Australia by Rail

Colin Taylor, retired associate professor in the Department of Geographical Sciences and Planning at the University of Queensland, Australia, has held town-planning positions in Victoria, Tasmania, and Scotland, and has given conference papers and talks on planning and transportation all over the world. He has also produced articles and broadcasts on the fascination of railways. In the last thirty years he has taken more than 6000 rail journeys in Australia and overseas, covering some 375,000 miles. He compiles the biennial World Speed Review for Railway Gazette International and is also the author of Great Rail Non-Journeys of Australia, Steel Roads of Australia and Traincatcher.

INTRODUCTION (1) PART 1: PLANNING YOUR TRIP, Getting to Australia, Making a booking, Before you leave, Rail travel in Australia, Obtaining information, Rail travel centres and booking offices, Reservations, Fares, Classes, Rail passes, The Austrailpass, Other passes (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia), Major routes and services, Travelling the network, Scenic routes,The trains, Interstate trains, Other long-distance trains, Suburban and interurban trains,Tour and itinerary options, Introduction, Planning a 14-day itinerary, Some 14-day itineraries,Itineraries for a one-month Austrailpass, Pre-planned packages, Planning your own itinerary,Itinerary variations and side trips (From Sydney, From Melbourne, Melbourne to Sydney, Sydney to Brisbane, In Queensland) (2) PART 2: AUSTRALIA Facts about the country,Geography, Climate, Environment, History, Australian society today, Practical information for the traveller, Arriving in Australia, Getting around, Accommodation and eating out,Time, Post and telecommunications, Electricity, Banks and money matters, Tipping, Holiday periods, Culture and leisure activities (3) PART 3: THE RAILWAY SYSTEM History,Trends and the future (4) PART 4: CITY GUIDES AND PLANS Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin, Canberra (5) PART 5: ROUTE GUIDES AND MAPS Using the route guide, TransAustralia route Sydney to Alice Springs (via Adelaide), Alice Springs to Darwin, South-east Australia, Adelaide to Melbourne, Coastal and inland routes in Victoria, Melbourne to Sydney and branches,Sydney to northern NSW and Brisbane,The Sunshine Route: Brisbane to Cairns, Routes in outback Queensland (6) PART 6: FOR THE ENTHUSIAST (7) APPENDICES (8) TIMETABLES