Ministerial Statement: Travellers explore Queensland via rail ...

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
10/04/2008

Travellers explore Queensland via rail thanks to special deal

Almost 20,000 rail travellers have explored Queensland's vibrant coastal and outback destinations by taking advantage of a special deal on tourist train journeys.

Minister for Transport John Mickel today said the QR Traveltrain Holidays' '2 for 1' promotion - offered to holidaymakers from February 1 until March 18 this year - had been hugely successful in promoting our own backyard.

Under the offer, a family member or friend could travel for free with a passenger who purchased a full-fare seat on any of Traveltrain Holidays' Queensland rail services.

Traveltrain Holidays offers a range of rail journeys, including the premium Queenslander Class on The Sunlander - a five-star journey from Brisbane to Cairns - The Spirit of the Outback, The Inlander, The Westlander and the high-speed Tilt Train.

"This '2 for 1' deal was an excellent opportunity to experience Queensland, particularly for those who had never seen the state by rail before," Mr Mickel said.

"A total of 19,162 passengers travelled on Traveltrain services as a result of this promotion.

"And while the sale of these fares generated $703,122 in revenue, a host of our state's tourist operators also benefit from these types of promotions that help lure people to our regional precincts.

"The Sunlander and the Tilt Train give travellers access to World Heritage-listed destinations such as Fraser Island, the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest.

"Meanwhile, The Spirit of the Outback, which journeys from Brisbane to Longreach, also travels through remote and untouched wilderness via routes you would not be able to experience any other way."

QR Passenger Services Executive General Manager Andy Taylor said the holiday really begun as soon as holidaymakers boarded the train, not when they reached their destination.

"Traveltrain Holidays' packages combine a range of experiences with rail journeys such as sailing, national parks and diving on the Great Barrier Reef - the benefits to the state's tourism industry are obvious," he said.

"Not only does rail travel allow passengers to relax and unwind, it gives them the chance to explore parts of Queensland not accessible by other modes of transport."

"Travelling by train is not just about the journey, it's the whole experience - the destinations, the sights, and the friends you'll meet along the way."

The Queenslander Class on The Sunlander was recently crowned one of the world's top 25 trains by the US-based Society of International Railway Travellers.

To book a rail journey or to order the Australian Adventures with Rail brochure, call Traveltrain Holidays on 1800 627 655 or visit www.traveltrain.com.au

April 10, 2008

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[glossyblack]

WOW! 700 thousand bucks, barely a lotto win John, Id keep my mouth shut on this  one. How do the tilters and the 'Lander get people to Fraser Island, John, the government closed the line in was it 1990? I'd sack whoever wrtes your press releases and then I would resign.................