Heritage Rail in Southern Africa joins the Rail Working Group

7th January 2016

In 1999, railway preservationists and enthusiasts in the region joined forces in a defining move which led to the formation of the Heritage Railway Association of Southern Africa (HRASA – registered in 2000) – a direct result of officialdom not wishing to deal with a widely diverse number of so-called clubs and other stakeholders in the heritage rail industry.

Since its formation, HRASA has become the recognised representative body for the benefit and support of its members and to provide oversight of the heritage railway preservation and heritage railway tourism industry in Southern Africa.

HRASA’s core members predominantly comprise clubs, associations, museums and trusts as well as individuals – all involved in some way in the history, preservation, use, running and maintenance of heritage railway equipment within the Southern African region. Most of those members, but not all, are voluntary, non-profit companies, organisations or associations which in turn have public open membership.

HRASA is not a preservation group, but an umbrella body to negotiate with the authorities. It does not have access to funding to assist its members and relies on their contributions to carry out its mandate.

HRASA’s vision is “To be the recognised representative body for the benefit and support of its members and oversight of the heritage rail preservation and heritage rail tourism industry in Southern Africa.

In carrying out its mandate, HRASA has forged important strategic relationships with national bodies and other stakeholders at provincial, national and regional level of both the private and public sectors. Some of these relationships have evolved into partnerships, such as Transnet SOC (Pty) Limited (including the Transnet Foundation and Transnet Freight Rail), Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) South Africa and the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA).