The Spirit of the Outback train service operates between Brisbane and Longreach. It has eight carriages that are used by customers. From the front of the train to the back there are four sleeper carriages, a dining carriage, lounge carriage and two carriages with Economy Seats. There are other carriages that are not accessed by customers which are for luggage storage and operational use by the Onboard team.

The traditional style of rail travel offered aboard the Spirit of the Outback is not accessible to some customers with disabilities, due to narrow door and aisle ways and lack of accessible facilities. Toilet facilities can be difficult to access for some customers with disabilities due to the small size of the room and inward-opening doors.

This service does not have onboard facilities (such as hearing loops or information screens) to assist customers who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have low vision.

Entry onto the Spirit of the Outback from the platform is via a step. The doorway used to join and leave the train is approximately 610mm wide. Ramps with handrails are available to assist with joining and leaving services at most Queensland Rail Travel stations. These are available for use by any customer who requests assistance. You can do this when booking online, on the phone, or in person with your consultant. The find your station​ page on our website has more information about station facilities.

To safely access the ramps, please ensure that the combined weight of you, your mobility device and anyone assisting you to navigate the ramp does not exceed 300kg.

Carriages A to D

The Sleeper carriages are towards the front of the train and are labelled from A to D. Carriage A has Single Sleepers and carriages B, C and D have a mix of Single and Twin Sleepers. Here we’ll describe Carriage D in detail, with the other carriages being very similar in layout and features.

Carriage D has sleeper cabins 1 to 14. The Sleeper number is indicated on the door above the handle. There are six Twin Sleepers and two Single Sleepers. Sleepers 1 and 14 are Single Sleepers and sleepers 2 to 13 are Twin Sleepers. Sleeper 1 is at the leading end of the carriage (near Carriage C) and sleeper 14 is at the rear of the carriage, near the dining carriage. There are filtered water fountains located at the end of each carriage.

In Carriage D Twin Sleepers 13 and 11 may be booked for customers travelling with an assistance animal. If either of these are booked, the other sleeper, either 12 or 10 will be held to provide floor space to comfortably accommodate an assistance animal. Entering Carriage D from Carriage C requires you to open two doors manually and step across the gangway into the carriage vestibule. There is a grab rail for safety. The inter-carriage doorway width is 560mm. There are doors used to join and leave the train on each side of the vestibule area. Moving from the vestibule into the hallway of the sleeper carriage will require you to open a door. This doorway is a narrow 440mm in width. There is a snaking corridor which is 550mm wide. The doors to the cabins are 470mm wide.

The Twin Sleeper cabin contains two seats (facing each other) that can recline, for travel during the day and are converted into beds by the Onboard team for sleeping overnight. They include all of the same features as listed in the Single Sleeper cabin.

The amenities pack contains organic hand cream, hand sanitiser and lip balm as well as a face cloth.

Enclosed overhead storage lockers are located above the RailBeds which are for storing carry-on luggage. Passenger information screens are located at one end of each carriage. These screens display the next station and whether the toilet facilities are occupied or vacant. Audio announcements are made throughout the journey where information is shared about the next station and opportunities for refreshments. A hearing loop is available for announcements.

At the trailing end of the hallway, after an internal door, there is a shower and a toilet. The unisex shower also contains body wash and a seat. The toilet also contains a basin and hand wash, mirror and power point.

At the trailing end of Carriage D – the Sleeper carriage – there are inter-carriage doors and a gangway leading into the Tuckerbox Restaurant. The inter-carriage door is 560mm wide. There is a long, narrow corridor, which is 560mm wide, that leads to the seating area of the Tuckerbox restaurant. The doorway width between the end of the corridor and the dining area is 640mm.

The Tuckerbox Restaurant is the dining carriage with booth-style seating for Twin and Single Sleeper customers. It has eight tables each seating up to four customers per table and meals are prepared by the Onboard Chef.

There is an emergency handle on the wall of the carriage in the dining area towards the servery window end. This is available in case of an emergency. These handles should be used to stop the train only in extreme circumstances. Pull the handle to stop the train. Penalties apply for misuse.

Grab rails are on the seats to help move safely throughout the dining carriage. The aisle width between booths is 540mm. There are four windows on each side of the carriage with blinds that can be manually adjusted.

At the trailing end of the dining carriage, there is a door that opens automatically. When open, the doorway width is 560mm. To move into the next carriage, you will step across the gangway, and open a door manually, using a handle.

The Economy Lounge also has a long, narrow corridor that leads into the servery window and lounge seating area. This corridor is 560mm wide.

