LEONARD NEILL THE APPLE Express, which carries fruit from the farmlands of the Eastern Cape to Port Elizabeth harbour, may be up and running again soon - if Transnet Heritage accepts an application to have the century-old narrow-gauge line declared a heritage site. A top profile Spoornet team, including Bintu Petsana and Onias Ncube, flew to Port Elizabeth recently to discuss the matter with the Apple Express Company, which sidelined the Express a few months ago when its agreement with Spoornet was not renewed. “We didn’t have a tangible agreement to go on with, and Spoornet’s tariffs were too high,” says PE municipal councillor Lesley Lowe. But she is now confident the train, as much a tourist attraction as a workhorse serving the fruit growers, will be up and running again by the end of August. It all depends on getting the green light from Transnet Heritage, she says. Spoornet contract manager Peter Strydom has also called on the operators to submit a clear plan for the train’s future before a long-term agreement can be signed.
E Cape rail service gets a lifeline
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