Passengers on The Overland, which runs three days a week between Melbourne and Adelaide, Australia, can have their vehicle carried on the train to the end points. It costs $149 to $199 AUD for an accompanied vehicle and $199 to $265 AUD for an unaccompanied vehicle. The Overland is a daytime train between the two cities.
The Overland, together with the Indian Pacific and The Gahn, is operated by the Great Southern Railway (GSR). It is an investor owned corporation that operates the trains under contract for the Australian federal government. They are Australia’s premier long distance trains.
I have ridden all three trains at least once. The service is much better than the service that I have received on Amtrak. In part I chalk it up to the fact that GSR’s contract with the federal government includes strict performance and customer satisfaction standards along with substantial financial incentives for meeting or exceeding the standards. On the other hand, if GSR fails to meet the standards, it loses money and, furthermore, if it consistently under performs, it can lose the contract.