The Spirit of the Outback is a long-distance passenger rail service in
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, Australia, operated by
Queensland Rail
Queensland Rail (QR) is a railway operator in Queensland, Australia. Owned by the Queensland Government, it operates local and long-distance passenger services, as well as owning and maintaining approximately 6,600 kilometres of track and relate ...
's Traveltrain division.
Route
Debuting in November 1993 by combining the former ''
Capricornian
The Capricornian was a passenger train that operated in Queensland Australia between 1970 and 1993. It travelled on the North Coast line between Brisbane and Rockhampton.
History
When the '' Sunlander'' air-conditioned express train to Cairns w ...
'' and ''
Midlander'' trains, this 1,325 km rail journey operates between
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
and
Longreach
Longreach is a town and a locality in the Longreach Region, Queensland, Australia. It is the administrative centre of the Longreach Regional Council, which was established in 2008 as a merger of the former Longreach, Ilfracombe, and Isisford ...
. The ''Spirit of the Outback'' travels along the east coast of
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, from Brisbane to
Rockhampton
Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. The population of Rockhampton in June 2021 was 79,967, Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. making it the fourth-largest city in the state outside of the ...
, where it heads west through
Blackwater,
Emerald
Emerald is a gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium or sometimes vanadium.Hurlbut, Cornelius S. Jr. and Kammerling, Robert C. (1991) ''Gemology'', John Wiley & Sons, New York, p ...
and
Barcaldine, to Longreach.
The ''Spirit of the Outback'' passes through coastal landscapes and then travels into the Outback, through mountain ranges, sunburnt plains and historic towns and to attractions such as the
Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame
The Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame is a museum located in Longreach, Queensland, Australia, which pays tribute to pioneers of the Australian outback. The centre is also dedicated to Australian stockmen who have shown bravery and courage.
...
and
Qantas Founders Outback Museum
The Qantas Founders Outback Museum is a museum located in Longreach, Queensland, Australia. The museum was opened on 9 June 1996 in the heritage-listed Qantas Hangar, built by Qantas in 1922. Stage 2 of the Qantas Founders Museum was part of a ...
. The train operates twice weekly. In January 2015, the service was upgraded with refurbished
L series carriages. At this time the
M series carriages and
Motorail
A motorail train or accompanied car train (ACT) is a passenger train on which passengers can take their car or automobile along with them on their journey. Passengers are carried in normal passenger carriages or in sleeping carriages on longer ...
services were also withdrawn. While the Tuckerbox was retained, the Stockman's Bar and Captain Starlight Lounge (which were the original lounge cars) were withdrawn and since replaced with the Shearer's Rest Lounge.
Classes of travel
The Spirit of the Outback has three classes of travel:
*Economy seats
*Economy single sleepers (Currently not available due to rolling stock maintenance)
*First class sleeping berths:
:*'First Class Single Sleeper' , with a seat and fold-down bed
:*'First Class Twin Sleeper' , with two seats that convert into two lower single beds.
Incident with coal train
On 18 November 2000, 3W56 Longreach-bound ''Spirit of the Outback'' came within 50 metres of colliding head-on with an
Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...
-bound coal train.
[Roberts, Tamara (21 November 2000), Passengers unaware of coal train hazard, ''The Blackwater Herald'', ]APN News & Media
Here, There & Everywhere (HT&E), formerly known as APN News & Media, is an Australian media company. Divisions include broadcast radio and Out-of-home advertising. The company previously had assets in New Zealand, and previously owned Adshel ...
. Accessed 16 September 2020. The close call occurred 15 kilometres west of
Dingo
The dingo (''Canis familiaris'', ''Canis familiaris dingo'', ''Canis dingo'', or ''Canis lupus dingo'') is an ancient (Basal (phylogenetics), basal) lineage of dog found in Australia (continent), Australia. Its taxonomic classification is de ...
when the coal train proceeded through a red signal and entered the same section of track the Spirit of the Outback was travelling on.
[ At the time of the incident, there were fifty passengers onboard the ''Spirit of the Outback''.][ When the crew of the coal train realised the danger, they applied their emergency brakes and contacted the crew of the ''Spirit of the Outback'' who also applied their emergency brakes.][(12 December 2000), Coal train missed signal, ''The Blackwater Herald'', APN News & Media. Accessed 16 September 2020.] Both trains were able to stop in time before a head on collision occurred. The "Spirit" came to a stop first and the drivers vacated the lead locomotive as the coal train approached. There was much criticism that the drivers had abandoned the passengers with no warning to brace for an impending impact. The ''Spirit of the Outback'' was hauled back to Dingo where passengers were permitted to disembark and were given complimentary tea and coffee.[ The ''Spirit of the Outback'' was delayed for two and a half hours due to the incident.][
A Blackwater woman who was onboard the ''Spirit of the Outback'' told a local newspaper that passengers were not given any details about what had happened or told why the train had returned to Dingo.][ She said she only realised the severity of what had occurred when she saw the incident reported on the television news that night.][
An investigation chaired by ]Queensland Transport
The Department of Transport and Main Roads, known often as TMR, is a department of the Queensland Government, formed in April 2009 with the merger of the Queensland Transport and the Department of Main Roads. The department manages Queensland ...
concluded on 8 December 2000, which confirmed the crew of the coal train were at fault because they had passed a signal at danger and as a result were facing disciplinary action.[ A Queensland Rail spokesperson said the two drivers, who had excellent driving records prior to the incident, would undergo extensive re-training before being allowed to return to driving duties.][ The spokesperson also said the staff onboard the ''Spirit of the Outback'' had acted properly by not discussing the severity of the incident with passengers at the time.][
]
Today
The Spirit of the Outback is a popular service used by thousands of passengers each year despite its ageing rolling stock.
On the 16 June 2021, a $1M Business case was announced by the Queensland State Government
The Queensland Government is the democratic administrative authority of the Australian state of Queensland. The Government of Queensland, a parliamentary constitutional monarchy was formed in 1859 as prescribed in its Constitution, as amended f ...
to investigate replacement of The Westlander
''The Westlander'' is an Australian passenger train operated by Queensland Rail on the Main and Western lines between Brisbane and the outback town of Charleville.
Background
In the 1888 timetable the train from Brisbane to Roma was officiall ...
, Spirit of the Outback and Inlander Services.
References
External links
Queensland Rail Travel website
{{Public transport in Queensland
Named passenger trains of Queensland
Night trains of Australia
Railway services introduced in 1993
1993 establishments in Australia
Australian outback
Motorail