Re: New Era Ahead.

["David Proctor" <daproc@spam_this.umpires.com>]

< Tell > wrote in message <36d65ee9.2463632@news.ozemail.com.au>...

>GSR intend the Sydney Ghan to be a permanent part of
>their roster.  The NT Government, Alice Springs Town
>Council and local Tourist operators are right behind
>GSR with their new venture.  The last Sydney to Alice
>Springs service was "The Alice" run by Australian
>National and the SRA of NSW, unfortunately for AN, the
>brain dead honcho's of the NSW rail system insisted
>that The Alice be a first class train only.!

When I went to Perth in December (both ways by IP so I spoke to four lts of
crew) I was told by 5 different people on three of those crews that the
following will eventually happen (no idea what eventually means though!):

The IP from Sydney will be altered to run on Tues and Thurs
The Ghan from Sydney will operate on Sun.

An EXTRA IP will operate from Melbourne on Sunday nights, replacing the
Overland - this IP from Melbourne and the Ghan from Sydney will meet in
Adelaide late Monday afternoon, where passengers will interchaneg between
the two (SYD passnegers going to PER will get off The Ghan and join IP, and
similiarly with MEL paxs going to ASP).

A similiar arrangement will occur on Saturday mornings in the other
direction.

This will provide 2 services per week between MEL and ASP - admittedly one
will be a cross-platform change - and 3 per week between SYD and PER, with
the same change.

DaveP