The door entry into the Economy Lounge seating area is 640mm wide. The Economy Lounge is a place to sit back and enjoy a refreshment. A variety of hot food and snacks are available for purchase from the counter in the Economy Lounge. This is available to sleeper and economy customers.

There are eight booths with seating for a maximum of four people per table. The aisle width between booths is 540mm.

There are four windows on each side of the carriage and the blinds can be manually adjusted. There are grab rails on the seats throughout.

The door at the end of the Economy Lounge opens automatically. When open, the doorway width is 590mm.

The inter-carriage doorway from the Economy Lounge leads into carriage F, an Economy Seat carriage.

Carriage F

In Carriage F, there are doors used to join and leave the train on each side in the vestibule area as well as a water fountain.

Moving towards the seating area from the vestibule, you will open a door and pass through the doorway which is approximately 530mm wide. On the left there are two luggage racks which are available for carry-on items. A checked luggage service is also available. There are grabrails for safety at each end of the luggage rack. On the right, opposite the luggage rack, there is a unisex shower which has a shower with body wash dispenser, basin with handwash, a mirror, a baby change table and a power point.

Next is the seating area of Carriage F. There is one single seat on the left-hand side and two seats together on the right-hand side. There are 12 rows of Economy Seats. Seats 1 to 36 are in Carriage F. Seat 36 is at the front, closest to the unisex shower and Shearers Rest Lounge carriage. The Economy Seats each have a footrest, tray table, fixed armrests and a reading light. On the back of each seat is a seat pocket which contains a safety card, onboard menu and other information. In the front row seats, the tray table extends from the wall and the seat pocket is on the wall to the side of the seats.

There are emergency handles overhead in the seating area at the front, middle and end of the carriage. This handle is available in case of an emergency. Pull the handle to stop the train. These handles should be used to stop the train only in extreme circumstances. Penalties apply for misuse. There are windows with blinds that can be manually adjusted down each side of the carriage in the seating area. Seat numbers are indicated above the windows, just under the overhead storage. Overhead storage is available for carry-on luggage.

The aisle width between the seats is 640mm.

At the end of the seating area, there is a doorway through to unisex toilets, where there is one on each side of the carriage. The toilets contain a toilet, basin and handwash, mirror and power point.

At the end of Carriage F there is a gangway through to Carriage G. There are two doors to pass through, with handles that are manually operated.

Carriage G

In Carriage G, there are doors used to join and leave the train on each side in the vestibule area. There is also a water fountain and a label indicating Carriage G which also has Economy Seats.

Moving towards the seating area from the vestibule, you will open a door and pass through the doorway which is approximately 530mm wide. On the left there are two luggage racks which are available for carry-on items. A checked luggage service is also available. There are grabrails for safety at each end of the luggage rack. On the right, opposite the luggage rack, there is a unisex shower which has a shower with body wash, a basin with hand wash, a mirror, baby change table and a power point.

Next is the seating area of Carriage G. In this carriage, there are two seats on each side. There are 12 rows of Economy Seats. Seats 1 to 48 are in Carriage G. Seat 48 is the closest seat to Carriage F while Seat 1 is at the rear end of the train. Just as in Carriage F, the Economy Seats each have a footrest, tray table, fixed armrests and a reading light. On the back of each seat is a seat pocket which contains a safety card, onboard menu and other information. In the front row seats, the tray table extends from the wall and the seat pocket is on the wall to the side of the seats. In Carriage G, the front row seats may sometimes be booked for customers travelling with an assistance animal where floor space can be provided to comfortably accommodate the animal.

There are emergency handles overhead in the seating area at the front, middle and end of the carriage. This handle is available in case of an emergency. Pull the handle to stop the train. These handles should be used to stop the train only in extreme circumstances. Penalties apply for misuse. There are windows with blinds that can be manually adjusted down each side of the carriage in the seating area. Seat numbers are indicated above the windows, just under the overhead storage. Overhead storage is available for hand luggage.

The aisle width between the seats is 430mm.

Seats 40 and 43 may be booked for customers travelling with an assistance animal. There is enough floor space alongside these seats to comfortably accommodate the animal. These seats are located at the leading end of the carriage.

At the end of the seating area, there is a doorway through to male and female toilets, which are on opposite sides. The toilets contain a toilet, basin and hand wash, mirror and power point.

The end of Carriage G is the end of the Spirit of the Outback train and there is an emergency exit door with a window that has a view into the rail corridor.

We hope you found this description of our Spirit of the Outback train service useful to assist with planning your journey and look forward to welcoming you on board soon!