Media & Education Information
National Railway Museum Back on Track
1 October 2002 - Adelaide's internationally recognised National Railway Museum (NRM) has managed to keep it popular steam trains running thanks to an eleventh hour rescue from the Port Adelaide Enfield Council. However the Museum has cautioned that more work needs to be done in resolving the public liability insurance crisis if small volunteer organisations are to survive in the future.
NRM Vice-Chair, Bob Sampson said, “This is fantastic news and we are extremely grateful to the Port Adelaide Enfield Council for their understanding of our plight and its financial commitment to ensure our continued operation for the next 12 months.“
“Since July, we have been unable to run any of our trains within the Museum complex or our very popular narrow gauge train ride along the foreshore between Semaphore and Fort Glanville. The Semaphore Tourist Railway alone carries over 14,000 people between October and April each year and has become an established attraction for the Semaphore area.”
The NRM will still have to find over $30,000 for its insurance premium from its own funds, significantly up from the $18,000 paid in total for 2001/2002. However, the Port Adelaide Enfield Council funding will ensure that the NRM's public liability obligations are met for 2002/03.
Bob Sampson said, “ We are very fortunate that Council has come to our assistance and I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the NRM and it membership to thank Council for their valuable support. Our trains will be running at both the Museum and Semaphore throughout the school holidays.”
“However, the public liability insurance issue has not gone away. If premiums do not reduce, in twelve months time we may well be facing similar problems again, along with many other voluntary societies in South Australia.”
“Two other rail heritage tourism operators are still without adequate insurance cover and have had to cease operating. The existing public liability situation, that is not just affecting voluntary rail heritage groups, must be addressed as a matter of urgency,” he said.
