Train travel in
How to travel by train in
Australia . . .
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Train travel in |
How to travel by train inAustralia . . . |
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Country information |
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Train operators: |
www.railaustralia.com.au for times & fares for all Australian trains Sydney to Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra: www.countrylink.info Sydney/Melbourne-Adelaide-Perth, Alice Springs, Darwin: www.gsr.com.au Brisbane-Townsville-Cairns: www.traveltrain.com.au. Kalgoorlie-Perth: www.transwa.wa.gov.au V-Line (Victoria regional trains): www.vline.com.au. Ferry Melbourne-Tasmania: www.spiritoftasmania.com.au |
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Time zones: |
Sydney, Melbourne: GMT+10 (+11 Oct-March). Cairns: GMT+10 all year. Adelaide: GMT+9½ (+10½ Oct-March). Alice Springs: GMT+9½ all year. Perth: GMT+8 (+9 Oct-March). |
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Currency: |
£1 = 2.20 Australian dollars, $1 = 1.47 Aus$. Currency converter |
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Flights & hotels: |
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Visas: |
UK citizens need a visa to visit Australia. This can be issued in 'electronic' form, arranged online at www.eta.immi.gov.au or by flight booking agencies such as Trailfinders and Travelbag. |
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Page last updated: |
25 September 2009 |
Australia is a huge country. And the best way to appreciate its vastness is to cross it at ground level in the civilised comfort of a train. The famous Indian Pacific links Sydney, Adelaide & Perth in 3 days, crossing the great Nullarbor Plain in the process. Don't miss out on a visit to the 'red centre' of Australia around Alice Springs, and there's no better way to reach Alice Springs or Darwin than by the equally famous Ghan from Adelaide. In the East, comfortable XPT trains link Sydney with Melbourne & Brisbane. Queensland Railways trains link Brisbane with Townsville & Cairns.
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The Indian Pacific...This is a fabulous journey, giving you a real sense of the vastness of Australia which a flight simply doesn't deliver. With a cosy bed at night, a restaurant for your meals and a lounge in which to relax during the day, it's a rolling hotel. Now run by a private company called Great Southern Rail (www.gsr.com.au), the Indian Pacific links Sydney, Adelaide & Perth twice a week all year round. The Indian Pacific has only existed since the 1970s, when a standard gauge line was finally completed across the continent from Sydney to Perth, some 4,343km or 2,698 miles. Today, both the Indian Pacific and its sister train the Ghan use the original stainless-steel coaches built by the American Budd company for the first Indian Pacific trains when they started running in 1973. Suitably modernised, of course! This train is well worth building into your Australian tour. About the journey...The 'IP' leaves Sydney Central Station in downtown Sydney in late afternoon and threads its way through Sydney's suburban commuterland. As night falls it climbs up through the scenic Blue Mountains passing through Katoomba, and next morning you'll wake up in arid outback country around Broken Hill. Look out for kangaroo and emu over breakfast! The train arrives in Adelaide in the afternoon, with time for a city tour even if you're not stopping off, and leaves again for Perth in the early evening. The day after leaving Adelaide the Indian Pacific crosses the hot, dusty emptiness of the famous Nullarbor Plain on the longest stretch of straight railway line in the world. It stops long enough for you to visit the tiny community of Cook. If you've ever wondered what the Middle of Nowhere looks like, this is it! Once off the Nullarbor you can play 'spot the koala' over dinner as the beautiful evening sun plays over the leafy eucalyptus trees. After dinner that evening the train stops at the gold rush town of Kalgoorlie for 3½ hours, long enough for a walkabout. Next morning after breakfast the train rolls into the pleasant and modern city of Perth, capital of Western Australia. You've crossed a continent!
