Barossa wine train task force to investigate viability amid renewed community interest

Growing community interest and involvement of local government and wine industry leaders is leading to renewed optimism around a Barossa wine train revival.

Tony Piccolo stands beside the disused Barossa rail line. The Light MP has set up a task force to investigate the viability of reviving the Barossa wine train. Picture: Supplied

Renewed community attention and the involvement of local government and wine industry leaders has added weight to the push to restart the Barossa wine train.

Chateau Tanunda owner and main proponent for the revival John Geber said the momentum of support in the community had been picking up following recent progress.

Light MP Tony Piccolo last month convened the ‘Barossa Tourist Train Task Force’, a group comprised of tourism and business leaders in the region.

Its aim is to investigate the viability of the tourist train in the Barossa.

Mr Geber then acquired the services of former Planning, Transport and Infrastructure Department chief executive Rod Hook to help the proposal.

The long-time advocate for the Barossa wine train said he had high hopes for 2021 and that the train task force demonstrated the growing interest.

Mr Geber said experts had costed the restoration of the lines infrastructure at $1.2-1.4 million, significantly less than the $11 million local Liberal MP and former Transport Minister Stephan Knoll said a revamp would cost.

John Geber on the railway tracks at Chateau Tanunda. Mr Geber wants to bring back the Barossa wine train. Picture: Matt Turner

“It would cost $11 million if we wanted a modern electrified line but that’s not what we’re advocating for, plus because they’ve cut the line we could use some of the signals from further down the line and it may even cost less,” Mr Geber said.

The cost of the a potential train revival will also be a key focus of Mr Piccolo’s task force, which will put together a project brief to work out what needs to be addressed and then decide whether its viable or not.

The group includes Barossa Mayor Michael (Bim) Lange, Gawler Mayor Karen Redman, Barossa Grape and Wine Association chair Peter Joy and Regional Development Australia Barossa chair Ivan Venning.

While Mr Piccolo acknowledged there were issues which need to be worked through to revive the train, he was also optimistic.

“There’s a lot of goodwill around this, so I’m hopeful,” he said.

“We have a lot of key operators around the table, unfortunately the issue has become politicised and we just want to look at it factually as a commercial and regional opportunity.
“All of the investigations to date have done bits and pieces and not the whole picture, we’re trying to look at both costs and infrastructure but the benefits for the whole valley.”

The train line, which ceased passenger services in 2003, would run from Gawler, through Lyndoch, Tanunda and to Nuriootpa.

Chateau Tanunda owner John Geber wants to use his bluebird train to service the Barossa Valley wine region. Picture: Supplied

In April last year, Mr Geber lost a Supreme Court battle, in which he claimed Mr Knoll had erred in his decision to rip up a 120m section of the unused Tanunda to Nuriootpa rail line.

The removal of the tracks allowed a $4.8 million roundabout upgrade at Kroemer’s Crossing to proceed.

Mr Piccolo said he had been given advice from experts a new bypass for the line at the removed section could be done rather inexpensively.

Seppeltsfield Winery director Stephen Trigg said anything which brought people to the region and added to the valley’s uniqueness “has got something in it”.

“I think so many things which were once old are new again, from trams in the city, to wine varieties, to rail – I think it would be really good for the region,” he said.

A State Government spokesperson said an expression of interest process into the future use of the Barossa rail corridor was undertaken and “none of the responses showed a commercially sustainable use for the line”.

Member for Schubert Stephan Knoll did not respond to a request for comment.