A link to history planned for Skukuza bridge

PPA21786


18-02-2019
Read : 151 times
The Lowvelder
Source

The familiar sight of the old railway bridge at Skukuza Camp in the Kruger National Park (KNP) is about to change.

Soon there will be a train on that bridge again, albeit a stationary one, even with its own station adjacent.

The Kruger Shalati Train on a Bridge project will consist of two products: Kruger Shalati, the train on the bridge and the Kruger Station, said Judiet Barnes, general manager for Kruger Shalati and marketing manager for Thebe Tourism Group.

“Kruger Shalati will be a luxury, stationary train accommodation product, positioned on the old Selati Bridge adjacent to Skukuza Camp. There will be 24 carriage rooms on the bridge and six on land in what we call the bridge house. It will be serviced by a lounge carriage on the bridge with a deck and small pool next to it, as well as a dining area and pool with deck on land next to the bridge,” she said.

The train will be a unique product in design, build and style – something not seen anywhere else in a national park. Kruger Station will be a truly unique experience focused on the park’s rail history. “Open to all visitors of the park, Kruger Station will be a hub consisting of various food and beverage offerings based on the needs we’ve seen in the park,” she continued. “Our aim is to offer something different from other products and the specifics will be revealed closer to opening time.”

An additional area of focus for the station will be edutainment of this unique part of the history of the park.

Kruger Shalati is expected to open between December 2019 and March 2020, with the final date to be determined over the next month or two. They are working towards opening Kruger Station around mid-year 2019.

The train will offer 24 rooms with 48 beds with another 12 to 14 beds (six rooms) on land.

Barnes promised that the environmental impact will be minimal. “We are using the existing footprint on the bridge and the Selati Station and buildings adjacent to the bridge. The track will be extended towards the Skukuza warehousing district for the offloading process, but this will be done on already disturbed land,” she explained.

The train coaches for the accommodation product are being built in Johannesburg and will only be transported in a few months’ time as part of their commitment to minimise the amount of construction work being done in Skukuza, in consideration of environmental factors.

Safety was also taken into account with two sets of engineers first assessing the bridge. “It is structurally sound to carry the load,” she said.

The project is furthermore aligned with the current KNP management plan. “It is our intention to hire the majority of staff from the land claim beneficiaries and neighbouring communities,” Barnes concluded.

Sign up for Free Daily Building and Construction News