Trans-Australian

*Trans-Australian*
	The Trans-Australian soon after dawn at Cook station bound for Perth in 1986
Overview
Status	Discontinued
Locale	South Australia; Western Australia
First service	1917
Last service	27 June 1991
Former operator(s)	Commonwealth Railways; (1917–1975); Australian National; (1975–1991); Western Australian Government Railways; (1969–1991)
Route
Termini	Port Augusta /; Port Pirie /; Adelaide; Kalgoorlie /; Perth
Line(s) used	Adelaide-Port Augusta; Trans-Australian; Eastern Goldfields; Eastern
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)

The Trans-Australian (originally known as the Trans-Australian Express) was an Australian passenger train operated by the Commonwealth Railways initially between Port Augusta and Kalgoorlie on the Trans-Australian Railway line, and later extended west to Perth, and east to Port Pirie and Adelaide.

History

The train commenced operating between Port Augusta and Kalgoorlie in 1917^[1]^[2] following the completion of the Trans-Australian Railway.^[3] It was extended to Port Pirie in 1937 following the completion of this part of the line.^[4]

Initially the train was hauled by G class locomotives and from 1938 by C class locomotives.^[4] In 1951 it began to be hauled by GM class diesel locomotives.

Originally it only conveyed sleeping accommodation but aside from a period in the 1960s, it was not until 1981 that seated accommodation was provided.^[3] In 1964 Commonwealth Railways purchased 24 carbon steel carriages from Commonwealth Engineering, Granville.^[5]^[6] These were later augmented by stainless steel carriages.^[7]^[8] It also operated with other rolling stock, de-motored Bluebird railcars being used by the late 1980s.

Following the conversion of the line from Kalgoorlie to standard gauge the Trans-Australian was extended to Perth on 15 June 1969 replacing The Westland.^[9] For a time from December 1973 the service ran daily with the Trans-Australian combined with the Indian Pacific at Port Pirie on the days the latter ran.^[10]

At this stage the service was operating five times per week, with the Indian Pacific operating on the other days to provide a daily service. This had ceased by May 1977 with each operating individually and the Trans-Australian reduced to three times weekly.^[9]^[10]

After the Port Pirie to Adelaide line was converted to standard gauge in 1982, the Trans Australian was extended to Keswick Terminal in Adelaide.

In the wake of a recession and cheaper air fares, the service was reduced from two services per week to one in February 1991 with this too cancelled from June 1991.^[3]^[11]

Gallery

The Trans-Australian in 1924
The Trans-Australian in 1938
The Trans-Australian in 1951
Poster advertising the Trans-Australian about 1940
Post-war poster advertising the Trans-Australian in the final years of steam traction
Poster advertising the introduction of diesel locomotives for the Trans-Australian in 1951

References

^ "Trans-Australian Express Delayed by Hotbox". Kalgoorlie Miner (WA : 1895 – 1950). WA. 8 June 1938. p. 4. Retrieved 4 March 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
^ Gillman, B. H (July 1982), "Linking East and West: a trip with the first Trans Australian Express. – Reprinted from the S. A. R. Officers' Magazine, Nov/ Dec 1919-", Bulletin (Australian Railway Historical Society), 33 (July 1982): 137–147, ISSN 0005-0105
^ ^a ^b ^c Trans-Australian Passenger Train comrail.com
^ ^a ^b Oberg, Leon (1984). Locomotives of Australia 1850s – 1980s. Frenchs Forest: Reed Books. pp. 122, 164. ISBN 0-730100-05-7.
^ Dunn, John (2008). Comeng A History of Commonwealth Engineering Volume 2 1955-1966. Rosenberg Publishing. pp. 266–272. ISBN 978-1877058738.
^ Commonwealth Railways Passenger Carriage Information Chris' Commonwealth Railways Pages
^ Dunn, John (2010). Comeng A History of Commonwealth Engineering Volume 3 1966-1977. Rosenberg Publishing. pp. 16–35. ISBN 9781877058905.
^ "Railways of Australia (Indian Pacific) Cars" Railway Digest November 1986 page 353
^ ^a ^b A Study of East-West Rail Passenger Services The 'Indian Pacific' and 'Trans Australian' Bureau of Transport Economics May 1977
^ ^a ^b Higham, Geoffrey (2007). Marble Bar to Mandurah: A history of passenger rail services in Western Australia. Bassendean: Rail Heritage WA. pp. 149–150. ISBN 978-0-9803922-0-3.
^ "Interstate cutbacks" Railway Digest July 1991 page 231