Kuranda Scenic Railway

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Cairns – Kuranda

Kuranda Railway Station

Kuranda Scenic Railway

Route length:

37 km

Gauge :

1067 mm ( cape track )

Legend

Source:

	0.00	Cairns
	11.60	Redlynch Railway Station
	23.15	Stoney Creek Station
	27.72	Bridge 42
	28.70	Surprise Creek Bridge
	29.23	Christmas Creek Bridge
	30.65-30.82	Ascent to Barron Falls Station
	33.23	Kuranda Station

Kuranda Scenic Railway on a bridge

The Kuranda Scenic Railway runs from Cairns to Kuranda in Queensland, Australia .

geography

The route is 37 km long and covers an altitude difference of 328 m. It meanders in serpentines to the Macalister Range and is mainly used for tourism. The train travels through Stratford and stops in Freshwater and Redlynch before arriving in Kuranda. The drive takes an hour and a half uphill or downhill, including a short stop at the falls. The route is still used for freight traffic and by The Savannahlander .

Attractions

The tropical gardens at Kuranda Railway Station are a well-known attraction. A short walk from the train station leads into town, which has a zoo, markets, a butterfly aviary and art galleries with Aboriginal handicrafts . A little below the railway line leads through the Barron Gorge National Park . The tourist train stops at a lookout point from which you can see the waterfalls called Barron Falls . Several smaller waterfalls including Stoney Creek Falls are just a few feet from the platform. Freshwater Station has an information center, a souvenir shop and a cafe in a historic railroad car. During the train journey, an informative commentary about the construction of the railway can be heard over loudspeakers. There are also combination tickets that use the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to arrive or depart .

history

Kuranda Railway Station in 1924

The groundbreaking for the construction of the railway line was on May 10, 1882. The construction of the 15 tunnels and 37 bridges cost at least 23 lives. Three million cubic meters of earth had to be moved during construction. The railway line was completed in 1891 to Kuranda. Passenger traffic began on June 25, 1891.

The first tourist trains started in 1936 with rows of seats arranged lengthways in four cars. In 1995, extensive repairs had to be carried out on the railroad track after a rock fall. On March 26, 2010, a train derailed due to a landslide, injuring five of the 250 passengers. The route was then closed until May 7, 2010 in order to prepare a geotechnical report and carry out a risk assessment.

Rolling stock

In the car there are many pictures of the construction of the railway line. There are two gold class cars in which refreshments and snacks are served during the short trip. The cars are rustic and have almost been restored to their original condition. Although the red leather Gold Class seats get quite hot and there is little draft in the cars, the cars are very impressive.