Great Southern Rail Self-Famil

Staff member: Luke // Trip date: Aug 2009

The Overland (Melbourne-Adelaide)

As I made my way to Southern Cross station in the early hours of a Thursday morning, I started to think about how I'd cope travelling on The Overland for the next 10 hours and to be honest I wasn't too sold on the idea - I do have to stress that The Overland really isn't catered towards my demographic (young 20's), however I found the overall experience to be quite pleasant. As we walked towards the train there were conductors on the platform to assist us with boarding. I found the premium class to be very spacious and clean, there was also plenty of luggage space. The seats were comfortable and there was heaps of leg room, the best thing was that you could swivel your chair to face any way. Our cabin steward introduced themselves and pointed out features of the train. I just have to say, they basically advised everything in a humorous way - I was constantly giggling like a little kid due to their often cheeky, yet informative announcements. We were served at our seats which was great, even though you have been sitting in the one seat for the last few hours, like you want to have to go anywhere to grab something. There was a good selection of food on the menu and all reasonably priced. After eating lunch at my seat, I decided to walk to the dining car anyway. Not to get something to eat, but something to drink of course, which is why The Overland is fantastic if you've decided to travel with a few mates for budgeting reasons or just to hang out - hmm, maybe it does cater for my demographic after all. We arrived into Adelaide half an hour late, it wasn't any skin off my back, however I wouldn't be booking any same-day connecting flights just in case.

The Indian Pacific (Adelaide-Sydney)

I just have to start off by saying how much I loved travelling on The Indian Pacific; it was just such a great experience. We boarded the train and got ushered to our ensuite room in one of the gold service carriages. At first look, the rooms seemed quite small but they were very cosy, having a shower and toilet in the room was a welcome addition and they give you complimentary toiletries and a welcome kit. Soon after departing our dedicated cabin steward invited us to join them for an information session, where they talk about the train and its features and also give you a complimentary glass of champagne or an orange juice. Due to lack of sleep from the previous night, I spent this time having a snooze in my room - and I can tell you now, the bedding was very comfortable. We were able to choose which sitting we wanted to be in for lunch, we chose the later service. The dining car was just lovely, the interior was very stylish and beautifully decorated. The food - which is included in the fare - was exceptional, mainly due to the fact that there are dedicated chefs on-board. After spending most of the day in the luxurious and very relaxing Lounge Car, we arrived into Broken Hill. There was a tour that you could do, but I decided just to have a walk around instead. Back on the train, our groups had earlier opted for the later dinner service. Once again, the food was not a let down - the desserts were incredible! After dinner and a few drinks in the Lounge Car I was off to bed - I slept like a baby. In the morning, we were serviced breakfast in the dining car - the breakfast was nice, but all I wanted was more dessert. We arrived into Sydney on time; it was such a beautiful day.

XPT (Sydney-Melbourne)

This was the service that surprised me the most. I honestly imagined the train to be quite average but was happily proved otherwise as I boarded it. The rooms were spacious and the bedding quite comfortable, there is toilet and shower facilities located between compartments. There is also a buffet car which provides you with a variety of hot and cold meals, plus alcohol. The XPT was definitely not as smooth as the last overnight train, but it was still better than what I expected, and complimentary breakfast is available for sleeper passengers. Overall, I thought the XPT was a first-class service and is an affordable alternative to flying.

More staff stories

Go to staff stories page