railroad.wikisort.org - Train

The Inlander is an Australian passenger train. It was introduced by Queensland Rail on 12 February 1953 using new steel air-conditioned carriages built by Commonwealth Engineering, Rocklea.[1][2][3]

The Inlander

Overview
Service type	Passenger train
Status	Operational
First service	21 February 1953
Current operator(s)	Queensland Rail
Route
Termini	Townsville Mount Isa
Distance travelled	977 kilometres
Average journey time	21 hours
Service frequency	2 x per week

The Inlander
Legend
Townsville Charters Towers Pentland Torrens Creek Hughenden Richmond Julia Creek Cloncurry Duchess Mount Isa

Background

Victorian Railways introduced air-conditioned trains in 1935, and Queensland Rail decided to follow suit in the late 1940s. Steel carriages were designed to travel to all parts of the system, meaning a maximum axle load of 9 tons, which was a challenge for the dining cars. New features included showers in the sleeping cars, roomettes in first class and head end power cars, especially necessary where trains may be delayed by floods or other events, as was often the case.

History

The Inlander was the first air-conditioned train in Queensland, replacing the Mail train with its wooden carriages and providing a more comfortable and cleaner service to this dry and dusty region.[4]

Today

As of September 2020, it operates twice-weekly on the Great Northern line from the coastal city of Townsville to the mining city of Mount Isa. The train is relatively slow, taking 21 hours (overnight) to complete a journey of 977 kilometres.[5] Until the end of 2014, the train consisted of sitting cars, sleeping cars with roomettes, twinettes and triple sleeping cabins and a club car where food could be purchased.

The sleeping cars were withdrawn from 1 January 2015. Catering is provided by at seat snack packs and a dining car.[6][7]

On 16 June 2021, a $1M Business case was announced by the Queensland State Government to investigate replacement of The Westlander, Spirit of the Outback and Inlander Services' rollingstock.[8]

Subsidy levels

In 2016, the service was estimated to have carried 4,511 people in the previous financial year, with the effective subsidy paid by the Queensland State Government for each passenger amounting to an estimated $3,436 (total subsidy $15.5m).[9]

In 2021, the service carried 2,833 people in the previous financial year, with the effective subsidy paid by the Queensland State Government for each passenger at $5,086.06. [10]

References

External links

• The Inlander Open Street Map

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