[:)] The local newspaper here in Brisbane reported today that train tourism here in the state of Queensland is on the way up. Since 2003, Queensland Rail has experienced an 18 percent increase in tourists using the state’s long-distance tourist passenger trains. [:D]
In 2005, long-distance passeneger numbers climbed to 523,519 compared to 444,596 in 2003. Queensland Rail (a State Government owned corporation) scored $1.2 billion out of the Queensland State Budget (even when you convert Oz dollars to U.S. dollars, it’s still quite good for a slice from a State Government budget.) [swg]
This is the most decentralised state in the Commonwealth, and it’s 1,600 km, (1,000 miles), (either by road or rail), from Brisbane here in the south-east of the state, to Cairns in the tropical Far North.
With the cost of petrol (sorry…gas) going up and up, more people are opting for a relaxing trip on the train as part of the holiday rather than packing the family into the family car and grinding up the highway, paying through the nose for fuel.
I think marketing long-distance passenger train travel as part of the holiday experience is a smart move. [;)]
I just wish that the ticket prices for the Sunlander and Cairns Tilt train in particular, would come down, as it stands it is far cheaper to travel by air. if they could (somehow) bring the cost down, i’m sure even more people would be inclined to catch the train long distance. I do want to travel by train somewhere in Qld one day. [:)]
I agree James. Ticket prices are still too high. I think that’s why QR market long distance pax travel as part of the experience, rather than just getting from A to B.
Yet, if the tickets were more affordable, I’m sure they would get their revenue from greater turnover.
I assume those figures take account of the damaged Cairns diesel Tilt Train being replaced by locomotive hauled cars, and the same for the Rockhampton electric Tilt Train while they were making its colour scheme uglier. So there must be a real trend there.
I note that since 2004, GSR now run two Ghan trains per week to Darwin, while two years ago they ran one to Darwin and one to Alice Springs, and these are fairly big trains with more than one first class section.
Yes M636C, one could day the figures went up in spite of those incidents.
Style of colour scheme/livery is an interesting subject - 'one man’s meat is another man’s poison" as they say.
The original colour scheme for the Cairns Tilt Train, subsequently abandoned, was a very attractive band with a pattern of mid-blue, blue-green and aqua, running along horizontally just under the windows. It was on the promotional material for a while - did you see it? I thought they had those original colours just right - the colours of the sea in the tropics of North Queensland - oh well…
Where, or in what media does the railroad advertise?
Amtrak hasn’t run a newspaper ad or a TV campaign in my state since as far back as I can remember…in fact, I can remember any adds for Amtrak at all, now that I think about it.
Ed: Not true for Colorado (your former Texas colony)…and we are seeing Amtrak advertised in the local cable media and on national media…
Kozzie: Quite a bit of the touristas out here on #3(Southwest Chief) plus #5 & #6 (Zephyr). Can’t speak for the other long distance Am-Cans, but I would assume they do as well. …#3 & #4 do a heavy business hauling boy scouts to Raton and La Junta for connections to Philmont Ranch in Northern New Mexico every summer. Late spring to early fall the trains fill up. Otherwise, with the exception of the weeks around Thanksgiving and Christmas/ New Years, it’s pretty empty. #5 & #6 get some ski traffic in the winter to Winter Park and Glenwood Springs/ Aspen, but it isn’t that much.
Ed: coming from the same state and even city, and even better same side of town as Kozzie… There are advertisements on commercial television and in the local print media, I imagine at the least they would advertise in newspapers in other parts of the country…
Just backing up James’ comment - the first thing that springs to mind is that QR use the tv for advertising which would give it a fair amount of coverage.
Thanks Mudchicken. Maybe the difference in profile for Amtrak between Texas and Colorado is that maybe advertising is done at a regional rather than national level?
I would have to second what Ed, said. I cannot remember the last Amtrak ad I saw. Even in Memphis with the trains nort and south, we saw no ads. But their financing is a joke and they have to play with the Fed’s for monies each year. With a little better financing scheme and some advertising, who knows with gasoline creamping past $3.00+ a gal. what they might do to upgrade riding numbers. Especially, since flying, anywhere, is such a trial. Might get the Homeland Security folks to sell Amtrak tickets.
By the way,Kozzie, James, the Discovery Channel, showed a film of a fellow going about Australia, riding trains on regular routs as well as tourist and commuter railroads dowe there. It was pretty interesting to someone who has not traveled down there to see. I was really impressed with The Ghan, looked like a fine way to travel and there was also on line done in switchbacks[?], I think, it was in the Blue Mountains [Northeastern Australia?]. And there was a tourist line with two footers still in steam?
Are the Australian trains you’re talking about of the slower variety, ala Amtrak? Is there any push down under for the high-speed rail alternative other countries are trying to put together? Also, how long does it take to run from Perth-Sydney (the Indian Princess is the name of the train, right?) and about how expensive is it?
Riprap, I’ve just checked the website for the Indian Pacific (Sydney - Perth)
Prices below all one way:4,352 km (2,700 miles)
Gold Kangaroo Class A$1,690
Red Kangaroo Class A$1,290…(Sleeper compartments in both of these.)
Red Kangaroo Class Day Night sitter A$560 (that would be hard to handle for the whole distance)
Travelling time - one example: leaves Sydney Central station on Saturday at 3:00pm
and arrives in Perth on Tuesday morning at 9:00am - quite a leisurely journey yet quite memorable - I would think most tourists would rain one way and fly the return journey.
One of those “one day” dreams, [:)] to travel the Indian Pacific…sigh [sigh]
Sam, the switchback line you refer to is called the Zig Zag Railway in the Blue Mountains. These mountains are about two hours drive west of Sydney and form part of the Great Dividing Range that runs north-south almost the full length of the continent on the east coast.
I’m fairly sure this tourist line is 3 foot 6 inch gauge - hopefully M636C can confirm this.
Well there is the tilt train here in Queensland which runs from Brisbane to Cairns (north Qld) and then there is the XPT which runs from Brisbane to Sydney and melbourne, so there is a express route of sorts on the entire east coast. (speeds up to 160kmph) I don’t think the other states have anything planned.