The Trains
Indian Pacific

This service runs twice a week for half the year from Sydney to Perth (and once a week for the rest of the year) - from coast to coast hence it's name. It travels through places like Lithgow, Bathurst, Orange, Parkes, Condobolin, Ivanhoe and Menindee before arriving in Broken Hill for a stopover. Then it travels into South Australia through Peterborough and Crystal Brook before arriving in Adelaide for another stopover. From there it travels back through Crystal Brook, then Port Augusta before entering the outback area through small localities like Pimba, Tarcoola and Watson where the longest stretch of straight railway track in the world begins. Then it arrives in Cook for a refuelling and water stop before continuing into Western Australia through more small localities like Forrest, Loongana, Rawlinna (beyond the end of the straight track) and Zanthus before another stopover in Kalgoorlie. Finally the journey takes the train through Koolyanobbing, Southern Cross, Merredin, Kellerberrin, Cunderdin and Northam before terminating at the East Perth standard gauge terminal.

There are two classes of travel. The first class sleeping berth - which includes meals in the fare (known as Gold Service), and the economy class area (known as Red Service) - incorporating sleeping berths and upright seating. The entire journey from one coast to the other takes three days.

The Ghan

This service runs twice a week from Adelaide to Darwin. The extension to Darwin is new with the service originally only going as far as Alice Springs. The Ghan is named after the Afghan Express - the name given to the camel train that made this trek before the railways arrived. It travels through Crystal Brook, Port Augusta and Pimba before turning north at Tarcoola and through small outposts at Cadney Park and Marla before entering the Northern Territory and arriving in Alice Springs for a stopover. From there it continues north to Tennant Creek and then Katherine for another stopover, before finally finishing it's journey in Darwin.

There are three classes of travel. Along with the Gold and Red Services that mirror those of the Indian Pacific, there is also a Platinum luxury service that incorporates a larger sleeping berth and more on train services. The entire journey takes two days.

The Overland

This service runs three times a week on a daylight basis from Melbourne to Adelaide. The train runs from Adelaide to Melbourne on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and does the return journey on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. From Melbourne the train calls at Geelong and then travels through Cressy and Lismore before arriving at Ararat. From there it travels through Horsham, Dimboola, Bordertown and Murray Bridge before travelling through the hills into Adelaide.

There is only one class of travel on this service but two versions. The Red Service here are all upright seats, but there is more leg room in the premium service than there is in the regular service and the option of single seats as well as dual seats. The journey takes 11 to 12 hours.

Aspie Unfriendly

I say all of these things in an information sense, but the reality is that Great Southern Railway have no true commitment to the needs of those with psychological disabilities and conditions. Even with physical disabilities they are ordinary - as they have successfully applied for an exemption to the basic disability standards for public rail transport due to (what I consider to be a poor excuse) the age and inflexibility of the current rolling stock. So get some new stock that complies! That's lazy in my book, and putting the making money ahead of it's responsibility to it's customers.

My experience says it all. GSR have one of the strictest and most inflexible set of rules going in public transport - all designed to protect the company's hip pocket. This is especially the case in the seated areas. They can get away with it on the Overland because it's a daylight journey - but the Indian Pacific and the Ghan are another matter entirely. Unless you can sleep sitting up (and I mean sitting up properly), you're in big trouble. And if you claim a medical condition, they are entitled to say "If you want to travel with us, you pay for the class that is best for you". In other words - if you can't sleep sitting up you MUST purchase a sleeping berth. Otherwise, they will refuse to carry you.

The rules that flew right into my face was the one about sleeping on the floor. Now in general this is a fair rule because the intent of it is to stop people putting their feet across the aisle - which is dangerous. But I knew through previous experience that as long as I got a certain seat, I could sleep on the floor parallel to the aisle and inhibit no one. Nope - not allowed, and my routine was shot. On that trip I had to pay $99 to upgrade to an economy berth (that was the cheapest the head conductor could go) for the rest of the trip and I had to cancel the return journey in favour of a wretched aeroplane flight which I hated.

And when I complained to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, GSR claimed that I was lying about being able to sleep on the floor without putting my feet across the aisle. Not only that, they made the claim about "you pay for the class that is best for you". And guess what? Discrimination on the basis of financial capacity (which is what HREOC said this was) is legal.

It's frustrating that GSR provide the only ground based transport service across the Nullabor. It places me under a lot of strain, and my last trip to WA was by air and I hated it. GSR need a good swift kick up the rear end. They provide a service - a public transport service and not a tourist service, and when you are in that business, the customer comes first. If you can't do that, you shouldn't be in the industry. Especially when that includes not being flexible for the special needs of passengers.

Great Southern Railway is not Aspie friendly.

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