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The Ghan is an icon – and rightly so. This August, The Ghan will celebrate 95 years of outback adventures. To commemorate the anniversary, on 15 March 2025 Journey Beyond will launch a special birthday sale, inviting guests to become part of this celebrated history.
For The Ghan’s 95th birthday sale, guests can benefit from 10% off a new booking in Gold Twin or Single, or 5% off a Gold Premium Twin booking. For those looking to extend their journey and dive deeper into the Red Centre, there are savings of up to $1,000 per person available on The Ghan’s Red Centre Spectacular Tour. The Ghan’s birthday sale is available to book 15 March – 30 April 2024, for travel between 1 July – 30 November 2024.
“The Ghan is more than a train journey. It’s an all-inclusive experience that takes guests to the heart of Australia and showcases the incredible regions the legend travels through,” says David Donald, Executive General Manager of Rail at Journey Beyond. “We’re proud to continue The Ghan’s legacy and are excited to celebrate this momentous occasion with guests.”
The legend of The Ghan stems from the 1930s when the first Afghan cameleers arrived in Australia and blazed a permanent trail into the Red Centre. This legendary train continues to evoke a frontier spirit, a romantic connection to the land, and travelling on it is a moving and unforgettable life experience. Over the past 95 years, the on-board experience has evolved from a basic passenger service to an all-inclusive multi-day experiential journey, showcasing regional food and wine and sharing remote parts of Australia with keen travellers. The journey’s most recent evolution is the introduction of Gold Premium, a new style of rail travel.
Join Journey Beyond and celebrate 95 iconic years of The Ghan by taking advantage of the savings available during The Ghan’s 95h birthday sale.
Book by 30 April 2024 and travel between 1 July – 30 November 2024. Book now at www.journeybeyondrail.com.au.
The History of The Ghan
On August 4, an excited crowd gathered at the Adelaide Railway Station to farewell The Ghan on its inaugural journey. Originally dubbed the Afghan Express, The Ghan train was named for the pioneering cameleers and later shortened to the name it is today, ‘The Ghan.’
The train carried more than 100 passengers and supplies bound for the remote town of Stuart, later to be called Alice Springs. Two days later, its historic journey was complete.
The train was steam hauled, and the service had to contend with extreme conditions including flash flooding and intense heat. As such, it was often irregular. Legend has it The Old Ghan was once stranded for two weeks in one spot and the engine driver shot wild goats to feed his passengers. This is a far cry from the epicurean adventure that The Ghan has become.
It was always intended for The Ghan to travel from Adelaide through to the Northern Territory city of Darwin. It just took a lot longer for the last section of rail to be completed. In 2004, the Alice Springs to Darwin railway line was finally finished, with The Ghan embarking on its first journey all the way to Darwin on 1 February, 2004.
Today, The Ghan delivers so much more than an extended train ride. It promises access to parts of Australia no other holiday can come close to – the perfect balance of comfort and adventure, confirming that the best way to see Australia is by train.
The average journey on The Ghan:
- The Ghan: 2 nights and 3 days (54 hours) for a one-way journey spanning 2979km
- The Ghan Expedition: 3 nights and 4 days (72 hours) for a one-way journey spanning 2979km, Darwin to Adelaide
- Average train speed is 85km/h with a maximum speed of 115km/h
- Average train length and weight is 902 metres and 1768 tonnes
Your average return rail journey includes approximately:
- 49 onboard crew
- 25 Platinum beds and 258 Gold beds
- 36 carriages, including guest carriages, crew quarters, Platinum Club, Queen Adelaide Restaurants, Outback Explorer Lounges and power vans
- 3 power vans, which each contain three 180kVa generators – each van provides electricity for approximately 14 carriages
- 2 locomotives
