A South Australian railway journey straight into the heart of the Outback has been included in a global list of the 15 “most beautiful”.
The Ghan has been named among the world's "most beautiful" rail journeys. Picture: Supplied
The list, compiled on behalf of British travel insurance company, InsureandGo, named The Ghan in 15th spot.
The findings were based on research that analysed multiple landscapes from each train route that tracked viewers’ eye movements to see which scenery was the most eye-catching and which held their attention the longest.
Japan’s Sagano Romantic Train was named as the world’s most visually appealing train route. Both sides of the train offer scenic views of the Hozugawa River valley and Arashiyama’s lush mountains.
The Sagano Romantic Train was named the most scenic. Photo: Sagano Scenic Railway
The Bernina Express and Glacier Express, both in Switzerland, claimed second and third place respectively.
The authors described the two Australian routes as “the study’s surprise entry”.
For a country with relatively little rail tourism compared to Europe, Australia has two routes in the global top 15 – the Kuranda Scenic Railway, which took out 12th spot, and The Ghan, “offering visitors views from ancient tropical rainforest to the red outback desert”, they said.
Constructed in 1891, the Kuranda Scenic Railway runs from Cairns, over the Great Dividing Range to the town of Kuranda on the Atherton Tablelands.
The Kuranda Scenic Railway takes in stunning mountain views on its 37-kilometre journey. Photo: Wikimedia
The route 37-kilometre route – which operates every day of the year except Christmas Day – passes through the Macalister Range and takes in several waterfalls as it makes its way up and back down the range.
Perhaps Australia’s best-known rail journey, The Ghan is the opposite of the Kuranda Scenic Railway in almost every way.
The Ghan traverses Australia’s outback. Photo: Wikimedia
The Ghan departs Adelaide usually once a week and takes 53 hours and 15 minutes to travel its 2979-kilometre route.
SA-based Journey Beyond executive general manager David Donald said The Ghan “holds a special place in the story of Australian travel”.
“Rail travel has always been about more than getting from one place to another,” he said.
“It’s about discovering the character of a region through its landscapes, its food and its people.”
As previously reported, Journey Beyond recently unveiled its brand-new luxury suites for guests on the India Pacific, The Ghan and the Great Southern in its latest pitch to upmarket travellers looking to see Australia in a unique way.
Journey Beyond said in a statement the suites were the “most significant evolution” of its onboard rail offering, introducing “an unprecedented level of space, design and service”.
Top 15 most eye-catching train journeys
- Sagano Romantic Train, Japan
- Bernina Express, Switzerland, Italy
- Glacier Express, Switzerland
- West Highland Line, Scotland
- Alishan Forest Railway, Taiwan
- Serra Verde Express, Brazil
- Serra Verde Express, Canada
- Semmering Railway, Austria
- Coast Starlight, US
- White Pass and Yukon Route, US/Canada
- Central Andean Railway, Peru
- Kuranda Scenic Railway, Australia
- TranzAlpine, New Zealand
- Blue Train, South Africa
- The Ghan, Australia
