Passenger Rail

SA government deal to help keep Overland open

The Overland at Southern Cross Station. Public Domain

The state government of South Australia will provide $1 million over the next three years to keep Great Southern Rail’s Overland passenger service between Adelaide and Melbourne running. In exchange, the operator will consolidate its national staff to Adelaide, and will support local businesses.

SA transport minister Stephen Mullighan said the funding would allow GSR to run two return services a week.

“We are a strong supporter of the Overland service and we want to see it continue,” Mullighan said. “That is why we have committed to continuing our funding which enables this important train service to operate.

“Under the terms of the agreement, Great Southern Rail has agreed to consolidate operational and office staff from other states to its head office here in Adelaide, and it has committed to supporting local contractors for maintenance, capital and operational works.

“As part of the agreement, Great Southern Rail will also spend $100,000 each year promoting South Australia as a tourism destination.

Mullighan encouraged other states to join in recommitting funds to GSR’s train services, which he said provide an important tourism experience for many interstate and overseas visitors.

“About 100,000 people use the Overland, Ghan and Indian Pacific each year and the service plays an important role for the South Australian tourism industry,” he said.

GSR boss Chris Tallent recently told the ABC the company would halve services on the Ghan and Indian Pacific, because $9 million in funding from the Federal Government was set to end by July 2016.

The Overland was rumoured on some online forums and other sites to be potentially shutting completely.

According to the ABC, GSR will now only be able to offer a 20% concession, and is expecting a 20% reduction in customers as a result. It will respond with plans to cut its 13 to 14 double-weekly Ghan services, during the dry season, to just a weekly service.

“At this point we are looking to withdraw those services and continue on with a firm weekly service on the Ghan,” Tallent was quoted earlier this month, “albeit with longer trains potentially to cater for increased demand on those services.”

Similar changes are expected for the Indian Pacific.

Shadow minister for infrastructure Anthony Albanese ripped into the Abbott Government for the move.

“The cuts will seriously damage regional tourism in South Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Australia by reducing the number of tourists visiting regional centres and spending money in local economies,” Albanese said.

“While Tony Abbott spent part of this week in Adelaide seeking to lift his sagging political stocks, he should have explained why he is undermining regional tourism at the very time we need growth in the sector to help make up for the end of the mining boom.”