From Brisbane ...
... by train ...
.... on the same train!
25 Hours On The Train!
It is a similar unit to the Tilt Trains ...
... that run (infrequently), between Brizzy and Rockhampton in Queensland, Australia. The train has a loco at both ends ...
... with seven shiny coaches in between. Look closely and you can just see the rear loco.
Think diesel Pendolino (but not as fast) or tilting HST (but not as fast).
Thanks to a Queensland Railways website site, we can take a virtual tour of the train. There are two classes of travel: economy seat and railbed. The tour starts at the posher railbed end.
Slightly scary seats fold down to make a "bed" ...
... of small but apparently comfortable dimensions. You are served your meals 'at seat' (or 'at bed') but there is no privacy, so no opportunity for fbb to change into his pure silk jim-jams.
Here are a few extracts from the menu.
Lunch is two course ...
... main and a pud. Dinner is more lavish ...
... with entree, main and a pud.
Photographs in the brochure suggest that food style ...
... is similar to airline, but with something slightly more amenable than a plastic tray.
As with air travel, portion sizes might be a bit meagre. But the three meals are included in the railbed ticket.
At the coach end you have toilets, water dispenser, and for railbed class only, there is one shower per carriage.
Each seat has an "entertainment" screen although the blurb does not explain what you get to see. As there us no WiFi on board, the rubric hints that you take your own downloaded entertainment and play it on the seat back screens.
For the plebs in economy class, you get a reclining seat of ample proportions and comfortably holstered up ...
... also with seat back screens in two of the three economy vehicles. The third coach is "silent" with no screens.
Wheelchair spaces are available ...
... either single or, as above beside a "companion".
The usual "hotel" extras are available ...
The brochure also offers colouring sheets (free?) ...
... but you have to bring your own colours.
Unlike in the UK, seats DO all give you a window view, even in the economy class. In fact in railbed seats you are more likely to get a pillar, but as the windows are closer together and the pillars narrower, it don't matter.
There are no at seat meals in economy class, but the buffet car ...
... has a heated display area, so you would guess that something savoury in a bun and heated might be on offer.
You would survive!
And the big question, expressed in Strine, the Australian patois:-
Emma Chizzit?
Full fare from Brizzy to Cairns, with no special offer deals and, presumably, refundable and with the option to change dates ...
Economy Single AD382
Railbed Single AD548
An Oz Dollar (AD) is about 50p in real money!
But beware; if you are already thinking of booking your flights to Brisbane, possibly flying back from Cairns; Railbed seats are booked up well in advance. fbb went to October dates for his enquiry, although there may be earlier availability buried deep in the world-wide web. .
Stupidly, you can only search by date, not by availability!
But there is another ferroequinological delight in Cairns which we shall explore tomorrow.
Next 'Two Networks' blog : Weds 4 March
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