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Crikey, what a deal for Darwin rail link
26 Sep 2003
One hundred years and $1.3bn later, the final link in the 3,000-kilometre Adelaide-Darwin rail line was clinked into place on September 25, months ahead of time and on budget. The final clip holding rails in place was hammered in at a ceremony at the new Port of Darwin where the line ends. Five freight trains, each up to 1.8 kilometres long, will make the 43-hour Adelaide-Darwin trip every week.
The railway will be used primarily for freight and is expected to establish Darwin as a "gateway to Asia". The track will make Darwin's port a key link in the Australia-Asia freight chain.
It is also expected to carry an extra 30,000 tourists to Darwin each year on the Great Southern Railway's passenger train, The Ghan, when weekly services start on February 1, 2004. The company says that advance ticket sales have reached $6 million.
As the final link was placed, news came of South Australian transport tycoon Allan Scott having signed a 120,000-tonne contract to haul freight on the new Darwin-Alice Springs line. It also coincided with the christening in Sydney by "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin of The Ghan's new locomotive - named "Steve Irwin".
The Advertiser, 26/9/03, page 6.
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