The Great Southern is an Australian experiential tourism train operated by Journey Beyond Rail Expeditions between Adelaide and Brisbane both ways. The inaugural journey departed from Adelaide on 6 December 2019.[1][2] While Roma Street station handles all long-distance rail services to and from Brisbane, the Great Southern does not operate to Roma Street due to the length of the train. Instead, the service terminates at a freight terminal located in the southern suburb of Acacia Ridge.[3]

Great Southern

The Great Southern passing through Hoppers Crossing station in 2020
Overview
Service type	Transcontinental passenger rail
Status	Running
Locale	Australia
First service	6 December 2019
Current operator(s)	Journey Beyond Rail Expeditions
Route
Termini	Adelaide Parklands Terminal Brisbane Acacia Ridge Rail Terminal
On-board services
Seating arrangements	No
Sleeping arrangements	Yes
Technical
Rolling stock	Commonwealth Railways stainless steel carriage stock
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)

Similar to Journey Beyond's other luxury rail holidays on The Ghan and the Indian Pacific, the Great Southern is a slow journey across the country with a series of off-train guided tours along the route. The Adelaide to Brisbane service takes three days and features guided tours of the Grampians National Park in Victoria, Canberra and beaches along the northern coast of New South Wales, while the Brisbane to Adelaide service takes four days with beachside dining in northern New South Wales, a guided tour of the Hunter Valley and Newcastle, and a stop at the Twelve Apostles.[1][4]

References