Outback route cut short by unsafe rail bridges
A Far North advocate has slammed a failure to invest in Tablelands rail infrastructure that’s forced an internationally renowned train experience to shorten its route due to a series of unsafe bridges.
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A Far North advocate has slammed a failure to invest in Tablelands rail infrastructure that’s forced an internationally renowned train experience to shorten its route due to a series of unsafe bridges.
Toward the end of the dry season last year, Queensland Rail notified the operators of the Savannahlander, Cairns Kuranda Steam, that a series of bridges between Kuranda and Mareeba were in need of repair and were not safe.
Preparing for the 2025 season, a huge logistical challenge was undertaken to use a crane to lift the 2028 railmotor onto a truck, which was driven to Mareeba via the Palmerston Highway and the Savannahlander was lifted back onto the tracks.
But, according to train driver and outback tour guide Will Kemp, servicing of the historic rail motor built in 1963 that was usually done in Cairns was an even bigger challenge, which was eventually overcome by the reactivation of a disused maintenance depot at Mount Surprise.
“We had to get someone who was happy to live in Mount Surprise and we re-employed an old mechanic,” he said.
Issues with another bridge over the Copperfield River near Einasleigh meant last season passengers had to board a coach service to take them to the train’s terminus at Forsyth where they stayed the night.
Mr Kemp said passengers missing out on the trip up the Kuranda range impacted a key part of the train’s storytelling narrative and there had been a drop in patronage.
“We have a lot of people cancel their bookings because they want to do the whole trip by train,” he said.
“No one tourist experience can exist by itself, it’s like an ecosystem. Talaroo Springs, Cobbold Gorge, Undara Lava Tubes and the Savannahlander, all of us are working together.
“It is not just about us, it is about the whole gulf savannah tourism ecosystem.”
The issues with the rail network date back to 1974 when the Etheridge line was closed after floods. It reopened that same year but in 1994 and 1995 the people of Einasleigh blockaded the railway line for four days in protest of a proposed closure of a freight and passenger rail service linking outback towns to Cairns.
Queensland Rail stepped in and agreed to run the Savannahlander passenger service from 1995 to 2004, before offloading the running of the tourist service to private entity, Cairns Kuranda Steam.
Mr Kemp argued a long-held intention of Queensland Rail to shut down the line had meant big maintenance jobs had not kept pace with the ageing and flood-prone infrastructure.
Queensland Rail head of regional Scott Cornish said line closures were due to multiple natural disaster events over the past three wet seasons as well as bushfires last year.
“The damage has been further compounded by the age and location of the infrastructure,” Mr Cornish said.
Mr Cornish said despite Queensland Rail not operating freight services on the Kuranda to Forsayth section of the Tablelands network, $4.5m is invested each year in track maintenance.
Queensland Rail declined to put a dollar figure on required bridge fixes and would not say when and if works would be completed.
Earlier this month, Hill MP Shane Knuth advocated for investment in the tourism drawcard from the floor of the Queensland parliament and it’s understood Cook MP David Kempton is supportive of getting the train fully back on track.
“It is vitally important the full line is repaired and opened up to its original route as businesses who rely on this regular tourist traffic are suffering badly,” he said.
“Queensland Rail cutbacks to stations and rail closures in the 90s caused the railway line to dwindle, which caused a lot of anger in local communities.
“The Savannahlander line is equally important to our region and must stay open. It is a vital historic and tourist attraction that provides a unique journey for visitors internationally and nationally.
“Works are expected to take six months on the Kuranda to Mareeba section of the line but no start date has been given by Queensland Rail due to line repairs not being funded.
“I call on the state government to approve the funding required so work can finally commence on repairs to restore the Savannahlander line to its full potential.”
Until then a new Savannahlander departure point expected for the foreseeable future is in need of attention.
Mr Kemp said broken bottles and sharps containers visible at the rundown Mareeba Station were not in keeping with a world-class rail journey.
“It’s not a good look,” he said.
A meeting of tradies, including a landscaper, will catch up next week to brainstorm beautification solutions.
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