The Spirit to carry on in 2010

Great Southern Rail’s all Platinum and Gold luxury rail cruise train, the Southern Spirit, has been revitalised for its 2010 season following a 2008-09 season which saw all planned tours cancelled. Several routes, including ‘The Grand Tour’ from Brisbane to Darwin were cancelled in 2009 due to lack of interest, despite the stylishly refurbished Platinum service cars and the specially repainted locomotives for the train – tipped to become Australia’s answer to the Orient Express.

In 2010 tours will commence or terminate at Uluru, arguably Australia’s most famous landmark located near Alice Springs, the attraction’s closest railway station. A season of four tours will operate between Brisbane or Sydney and the internationally celebrated sandstone mound, including stops at Coober Pedy’s Opal Fields, seal colonies at Kangaroo Island, Ned Kelly’s home town of Glenrowan, and Sydney Harbour – with one service including the harbour’s Australia Day fireworks on its itinerary – as well as other tours at stops along the way.

The first train for 2010, ‘The Grand Tour’, is a 14 Day epic adventure operating between January 9 and January 22, and will cost punters $13,990 for Platinum Service and $10,590 for Gold.

Full details of the tours have been released on the official website, showing the four tours as well as information about the experience and service passengers can expect of Australia’s most luxurious train.

RailSA