New General Manager appointed for West Coast Wilderness Railway tourism experience

Following a national recruitment process Ian Robertson has been appointed as the new General Manager of Tasmania's West Coast Wilderness Railway.

The West Coast Wilderness Railway carves its way through thick rainforest on the west coast of Tasmania, taking passengers through gorges, up steep grades, past historical markers and to incredible wilderness vantage points. The train runs a 35-kilometre track between the towns of Queenstown and Strahan, and is of important historical significance for the area.

Tasmanian Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Michael Ferguson, said Ian Robertson’s appointment brought with it both continuity and a fresh perspective.

Minister Ferguson advised “Mr Robertson has been interim General Manager of this iconic West Coast tourism experience since early-2023 upon the departure of previous long-term General Manager Anthony Brown.

“He has extensive experience in public and private roles and brings with him strong people and business management skills.

“Previous roles include Commercial Operations manager of the railway, Executive Manager of Bethlehem House in Hobart and operating his own successful vessel charter tourism business in New Zealand.

“Mr Robertson has shown that he is up to the task of overseeing such a historic Tasmanian institution having already been leading the team through the current program of major upgrades.

“With the railway team currently powering ahead with the civil works and engineering projects, locking in the General Manager role will provide more certainty to the operation once we return to full operational capacity ahead of the busy summer season.”