The line was shut for three days after two locomotives and a carriage came off the tracks as it approached a freight terminal.

Police initially suggested rainfall had caused the tracks to move but Freightlink was investigating other possibilities.

Freightlink spent about $300,000 lifting the train back onto the rails and repairing the track.

ABC News

Heavy cranes were used yesterday to put the freight train’s two engines and a carriage back on the tracks.

Freightlink says it is repairing the track and expects it to reopen this afternoon.

Its chief executive John Fullerton says southbound Ghan passengers were taken off the train last night and put up in hotels.

“The southbound Ghan has been delayed by 24 hours but that will be the first train through this afternoon when the tracks reopen,” he said.

“That’s sitting just north of Alice Springs this morning and the northbound Ghan, which is arriving into Alice Springs this morning, shouldn’t be affected at all.”

Priority freight has been taken by truck to the Top End.

via ABC News

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One hundred metres of the track north of Alice Springs was washed away in heavy rain last week.

Ghan passengers had to catch a bus or a plane between Alice Springs and Darwin and freight was taken by road.

Freightlink CEO John Fullerton said the track should be fixed by lunchtime.

“All the heavy equipment was on site last Thursday and the first work involved rebuilding the formation of the railway over about 100 metres of track that was completed over the weekend,” Mr Fullerton said.

“Since then they’ve been reassembling the sleepers and putting ballast down to allow trains to operate.”

The 115 kilometre per hour speed limit will be reduced to 60 kilometres per hour on that part of the track until further work is done.

“The track is obviously safe.”

“Once it’s completed it’s safe for all trains but there will be a slight speed restriction on the track over that area until we can come back during the dry season and do some more tamping work that needs to be done,” he said.

ABC News

NR85, formerly an unnamed locomotive, has been christened ‘Southern Spirit’, its divine right in hauling the first train which is due to pick up guests in Alice Springs on Wednesday for the epic 2 week journey to Brisbane, along the way taking in sights such as South Australia’s unique Kangaroo Island, and Ned Kelly’s own bushranger territory in Victoria.

In a rare move, the transfer consist included a Pacific National FAM crew car, also given the polish treatment, as well as 5 Platinum Service BRG cars and a single Gold Service ARM car – with deluxe cabin and manager’s office on board.

On board, guests will be treated to the finest luxuries on the rails in Australia. The 5 star Platinum Service accommodation will be complimented with fine gourmet foods in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant, a luxurious lounge and bar carriage and round-the-clock room service to patrons paying up to nearly $14k for a ride on Australia’s most exclusive train. The tour is the first of its kind in Australia, boasting inclusions such as Uluru, a Coober Pedy opal experience and even breakfast in bed for passengers wishing to have a more leisurely start to the morning.

The Southern Spirit will next grace Adelaide’s tracks when it returns carrying guests bound for Kangaroo Island early Thursday morning.

The travellers told the Northern Territory News how they were surrounded by “incredible amounts of water” when the train came to a sudden stop about 230km north of Alice Springs early on Thursday.

They said the train driver and personnel had done an excellent job in avoiding a potential catastrophe.

“I think the driver should be commended,” Laurie Kissick, 66, of Mildura in Victoria said. “He saw the water, if he didn’t stop I don’t know what would have happened.”

Up to 177 passengers were aboard The Ghan as it made its 2979km journey from Darwin to Adelaide.

The trip was cut short when about 100m of the track was covered in gushing water.

Great Southern Rail commercial director Russell Westmoreland said the train was travelling at a slow speed and managed to stop about 200m before the flooded section.

He said 95 passengers who returned to Darwin with the train about 9am yesterday were put up in hotels or flown to their original destinations.

The remaining passengers were taken to Alice Springs from Tennant Creek by bus.

“It’s a fairly sizeable bill (for Great Southern Rail) but certainly financially we have the capability to handle it,” Mr Westmoreland said.

Most passengers were in good spirits despite the disruption.

Row Booker, 29, was on her way to start a new life in Melbourne after having worked in Darwin for about 18 months.

The journalist yesterday left Darwin by plane.

“We just thought the Ghan could be a brilliant way to leave Darwin,” she said.

Visitor Peter Junck, 50, of Albury in New South Wales, said many passengers saw the trip as an adventure.

NT News