Tickets are on sale for the inaugural journeys on the Alice Springs to Darwin extension of the Great Southern Railway’s (GSR) line between Adelaide and Alice. The journey will take 47 hours, and is 2,979km. The date for the first departure is still to be finalised but is expected to be some time in January 2004. The new A$1.3bn, 1,420km extension of the Ghan line is well ahead of schedule, 80% complete and will end Darwin’s isolation from the rest of Australia’s rail network.

The train service between Adelaide in South Australia and Alice Springs in the Northern Territory is known as the “Ghan,” in recognition of the early Afghan cameleers who pioneered the journey into Central Australia. This began in August 1929 and it was always intended to extend the line to Darwin, but it never happened.

On completion the line will make Australia the only country in the world to boast both north/south and east/west transcontinental rail journeys.

The Ghan will operate one weekly return service between Adelaide and Darwin and two weekly return services between Adelaide and Alice Springs.

For more info, see: greatsouthernrail.com.au