Tasmania’s iconic West Coast Wilderness Railway is steaming ahead under the Hodgman Government.
The Railway is fast becoming a “must-do” experience and is a magnet for the West Coast’s tourism industry.
The 2015-16 State Growth Annual Report, released today, shows that the Railway is performing well above expectations, with passenger numbers growing by 36 per cent in 2015-16, and now totalling 27,600.
Revenue is up 48 per cent to $3.43 million for the same period.
The trend is continuing into the current financial year, with a 6 per cent increase in passengers in July and August, which are, of course, traditionally the quieter winter months.
These are fantastic numbers, which are no doubt helped by the increased bookings for the Spirits of Tasmania since we came to Government in 2014.
Passenger satisfaction for the Railway is at 94 per cent, which was a six per cent improvement on the prior year.
But it’s not just the Government that recognises the Railway’s performance. It has also been awarded Best Tourist Attraction/Experience over the past two years at the Cradle Coast Tourism Awards and earlier this year the Railway was recognised with an Engineering Heritage International Marker – one of only seven to be awarded nationally.
The West Coast Wilderness Railway brand continues to evolve and initiatives such as workshop tours continue to attract and re-attract visitors to the experience.
All these achievements came with an excellent safety performance with no lost-time injuries and compliance with Rail safety National Law throughout the period.