Update: Since publishing this story, Tourism Update has been informed that the line on which Apple Express will operate is not operational and will not be until money is allocated to repairing the line. Read the full story here.

The Apple Express harbour train, travelling from Humewood Station to King’s Beach in Port Elizabeth, should be operational by November or December, said Nerina Skuy, CEO of Apple Express Rail. The steam train’s operations stopped in 2011 and plans to revive the train have been on the table since 2014.

The restoration of the coaches has been completed and Skuy expects to have two steam locomotives operating by the end of the year. “We’re hoping to operate by December on the harbour route and run a steam engine train for tourism,” said Skuy. The interior of the coaches has been redone and the exterior of the train has been repainted.

The train will follow a short route of about two kilometres from Humewood station, down into the harbour towards Kings Beach in Port Elizabeth. The return trip will take guests from Kings Beach, up into the harbour and back to Humewood station. “It’s a short day trip but it’s got all the elements of the steam train and the antique coaches,” added Skuy. “Once we start operating, we’ll roll out the operation on the rest of the line in phases. There’s nothing impossible on the line that needs to be repaired; difficult, but not impossible.”