Railway travel to Queensland

For a unique travel experience, why not embark on a rail journey to Queensland?

The Countrylink/XPT service from Sydney is at present the only interstate service. The trip from Sydney to Brisbane takes around 14 hours; the connecting journey from Sydney to Cairns takes a little less than two days if you choose not to break it up along the way.

The Brisbane XPT train runs once a day from Sydney’s Central station to Brisbane’s Roma Street. The train departs at 4:20pm in the afternoon, travels overnight and then arrives in Brisbane at 6:30am the following morning. You can also board the train at Strathfield or Hornsby station, at Broadmeadow in Newcastle or at one of stations along the way.

You can also travel to Brisbane during the day by catching Countrylink’s Casino XPT train from Sydney Central station to Casino, then changing to a connecting bus. The bus takes you from Casino via the Gold Coast to Brisbane’s Roma Street station. The whole journey takes fifteen and a half hours - of which only the final three hours are on the bus. The train departs Sydney Central station every day at 7:15am in the early morning, and the connecting bus arrives at Brisbane Roma Street station at 10:21pm late that same evening.

Once you've arrived in Brisbane, it's easy to connect with Queensland Rail's regional services. The excellent connections extend to all of Queensland’s major coastal and rural cities - from Brisbane to Cairns, through the northern gulf and savannah areas, and west to Charleville, Longreach and Mount Isa.

A rail trip lets you see the exotic blend of vibrant cities, spectacular scenery and boundless natural beauty. From sandy deserts to sandy beaches, the train will get you there in comfort. You can also take a breath-taking rail trip from Cairns to Kuranda, travelling through magnificent World Heritage listed rainforest.

Some of the TravelTrain services offered by Queensland Rail:

• The Inlander - Townsville to Mount Isa. A 977 km trip, enjoyed in air-conditioned comfort, traveling through Charters Towers across the Great Dividing Range and through Hughenden and Julia Creek before delivering passengers at the mining centre of Mount Isa.
• The Westlander - Brisbane to Charleville. A scenic journey from Brisbane traveling across the Great Dividing Range and through the rich farmlands of South East Queensland Country before arriving in Charleville, the largest town in the south-west Outback.
• The Sunlander - Brisbane to Cairns. One of Australia’s great journeys and a firm favourite with travellers venturing into the Tropical North. With its two styles of travel, 'The Sunlander' caters for all travellers, from the discerning to the budget conscious:
• Queenslander Class - this luxurious train includes superb dining, first-class accommodation and exceptional service
• Tilt Train - the fastest narrow guage trains in the world, the Tilt Trains provide an efficient, comfortable and modern standard of travel.

Most of these services depart from Brisbane’s centrally located Transit Centre/Roma Street station.

For more information on train journeys, fares and timetables, visit our TravelTrain Holidays page.