Dunedin Railways general manager Rebekah Jenkins said the Dunedin-based business was shut down during the Covid-19 pandemic because of low tourism numbers.
"Covid pretty much shut the business down.
"The business was in hibernation while the Dunedin City Council worked out what to do with it."
During that time, four staff were employed just to look after the tracks, the carriages and the locomotives, to make sure they remained operational, she said.
She also attended trade events around the country, marketing the train excursions to tourism companies.
"In July this year, I presented a strategic plan to the councillors, and they agreed to take it out of hibernation and gave the business a green light to carry on running again.
"Now the inbound operators in the tourism world are starting to come back to Dunedin because the train is running again.
"So the Dunedin economy is going to start seeing a little bit more money injected into different businesses.
"I think about the tour groups that I spoke to at trade events, and they were saying to me that they were going to add another day on to their itinerary just so they could catch the train.
"And, of course, they’ll have to spend extra money on accommodation and food and maybe some retail shopping."
While many may have thought the business would never reopen, Mrs Jenkins said she was always confident it would.
"I was feeling positive because basically, they hired a general manager.
"You wouldn’t hire somebody, I don’t think, in this role if you were going to pull its legs from under its feet."
It was a "super exciting" time, because the train excursions were not only back on track, the services were being expanded, she said.
Trains were now operating five days a week - Thursday through to Monday - giving visitors more opportunities to experience Dunedin’s scenic train tours, including the Taieri Gorge (Dunedin to Pukerangi), the Seasider (Dunedin to Arc Brewery and Merton, via Seacliff and Karitane) and the Victorian (Dunedin to Oamaru).
In another significant step forward, Dunedin Railways had officially reopened its office at the Dunedin Railway Station for the first time since Covid-19, where staff were welcoming visitors and tourists back, she said.
The station office is open Monday to Friday, 8.30am-4pm, and weekends, 8.30am-noon.
The expansion marked a significant milestone for the business and reflected the momentum and growth Dunedin Railways was experiencing as it continued to reconnect locals and visitors with Dunedin’s heritage, landscapes and stories, Mrs Jenkins said.
"With demand increasing, extending our services and reconnecting with visitors in person is an important move forward for us.
"It’s such an incredible product. It’s got real bones.
"So it’s cool for both Dunedin Railways and it’s also cool for Dunedin as a whole."
