Alice Springs railway station

Alice Springs
Station in July 2015
Location	George Crescent, Alice Springs Australia
Coordinates	23°41′50.7″S 133°52′24.2″E / 23.697417°S 133.873389°ECoordinates: 23°41′50.7″S 133°52′24.2″E / 23.697417°S 133.873389°E
Owned by	Great Southern Rail
Operated by	Great Southern Rail
Line(s)	Adelaide-Darwin railway
Distance	1,546 kilometres from Adelaide
Platforms	1
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Other information
Status	Staffed
History
Opened	9 October 1980
Services
Preceding station   Great Southern Railway   Following station Tennant Creek towards Darwin The Ghan Kulgera towards Adelaide

Alice Springs railway station is located on the Adelaide-Darwin railway in Alice Springs.^[1]

History

The original Alice Springs station opened in Railway Terrace in 1929, when the Central Australian Railway opened. A freight yard was located on what is now Murray Neck's shopping complex.

The present station opened on 9 October 1980 when a new line opened from Tarcoola.^[2] The station was included in the sale of Australian National's passenger operations to Great Southern Rail on 1 November 1997.^[3] It served as the terminus of the line until it was extended to Darwin in February 2004.

Station features

In the foyer of the current station is a memorial, by sculptor Gabriel Stark, this memorial is in memory of the Afghan camel trains that transported supplies to Central Australia before the arrival of the train.^[4]

Services

Alice Springs station is served by The Ghan which operates weekly in each direction, with a second service between May and August.^[5]

References

1. Alice Springs map SA Track & Signal
2. Fourth Council 1980-1984 Alice Springs Town Council
3. "Goodbye AN Passenger, Hello Great Southern Railway" Railway Digest December 1997 page 7
4. The Ghan Memorial Monument Australia
5. The Ghan Timetables Great Southern Rail

External links

• Station details Australian Rail Maps
• Route Information Tarcoola to Alice Springs Chris' Commonwealth Railways