Children under 4 go free. Note that the Pensioner fares shown on the GSR website are for Australian senior citizens only. How to buy tickets...You can check fares and book online at www.gsr.com.au. Alternatively, call GSR's UK agent, www.simplyrail.com on 08700 84 14 11. The Pensioner/student fare applies to pensioners, students, children and (according to the GSR website, in reclining seats only) members of recognised backpacker associations (such as the Youth Hostel Association). Return fares are twice the one-way fare, but check railpass prices as these can be cheaper. Gold Class fares include all meals. A small fuel surcharge is now being added (around A$10-30). What's it like on board the Indian Pacific?The Indian Pacific has 3 classes of accommodation, Gold Service sleeper, Red Service sleeper & Red Service reclining seat. Which should you choose? If you want the 'experience of a lifetime' and can afford it, go Gold Service sleeper for all the comforts, complete with restaurant car meals included. At the other extreme, if you're on a very tight budget, Red Service seats allow you to experience one of the world's great train journeys for not much more than you'd pay for a flight plus a hotel room or two- but see if you can afford a Red Service sleeper, as travelling such a long distance in a seat isn't as comfortable as having a private room and a bed for the night. Gold Service sleeper (formerly first class)...Gold Service passengers travel in private sleepers, either single-berth 'roomettes' for passengers travelling alone or 2-berth 'twinettes' for passengers travelling in twos. Both roomettes and twinettes come with comfortable freshly made-up beds, towels, and a complimentary toiletries pack with soap, shampoo, razor, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.. The fare includes excellent meals served in the exclusive Gold Service restaurant car. There's a Gold Service lounge car (sometimes two of them) with bar & armchairs, with complimentary tea & coffee always available. The lounge car's bar serves cocktails, beer & wine, although drinks are extra. Twinette sleeping-cars have a fairly conventional layout with side corridor. Each twinette 2-berth sleeper has an upper & lower bed which fold away to reveal a sofa for daytime use. Twinettes have a tiny private bathroom with hot shower, toilet & washbasin. Roomette sleeping-cars have a rather strange 'wavy' corridor snaking along the middle of the car with doors to the roomettes opening off both sides of it (the S-curves in the corridor maximise the space in each roomette). Each roomette is about 7 feet long by 4 feet wide, just big enough for a comfy armchair, a table, and a sink unit in one corner with a drop-down sink and (yes, really) a drop-down flush toilet underneath it. At night, the bed folds down from behind the seat and takes up most of the room. There's an excellent hot shower at the end of the corridor.
Red service sleeper (formerly Holiday Class)Passengers travel in economy 2-berth sleepers. As in Europe, passengers travelling alone in Red Service sleepers will share with another passenger of the same sex. The sleeping-car layout is identical to the Gold Service roomette cars, with a corridor snaking along the centre of the car in a series of shallow s-bends, with doors to the various sleeper compartments opening off both sides of it. Each room is the same size as a Gold Service single-berth roomette (about 7 feet by 4 feet), but this time there are two armchairs facing each other, plus the washstand in the corner. At night, a lower bed folds down from behind one seat, taking up most of the room, and an upper berth folds out from the wall with just enough space still free bedside it to climb in. Red Service passengers can use the Red Service self-service restaurant car where they can buy snacks, soft & alcoholic drinks and complete meals, and rent personal DVD players and feature films. Meals and drinks are extra. If you find the Gold Service prices too expensive, this a much more economical way to see Australia by train with the comfort of a proper bed in a private room at night, and you still get a convivial lounge and restaurant car during the day. Red Service reclining seats (formerly Economy Class)...Passengers travel in comfortable reclining 'dayniter' seats with plenty of legroom and adjustable leg-rests. Bring your own rug and pillow if required. There's a hot shower at the end of the coach, with soap and towels provided for each passenger. Seats passengers can use the Red Service self-service restaurant car where they can buy snacks, soft & alcoholic drinks and complete meals, and rent personal DVD players and feature films. Naturally, sleeping in a seat is a bit 'rough' compared to the comforts of a proper bed in a cosy sleeper, especially if you are doing the whole 3-night journey in one go and not stopping off (which would be my first suggestion, to break the journey up). However, you're not stuck in a seat like a bus as during the day you've got the same restaurant car as Red Service sleeper passengers, and of course the scenery is just as good! The Red Service seats option makes this journey affordable for budget travellers when compared to flying plus a hotel room or two. Even in a seat, there's no comparison between the experience of a train journey across Australia and the mundane non-experience of a flight. In other words, you might find journey on the Indian Pacific in a seat enjoyable or you might find it a bit uncomfortable, but either way you'll have loads to write home about, whereas if you fly you won't.
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The Ghan...
