Indian Pacific Railroad

Why the Indian Pacific Railroad trip is special
The Indian Pacific Railroad is one of the most famous train journeys on earth. It crosses the entire Australian continent, much of it through the Outback.

Indian Pacific Railroad tips and insights
Name
It gained its name because it travels between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It goes from Perth to Sydney with a quick dip into Adelaide. See map below.



Idea for train devotees
This journey is a must for train lovers (though other travelers may find it a bit tedious).

Length
The Indian Pacific Railroad of Australia is 4352 kilometers (2700 miles) in length. One stretch goes 478 kilometers (300 miles) without a single curve, a world's record.

Trip time
The entire trip takes about 65 hours, not counting en route delays, which are not uncommon for trains traveling in the Outback.

What you see
You pass a variety of landscapes, including the flat, treeless and almost featureless Nullarbor Plain in southwestern Australia.

Along the way you see kangaroos, feral camels, and the huge wedge-tailed eagles.

Water stops
The Indian Pacific Railroad makes several stops at remote Outback settlements to replenish water and other necessities. You have enough time to do some brief sightseeing. The stops include the Outback mining towns of Broken Hill (silver) and Kaljoorlie (gold). The latter has a well-known red light district, which is part of the local tour.

Two service levels
The Gold Kangaroo (first class) has small private sleep cabins. The Red Kangaroos (economy) has airline style reclining seats plus some ultra-compact sleep cabins.

If money is no object
You can book a private carriage car that attaches to the Indian Pacific Railroad train. It can sleep up to 12 people.

The Ghan
The Indian Pacific Railroad has a sister train, the Ghan. It travels nearly 3,000 kilometers (1900 miles) from Adelaide on Australia's southern coast to Darwin on the northern coast via Alice Springs. It bisects the continent vertically.