Insurance threat to historic railway's future

THE country's longest heritage railway opens today but it's future is being threatened by massive insurance costs.

The Waterford and Suir Valley (W&SVR) heritage railway, which is five years in the making, joins a growing list of tourist attractions buckling under the weight of insurance premiums.

"The cost of insurance is absolutely massive. It threatens the viability of the company, without a doubt," said Maria Kyte, business development manager.

The company, a voluntary registered charity, could only find one insurance company to give it a quote, Lloyd's, which came back with a price tag of 50,000 for next year.

This breaks down into 25,000 public liability, 10,000 employers liability and 15,000 property liability.

Ms Kyte said they had wanted to start operating at the beginning of this summer for the season, but couldn't because of the insurance.

Instead they could only afford to operate at weekends for this month only.

Next year, with FAS backing, they hope to start operating at weekends from February, building up to seven days a week during the summer.

"But this is all pending insurance. We are talking to other tourist attractions, but everyone is having the same problem. It's something the government will have to step in and do something about," said Ms Kyte.

Some of the country's leading tourist attractions including Blarney Castle, Birr Castle and Westport House, have complained about threats to their viability from insurance costs.

The railway itself is a narrow gauge railway, which operates on the abandoned Waterford to Dungarvan line, starting at Kilmeaden and running 6km to Carriganore.

Ms Kyte said they hope to go a further 4km into Waterford City by 2005.

The company bought a restored Simplex Locomotive, a peat industry workhorse from the 1920s, along with two Edwardian style carriages from a specialist restorer in England.

The journey takes passengers down the picturesque Suir Valley, hugging the Suir River and passing the world famous Mount Congreve gardens.

lThe service will run during the afternoon at weekends throughout this month. See www.wsvrailway.ie.