This is the best way to reach Australia's fabulous 'Red centre'. Australia's second most famous train, the legendary 'Ghan' links Adelaide, Alice Springs & (since 2004) Darwin, twice a week all year round. By using the train you get a real feel for the scale of the Australian outback, which you simply don't on a plane. Like the Indian Pacific, the Ghan is now run by Great Southern Rail, and has the same classes of accommodation & facilities: Gold Class sleepers, lounge & restaurant, Red Class sleepers, reclining 'dayniter' seats, lounge & self-service restaurant, see the section above. Most departures of the Ghan now have an additional class of accommodation, the new super-deluxe 'Platinum Class' complete with double (or twin lower) beds. The Ghan gets its name from the (supposedly) Afghan camels and camel drivers who used to carry supplies up to Alice Springs before the railway came. The first railway was narrow gauge, and the speed of the old 'Ghan' was notoriously slow, taking 48 hours from Adelaide to Alice. Only in the early 1980s was the new standard-gauge line opened via a more direct route. The journey time has been cut to an afternoon and a night, and the service doubled to twice weekly. Connections are available to/from Sydney and Melbourne using the Indian Pacific or Overland, see the Indian Pacific section and the Overland section. The railway onwards to Darwin was completed in January 2004, in February 2004 the Ghan was extended to/from Darwin once a week, doubled to twice-weekly in 2006. Book early, as there has been massive interest in the service to Darwin and bookings have exceeded even Great Southern Rail's expectations. The Ghan Timetable...
On board the Ghan...The Ghan has the same Gold Class & Red Class accommodation as the Indian Pacific (see above), but most departures now feature super-deluxe Platinum Class. If you can afford it, by all means have the 'experience of a lifetime' in Platinum or Gold class, but even in a Red Service sleeper or economical reclining seat it's a great way t go, complete with restaurant car & lounge.
Children under 4 go free. Note that the Pensioner fares shown on the GSR website are for Australian senior citizens only. How to buy tickets...You can check fares and buy tickets online at www.gsr.com.au. Alternatively, call GSR's UK agent, www.internationalrail.com on 08700 84 14 11. The Pensioner/student fare applies to pensioners, students, children and (according to the GSR website, in reclining seats only) members of recognised backpacker associations (such as the Youth Hostel Association). Return fares are twice the one-way fare, but check railpass prices as these can be cheaper. Gold Class fares include all meals. A small fuel surcharge is now being added (around A$10-30).
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The Overland...The third of the three trains run by Great Southern Rail, the Overland links Melbourne and Adelaide three times a week, all year round. Forget domestic flights, the 'Overland' is easily the most civilised way to travel between these cities.
To check times & fares, visit www.gsr.com.au. To buy tickets for the Overland in the UK, contact the UK sales agent www.simplyrail.com on 08700 84 14 11 or book online at www.gsr.com.au. Will not run from Adelaide on 25 December or from Melbourne on 26 December. What's it like on board the Overland?The Overland was refurbished in May 2007, and now has spacious and comfortable 'Red Service' standard class reclining seats with loads of legroom, and deluxe 'Red Premium' first class reclining seats with even more room and at-seat meal service (although meals are not included in the fare). All passengers can access the licensed buffet-bar. Review of a journey on the Overland on Tripadvisor.
Saver = limited-availability special fare, book well in advance. Southern Cross is the new name for Melbourne's refurbished Spencer Street station. You can check fares and buy tickets online at www.gsr.com.au. Alternatively, call GSR's UK agent, www.internationalrail.com on 08700 84 14 11. Railpass information. |
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CountryLink's XPT and XPLORER trains...Trains in New South Wales, including the interstate trains from Sydney to Melbourne and Brisbane, are run by CountryLink, formerly the State Rail Authority of New South Wales, a division of RailCorp. CountryLink run two comfortable 'XPT' trains every day from Sydney to Melbourne, one by day and the other overnight. A similar service runs from Sydney to Brisbane, although as trains alternate between Brisbane and Casino, a bus connection is needed to Brisbane on one of the two. Equally comfortable 'XPLORER' trains link Sydney with Canberra.
XPT trains might look familiar. That's because they're based on the UK's InterCity 125, but re-geared to 100mph and with (you'll be pleased to learn...) beefed-up air-conditioning. XPTs have first and economy class reclining seats. First and economy class seating is identical (even the legroom), so there is no advantage whatsoever in paying for first class unless economy is full. XPTs have a buffet car selling food and drink, including wine. XPLORERs' (pictured, below right), which have similar seating to XPTs and a buffet / bar.
