Australia opens 1800-mile railway

Friday, 19 Sep, 2003 0

Train enthusiasts – and fans of seemingly-endless desert landscapes – will no doubt be delighted at news that Australia’s north-south rail link has finally been completed.

The ambitious project was first mooted in the 1870s but was soon abandoned due to cost and the difficulties of laying a railway line through some of the toughest terrain in the world. But two million railway sleepers, 97 bridges and 1800 miles later, the GBP550 million project has been completed to the delight of rail buffs and Australia’s tourist authorities.

Stephen Bradford, chief executive of the Great Southern Railway, reportedly told The Independent newspaper that the service will soon become popular with tourists. He said: “The new line passes through one of the last untouched regions of the world, from the red-hued vistas of the MacDonnell Ranges to the magnificent gorges of Katherine and the tropical spendour of the top end.”

The service will begin in February, and The Independent reports that bookings are already “strong”.



 



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