The Savannahlander is an Australian passenger train service that operates in Far North Queensland that travels on the Tablelands line from the coastal city of Cairns to Forsayth.[1]

Savannahlander

The Savannahlander stopped at Mutchilba to pick up the Staff
Overview
Service type	Passenger train
Predecessor	Forsayth Mixed
First service	3 April 1995
Current operator(s)	Cairns Kuranda Steam Pty Ltd.
Former operator(s)	Queensland Rail
Route
Termini	Cairns Forsayth
Distance travelled	424 km
Average journey time	4 Days
Service frequency	Weekly
Line(s) used	Tablelands Railway, Etheridge Railway
Technical
Rolling stock	2000 Class Railmotors
Track owner(s)	Queensland Rail
Route map Cairns Barron Falls Kuranda Mareeba Mutchilba Dimbulah Almaden Bullock Creek Mount Surprise Einasleigh Bloodwood Forsayth

History

The service was introduced on 3 April 1995 by Queensland Rail to replace the Forsayth Mixed (marketed as the 'Last Great Train Ride'). The line was closed from Mareeba to Mount Surprise at the same time. It was initially run with a 2000 class railmotor set that was refurbished at Townsville Workshops. This was only on the Mount Surprise to Forsayth section of the Etheridge line. However, after an upgrade of the line for sugar syrup trains from Cairns to Arriga, and a limited restoration of the rest of the line, the railmotor started travelling from Cairns to Forsayth in September 1998. In 2004 it was decided to run it under contract by a private operator, Cairns Kuranda Steam Pty Ltd.[2][3] While primarily a passenger service between Cairns and Forsayth, the train can be chartered for large groups.[4]

On 27 March 2019, a car collided with the Savannahlander at a level crossing in the city of Cairns. The driver of the car failed to give way at the crossing and was subsequently injured in the crash.[5]

Route and timetable

Running for 39 weeks in the year, The Savannahlander departs Cairns railway station (16.9257°S 145.7712°E / -16.9257; 145.7712 (Cairns railway station)) at 06:30 Wednesday mornings [4] and travels up the scenic Kuranda Range past the Barron Falls (16.8364°S 145.6429°E / -16.8364; 145.6429 (Barron Falls railway station)) to Kuranda (16.8191°S 145.6391°E / -16.8191; 145.6391 (Kuranda railway station)). It then travels to the south-west on the Chillagoe-Mungana branch line. The train travels through the towns of Mareeba (16.9938°S 145.4213°E / -16.9938; 145.4213 (Mareeba railway station)) and Dimbulah (17.1500°S 145.1106°E / -17.1500; 145.1106 (Dimbulah railway station)) before arriving in Almaden (17.3384°S 144.6780°E / -17.3384; 144.6780 (Almaden railway station)) where it stays for the night. On Thursday morning The Savannahlander continues south-west on the Etheridge Railway. The rail motor passes through Mount Surprise (18.1468°S 144.3179°E / -18.1468; 144.3179 (Mount Surprise railway station)) and Einasleigh (18.5140°S 144.0917°E / -18.5140; 144.0917 (Einasleigh railway station)) before terminating at Forsayth railway station (18.5869°S 143.6028°E / -18.5869; 143.6028 (Forsayth railway station)). On Friday the train departs Forsayth for Mount Surprise. The train then departs for Cairns on Saturday morning.[6]

Rolling stock

The Savannahlander rollingstock comprises three former two-car Queensland Railways 2000 class rail motors.

Two (2026 and 2028) are "PD" (Passenger / Driving) cars. These units have the classic 1960s era streamlined front ends and were built for Queensland Rail in 1963. Originally they had 160 HP Rolls Royce diesel engines fitted.

The third (2053) is a 2051 class rail motor, known as a "PLDT" (Passenger & Luggage / Driving / Trailing) car. These cars have access doors at each end at the expense of the streamlined front. This allows the cars to be placed in the middle of the other sets and sets of three or four cars can be formed. There were only four of this style of car built, and they were originally fitted with an AEC engine. It was built in 1971 and re-powered along with the other Savannahlander units in 2005.[7]

All were repowered in 2005 with a 250 HP Cummins diesel and Allison gear box combination.

See also

• List of named passenger trains of Australia

References

External links

• Official Savannahlander Web Site