BACK ON TRACK: Husband and wife railway workers Kathryn and Tristan McMahon celebrate the announcement of the rescue package yesterday. Picture: CHRIS KIDD
THE race is on to find new operators for the West Coast Wilderness Railway in just nine weeks.
The Federal Government has promised $6 million to fix the infrastructure and the State Government said it would give up to $1.5 million a year for four years to underwrite the operation.
The pledges have been welcomed by the West Coast, but will come to nought without someone taking on the job, possibly a public-private partnership.
The Federal Group said it had made clear its April 30 deadline for pulling out of the Abt heritage railway.
Braddon MP Sid Sidebottom, who helped secure the funding he announced yesterday, said: "Now we need others to do their bit.
"We need the State Government and the tourism industry and tourism council," he said.
"They've had plenty to say, let's see what they can do now.
"People had already been negotiating their redundancies."
Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin said the rescue package was just in time and was generous.
"If we'd have lost those [expert staff] it would have been game over. Now we've got significant commitments," Mr Martin said.
He said the current model - of a single private operator - was rarely successful, and that many well-known trains, including Puffing Billy, had a government partnering with a not-for-profit community group.
"We have to look at all options, and we have to grow visitor numbers to the West Coast," he said.
Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said the railway had carried more than 400,000 passengers, created 33 direct jobs and injected $10 million a year into the West Coast economy and needed every chance to thrive.
Tasmanian counterpart David O'Byrne said the search was on for an operator.
"The private sector has a vital role in ensuring the railway has a long-term future," Mr O'Byrne said.
Tasrail said it would consider the partnership, but its present task of rebuilding the freight railway was too onerous.
The Tasmanian Association of Tourist Railways said this was the chance to secure a long-term vibrant tourist railway sector.
"It would be difficult for a volunteer organisation solely set up to run the West Coast Wilderness Railway," president Chris Martin said.
But he said once Tasrail fixed the main lines so that tourist railways could again use them, that would mean an attractive proposition for railway operators who could run more tourist services and build up a volunteer network. "This would be a fantastic opportunity."
He said it was hoped those lines would be available in two years.
Liberal leader Will Hodgman said the railway was too good to lose.
"Needless to say, if the Government had acted when they first knew about these problems ... a new operator could already have been secured by now," Mr Hodgman said.
michelle.paine@news.com.au
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