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The Barossa Wine Train - not a 'biggy' for Bignell, or the State apparently....
It’s official - the South Australian Government clearly doesn’t give a toss about the Barossa Wine Train.
It doesn’t know what’s happening with it - nor will it at the very least investigate whether the Wine Train is leaving the State.
And that’s from the mouth of the Minister for Tourism, Leon Bignell - interviewed by us at the Community Cabinet public forum in Nuriootpa on Sunday 18 October.
Despite the State Government’s bleating that it has spent $8million on promoting the Barossa, its representative in Cabinet, the Tourism Minister, is not the least bit interested in finding out the current status of the Barossa Wine Train.
It doesn’t know what’s happening with it - nor will it at the very least investigate whether the Wine Train is leaving the State.
And that’s from the mouth of the Minister for Tourism, Leon Bignell - interviewed by us at the Community Cabinet public forum in Nuriootpa on Sunday 18 October.
Despite the State Government’s bleating that it has spent $8million on promoting the Barossa, its representative in Cabinet, the Tourism Minister, is not the least bit interested in finding out the current status of the Barossa Wine Train.
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We put the question to the Minister in the light of continuing and persistent rumours to us that the Barossa Wine Train is to be lost to South Australia (see our original story below).
Since that first story, we have had further information that the three Barossa Wine Train carriages (Bluebird Class) are to be moved to Goulburn in New South Wales, made suitable to run on what is known as the Defined Interstate Rail Network (DIRN) and under the control of ESPEE Railroad Services, a wholly owned business of the Australian Railway Historical Society. ESPEE is not just a ‘warm’n’fuzzy’ arm of the Historical Society - it’s a business providing a range of important rail services..... See our full story by clicking the PDF logo at right, then click to see our video interview with the Minister..... |
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We have continually asked the current owner of the Barossa Wine Train, John Geber of Chateau Tanunda (and one of his shareholders) about their intentions for the Barossa Wine Train - but their silence has been deafening. We can only assume the strong rumours we are hearing are true....
Note we also asked questions of the State Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan about the train - or in any event what he intends to do with the now mothballed railway line from Gawler to Nuriootpa, the part it might play in returning much needed reliable public transport to the Barossa, and whether he would demand the line's return from its current lessee, Genesee Wyoming Australia (GWA) to facilitate that. As with other rural railway lines in South Australia, GWA must maintain ALL rail lines under its control in such condition that they can be ready for use within a fortnight of a demand being made - otherwise GWA is in default. The Minister, in the quick interview we were able to have with him, seemed oblivious to the implications of the GWA lease - or an understanding that SA's rural rail lines could play a major part in his Government's recently-found 'wow factor' moment - that SA's rural and agricultural industries are certain to be a significant - if not the only - saviour of South Australia's economy. See what you think of the Transport Minister's response by listening to the short audio interview below.....
Barossa Wine Train lost to the Valley?
The Wine Train in the Barossa during happier times
Any chance of resurrecting the Barossa Wine Train to provide a much needed shot in the arm to the region’s tourist industry seems to have evaporated with strong rumours that the Wine Train’s carriages are to move interstate.
The Barossa Wine Train engines and carriages - 3 in total - currently languish at the National Railway Museum at Port Adelaide, where they’ve been left to rust for some ten years.
Despite rumours earlier this year of a ‘renewed push’ to get the Wine Train experience back on the rails, rumours in SA rail circles now have it that the train will leave South Australia, possibly to be based in New South Wales.....
GET THE FULL STORY as a PDF by clicking the icon below......
The Barossa Wine Train engines and carriages - 3 in total - currently languish at the National Railway Museum at Port Adelaide, where they’ve been left to rust for some ten years.
Despite rumours earlier this year of a ‘renewed push’ to get the Wine Train experience back on the rails, rumours in SA rail circles now have it that the train will leave South Australia, possibly to be based in New South Wales.....
GET THE FULL STORY as a PDF by clicking the icon below......
| wine_train_sept15.pdf |