More funds needed for the Inchanga choo choo
Fundraising is yet to continue for the Inchanga Choo Choo as more repairs are needed.
UMGENI Railway Station is still on a journey to restoration following damage to the railway after the 2022 April floods. The railway was severely damaged as a result of the disastrous April floods, with damages estimated to be approximately R1.5m.
As a way to raise funds, the organisation has been hosting rides and open-day markets from June last year and throughout the festive season.
Marc Bouchier of the organisation said fundraising is still set to take place as more money is needed to continue with rebuilding.
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“After we had assessed the damages after the floods, we had to make a determination on which sections needed to be repaired first. We approached other bodies for help, and from all three of those bodies, we got a negative response, so we decided to do it ourselves. The money we had saved up for major local repairs, we ended up using on the track. After the floods, we got the section from the station to Botha’s Hill running so we could do something in the short term.
“About three weeks after the floods, we got contractors involved, and with our management team, we started the repairs. We engaged with engineers and technicians who advised us on the way forward. The repairs up to Botha’s Hill were completed in July.”
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Bouchier said the repairs have brought about a lot of changes in their routes and distance. “The trip is half the distance because we have had to cut the price in half, and as a result, we have had to run more trains to make the same amount of money,” he said.
He added that there are still other repairs that need to be done and more money to be made for the repairs. “We ran quite a few trains through the Christmas period, and we are now in the same situation as before because of the half-price. Christmas would have been a very big payday for us – it was half,” he said.
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