Sleeping-cars: The overnight Sydney-Melbourne & Sydney-Brisbane XPT trains have one sleeping-car with 2-berth rooms. A sofa converts to an upper & lower berth, and there's a hot shower & toilet shared between each pair of adjacent compartments. Book early, as there's only one sleeping-car per train and it gets booked up fast.
1st & Economy class with buffet-bar. Sleeping-car available on overnight train (2-berth rooms, shower next door). Check times before travel at www.countrylink.info, times can vary. Southern Cross is the new name for Melbourne's refurbished Spencer Street station.
1st & Economy class with buffet-bar. Sleeping-car available on overnight train (2-berth rooms, shower next door). Important: Arrivals & departures in Brisbane are one hour earlier during daylight saving time. Please double-check times at www.countrylink.info, as times can vary. * The 07:15 XPT from Sydney terminates at Casino at 18:34, you must change there for a bus connection to Brisbane. ** The 15:10 departure from Brisbane is by bus to Casino, then by train (departing 19:25) to Sydney.
* = Will also run on Sundays from 6 December 2009. A = runs Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays. Restored to daily from 6 December 2009. B = runs Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays. C = runs Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Restored to daily from 6 December 2009. D = runs Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays. Please double-check times at www.countrylink.info, as times can vary.
How to buy tickets: www.countrylink.infoTo check fares & train times and buy tickets online, see www.countrylink.info. Tickets bought online are sent by e-mail. Note that sleepers can't be booked online. Alternatively, to book in the UK, contact the UK sales agent, www.internationalrail.com on 08700 84 14 11. Railpasses for Australia are also available. |
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Sydney...Sydney is a fantastic city. Take a tour of the opera house (www.sydneyoperahouse.com). Wander through the botanic gardens. Visit the observation deck of the Centrepoint Tower (www.sydneytower.com.au). Take a ferry from Circular Quay to Watson's Bay for fish and chips at Doyle's famous refreshment rooms (www.doyles.com.au, look for 'Doyles on the beach', for Sydney ferry information see www.sydneyferries.info). For general city tourist information see www.sydney.com.au. Why not do the incredible Sydney Harbour Bridge climb (pictured, right)? From Aus$179 (£77), you are briefed and equipped for a walk up the girders of Sydney Harbour Bridge, for some fantastic views across the city, from the Pacific Ocean in the East to the Blue Mountains in the West. The bridge climb tour has been operating since October 1998. Book your climb online here or visit www.bridgeclimb.com for more information. |
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The Blue Mountains...Looking for a scenic day out from Sydney? Hop on a double-deck suburban train from Sydney to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, 109.9km from Sydney - trains run about every hour, journey time 2 hours, fare around Aus$12.20 each way, or Aus$17 for an off-peak day return valid any time after 9am. Children under 16 half fare, children under 4 free. A short walk from the station brings you to the Three Sisters rock formation, overlooking the breathtaking Jamieson Valley, with lots of great scenic walks. For information & a guide to walks, see www.bluemts.com.au or www.infobluemountains.net.au. For Sydney Suburban train times & fares see www.cityrail.info (look for 'timetables' then 'Blue Mountains', and remember that Sydney Central is listed as just 'Central'. |
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Melbourne...Don't forget to visit the museum in Melbourne's old gaol, www.oldmelbournegaol.com.au. Ned Kelly, Australia's most infamous outlaw, was imprisoned and hanged in Melbourne gaol, and his unique armour is still displayed there (pictured, right). Take a ride on Melbourne's trams (there's even a restaurant in a tram - eat your dinner travelling round the Melbourne streets, book a tramcar meal online here or see www.tramrestaurant.com.au). For general tourist information, see www.visitmelbourne.com. For a day or two out of town, drive the famous Great Ocean Road. You can do this as a day tour by bus from Melbourne, or you could hire a car for a day or two. See www.greatoceanrd.org.au. |
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Adelaide...Named after the wife of King William IV, Adelaide is a much smaller city than Sydney or Melbourne, and much more relaxed. Admirably well laid-out by its founder, Colonel William Light, the city centre is surrounded by parkland. On Montefiore Hill to the north of the centre, you can see 'Light's vision', where Colonel Light stood to map out his plan for the city. For city visit information see www.cityofadelaide.com.au. It's worth hiring a car for a few days to visit some of the wine regions nearby, including the famous Barossa Valley, see www.barossa.com or www.barossa-valley-australia.com.au. |
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Perth...Perth is the capital of Western Australia, a clean, modern city - for visitor information see www.cityofperth.wa.gov.au. Frequent electric trains link Perth with Fremantle, see www.transperth.wa.gov.au for times & fares. In the maritime museum in Fremantle are the remains of the Dutch East India company ship 'Batavia' (pictured, right). The ship was carrying a stone arch for the main gate of the city of Batavia (modern day Jakarta). Needless to say, the arch never arrived... See www.museum.wa.gov.au. |
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Queensland Railways...
