railfan99
Established Member
The Australian east-west transcontinental line has been closed since 10 March 2024 due to flooding between Rawlinna and Kalgoorlie, both in Western Australia.
More than a metre of water is covering at least one section of track in what is normally a dry (and in season, hot) environment.
The Australian Rail Track Corporation says the line "may" not reopen until Easter, although if water levels decline faster than has been the case and crews/ballast trains can access all affected line sections, it could be a bit earlier.
While owner USA company Hornblower's 'Journey Beyond' site merely says JB is monitoring weather 'events', the Sydney-Adelaide-Perth 'Indian Pacific' is not operating between Adelaide and Perth.
This will be a huge disappointment to anyone booked, as the train only operates weekly. The days of two a week in the September Western Australian wildflower season have long gone. JB prefers to operate up to 35 car (coach) long 'IPs' that have lately been trialled from Sydney's Central station, where the train has to be broken into three sections on account of platform lengths and available crossovers. Cars are detached or attached at Clyde Yard in the Sydney western suburbs.
Australian residents are usually the majority of passengers on the 'IP' but some 'RF' members and others from the UK will have 'done' this lengthy trip. Fares have increased markedly but the train is mostly booked out in advance.
Rail freight has also ceased across the Nullarbor: normally, rail carries about 57 per cent of all freight from Melbourne (busiest) and Sydney or Parkes to Perth, as road freight is significantly more expensive.
The Eyre Highway (the competing road) was closed for a small number of days even though it's south of the rail line (i.e. closer to the Great Australian Bight) but it's reopened. I bet road freight operators are licking their chops and charging even more per tonne-kilometre than is normally the case.
Hornblower had put 'JB' (which has a stable of tourism assets, not just the 'IP', 'The Ghan' and 'The Overland') up for sale with media quoting an asking price of A$600 million but so far, no news of a sale.
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UPDATE Thursday 28 March 2024:
Australia's transcontinental east-west rail line is expected to reopen the previously flooded section from Rawlinna to Kalgoorlie, Western Australia at 1200 AWST (0400 British Standard Time if I have your description correct) on Easter Saturday 30 March 2024.
The 'Indian Pacific' is timetabled weekly into Perth on Saturday afternoons, so God willing it should do so a week later.
I feel sorry for anyone from overseas who has been unable to travel since about 10 March 2024, just like it annoys me when there are UK rail strikes on days I'd like to extensively use the National Rail network. I've been extremely lucky by sheer chance: in October 2023, I departed on Eurostar from London St Pancras on the day of a strike elsewhere, so wasn't adversely affected. 'IP' passengers unfortunately will have been, with Journey Beyond presumably purchasing airline tickets in lieu. No substitute for seeing a country by rail.
More than a metre of water is covering at least one section of track in what is normally a dry (and in season, hot) environment.
The Australian Rail Track Corporation says the line "may" not reopen until Easter, although if water levels decline faster than has been the case and crews/ballast trains can access all affected line sections, it could be a bit earlier.
While owner USA company Hornblower's 'Journey Beyond' site merely says JB is monitoring weather 'events', the Sydney-Adelaide-Perth 'Indian Pacific' is not operating between Adelaide and Perth.
This will be a huge disappointment to anyone booked, as the train only operates weekly. The days of two a week in the September Western Australian wildflower season have long gone. JB prefers to operate up to 35 car (coach) long 'IPs' that have lately been trialled from Sydney's Central station, where the train has to be broken into three sections on account of platform lengths and available crossovers. Cars are detached or attached at Clyde Yard in the Sydney western suburbs.
Australian residents are usually the majority of passengers on the 'IP' but some 'RF' members and others from the UK will have 'done' this lengthy trip. Fares have increased markedly but the train is mostly booked out in advance.
Rail freight has also ceased across the Nullarbor: normally, rail carries about 57 per cent of all freight from Melbourne (busiest) and Sydney or Parkes to Perth, as road freight is significantly more expensive.
The Eyre Highway (the competing road) was closed for a small number of days even though it's south of the rail line (i.e. closer to the Great Australian Bight) but it's reopened. I bet road freight operators are licking their chops and charging even more per tonne-kilometre than is normally the case.
Hornblower had put 'JB' (which has a stable of tourism assets, not just the 'IP', 'The Ghan' and 'The Overland') up for sale with media quoting an asking price of A$600 million but so far, no news of a sale.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE Thursday 28 March 2024:
Australia's transcontinental east-west rail line is expected to reopen the previously flooded section from Rawlinna to Kalgoorlie, Western Australia at 1200 AWST (0400 British Standard Time if I have your description correct) on Easter Saturday 30 March 2024.
The 'Indian Pacific' is timetabled weekly into Perth on Saturday afternoons, so God willing it should do so a week later.
I feel sorry for anyone from overseas who has been unable to travel since about 10 March 2024, just like it annoys me when there are UK rail strikes on days I'd like to extensively use the National Rail network. I've been extremely lucky by sheer chance: in October 2023, I departed on Eurostar from London St Pancras on the day of a strike elsewhere, so wasn't adversely affected. 'IP' passengers unfortunately will have been, with Journey Beyond presumably purchasing airline tickets in lieu. No substitute for seeing a country by rail.
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