Great Southern Railway today announced that ticket sales for The Ghan to Darwin have surpassed AUS$15 million, with the…
Great Southern Railway today announced that ticket sales for The Ghan to Darwin have surpassed AUS$15 million, with the legendary tourist train just weeks away from making its historic transcontinental journey through the heart of Australia from Adelaide to Darwin.
Great Southern Railway Director of Marketing Anthony Kirchner said: Ticket sales on The Ghan to Darwin have gone berserk with more than $5 million taken in the last six weeks.
There has been a huge rush on bookings on the back of our extensive publicity and advertising campaigns, as anticipation builds now The Ghan Inaugural Journey draws closer. International bookings have come in big numbers over the past two months.
We are well, well ahead of where we had hoped to be at this point.
The Ghan will depart Adelaide`s Keswick Rail Terminal on its Inaugural Journey to Darwin at 12.10pm Sunday 1 February 2004, arriving in Darwin 4.30pm, Tuesday 3 February.
The train will be more than one kilometre in length, and will be the longest passenger train in Australia`s history, Mr Kirchner said.
The extension of The Ghan to Darwin will be the realisation of a 75 year dream for this great train. When The Ghan first departed Adelaide for Alice Springs in 1929, it was always intended that it would one day travel through to Darwin.
The Ghan has been very patient, but now this historic milestone is just days away. We can`t wait! he added.
Great Southern Railway also announced that all three of its newly branded `The Ghan` locomotives are now complete in readiness for The Ghan Inaugural Journey to Darwin, and that they would be soon announcing a national consumer competition to name one of `The Ghan` locomotives.
Fares one way per person on the 2,979km transcontinental journey between Adelaide and Darwin start from AUS$198 for a Red Kangaroo Daynighter Seat (Adult AUS$440), and AUS$1,183 for a Gold Kangaroo Sleeper (Adult AUS$1,740), which includes all meals served in a stylish Restaurant Car. The Indian Pacific and The Overland trains provide convenient connections with The Ghan in Adelaide for guests travelling to or from Sydney and Melbourne.
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