Durban – Hopes are high in the Midlands that an initiative to revive a heritage steam train line at Hilton could help counter crime.
The local steam heritage association has reached an agreement with Transnet after years of waiting to bring stagnant locomotives back to life and renovate the local station.
At the same time, the local community policing forum is fed up with the parastatal not clearing overgrowth along six kilometres of track that winds through the town, saying it provides a haven for criminals.
The CPF has laid a charge against Transnet, which was on hold as negotiations were in progress but has said it would reinstate the charge if Transnet does not start clean-up work within two weeks, CPF spokesman Radley Keys said this week.
He said a charge had initially been laid last month after a family’s home near the disused line had experienced four break-ins.
Picture: Owen Guy
“The last involved the robbers using axes to break down a glass door. That’s the type of violence that was used,” he said.
Transnet spokesman Mike Asefovitz said it was unfortunate that the CPF had laid the charge while the parastatal was meeting with the Hilton Steam Heritage Association.
“We would hope that they withdraw the charge now that we have an agreed process in place.”
He said the first part of the agreement was that the station precinct would be handed over to Hilton Steam Heritage Association and a local developer on a short-term lease for the urgent and necessary clean-up work and to secure the environment for the longer-term development.
“Much work still needs to be done, but Transnet and the association and local role players are quite excited about the potential development of the station precinct.
“A steering committee has been established and will meet every two months to ensure the immediate works are executed timeously as well as to guide the formulation of a long-term development plan for the area,” said Asefovitz.
Association chairman Grant Fryer said there are presently six locomotives and carriages at the old station, one of which might cost around R100 000 to “return to steam”. Others would cost more than a million.
Vagrants have occupied some of the rolling stock and the Natal Railway Museum on the site has been closed following break-ins.
Local Democratic Alliance councillor Craig Millar said that a couple of weeks ago he facilitated a meeting with Transnet.
“It’s quite exciting. It has been a long, hard wait. I have been at pains to remind people over that it was always going to be a marathon, not a sprint.”
The line through Hilton fell into disuse following floods at nearby Sweetwaters in 1987.
The long-term plan is to offer tourist steam train rides, re-open the museum and offer a children's playground and coffee shop.
“It is, after all, the heart and start of the Midlands Meander,” said Fryer.