The SUNLANDER: 1st class sleepers (1- & 2-berth), economy sleepers (3-berth) and economy reclining seats, lounge and restaurant. On Thursdays & Sundays from Brisbane, Tuesdays & Saturdays from Cairns & Townsville, this train also has deluxe QUEENSLANDER class sleepers, restaurant and lounge. Read this illustrated blog about travelling on the Sunlander. TILT TRAIN: Introduced in April 2003, this is an all-new 100 mph tilting diesel train. It has 1st class reclining seats with video entertainment and a buffet-bar. Unfortunately, there are no sleepers, just seats. BRISBANE-ROCKHAMPTON: There are other trains between Brisbane and Rockhampton, including a 100mph tilting daytime train. BRISBANE-LONGREACH: A train called the SPIRIT OF THE OUTBACK runs twice a week Brisbane - Rockhampton - Longreach, with 1st & economy sleepers, economy seats, and restaurant car. See www.traveltrain.com.au for details. CAIRNS-FORSAYTH: A little 1963-vintage stainless-steel railcar works the SAVANNAHLANDER train from Cairns to Forsayth at 06:30 every Wednesday with an overnight hotel stop in Almaden, arriving in Forsayth on Thursday evening. It returns from Forsayth at 08:30 on Fridays, also with an overnight hotel stop in Almaden, arriving Cairns 18:40 on Saturdays. A 4-day outback rail experience! It runs March until December, no service in late Dec, Jan or Feb or first few days of March. See www.savannahlander.com.au for timetable, fares & booking. Fares & how to buy tickets...To check train times and fares, see www.traveltrain.com.au. To book Queensland Railways trains from the UK, visit InternationalRail.com or call 08700 84 14 11. Railpasses for Australia.
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Transwa's "Prospector"Transwa (formerly known as Westrail) introduced brand-new express diesel trains on the Perth - Kalgoorlie 'Prospector' services in September 2003, running at up to 100mph. Within a few years, track will be upgraded to 125mph (200km/h), making these trains the fastest in Australia.
This route is also served by the Indian Pacific. Transwa also run trains between Perth & Bunbury, see www.transwa.wa.gov.au.
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Alternatively, companies such as Travelbag can arrange independent travel, with flights and trains as required. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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For information on how to reach Australia overland by Trans-Siberian Railway, or by sea all the way, see the Australia overland page
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You can get a copy for £13.99 from any UK branch of Thomas Cook or buy online at www.thomascooktimetables.com (with worldwide delivery). Alternatively, buy the independent traveller's edition at Amazon.co.uk, Overseas Timetable summer 2009 edition. | ||||||||
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Find a hotel anywhere in Australia...A good guidebook like the Lonely Planet or Rough Guides will point you at some good hotels in each town or city when you get there. Alternatively, you can pre-book hotels in almost any Australian town or city using www.hotelscombined.com, just use the search box below. It's not a hotel booking website, but a free search tool which checks all the main hotel booking sites for you (AsiaRooms, Opodo, Expedia, Travelocity, LateRooms and many others) to find the cheapest hotel rates on the net. Set up in 2005, it's an amazing system and probably the best place to start looking for any hotel online anywhere.
Backpacker hostels
in Australia...
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If you're travelling independently, you can pre-book specific city tours, short excursions or activities all over Australia at www.isango.com. They have quite a range, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, Sydney Opera House tours, various city tours, wine region tours, the Melbourne tramcar restaurant, Great Ocean Road, balloon flights, and more. Definitely worth a look!
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Get insured...Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash (up to a limit) and belongings. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself). Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy after clicking these links.
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For flights to Australia, start with Opodo.com. Opodo is a flight-booking site started by a consortium of airlines and Amadeus, and it's normally where I start looking for a flight myself. Seat61 gets a small commission through this link. |
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