heritage Railway Association of South Africa (HRASA) and its members to formulate a national sustainable model based on tourism and driven by that portfolio at the highest level, new HRASA chairperson Nerina Skuy said on Friday.

South Africa was not too long ago the top destination for steam locomotive and rail tourists, enthusiasts and photographers from across the globe, she said in a statement.

“South Africa offered a wonderful variety of rolling stock, some of the most stunning scenery to be found anywhere in the world, great weather and memorable experiences. What changed?

“The scenery, weather and experiences are still here, but we are no longer able to afford tourists access to steam and heritage-powered rail journeys along many of the legendary routes that have since been closed,” she said.

Skuy pointed to millions of rands worth of unearned income lost from tourists who now visit countries such as Wales, Switzerland, Austria, the US and lately, New Zealand, all of which acquired disused South African steam locomotives and are doing a “roaring” rail tourist trade.

The best example is the Welsh Ffestiniog operation, which arguably today is the world’s most successful heritage rail tourism operation, using steam locomotives from the former Banana Express tourist railway in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

Skuy is the first woman to hold the office of in HRASA chairperson, which was founded in 2000, to deal with the various entities within State-owned transport utility Transnet, government, the Rail Safety Regulator and other associated bodies on behalf of its constituents.

HRASA’s members comprise commercial rail tourism operators such as Rovos Rail, the Ingwe municipality-operated Sisonke Stimela, in KZN and the Victoria Falls Steam Train Company, which operates in Zimbabwe, as well as enthusiast clubs or heritage operators Friends of the Rail (Pretoria), Reefsteamers (Johannesburg), Umgeni Steam Railway (KZN) and Atlantic Rail (Cape Town).

Skuy is the managing member of a Port Elizabeth-based corporate communications consultancy and has held senior positions in public relations and communications for more than three decades. She has also served as HRASA director for the past five years. She is the honorary editor of the Railway Society of Southern Africa’s official magazine, SA Rail.