01x05 - Australia's Outback Railway

[bunniefuu]

NARRATOR: This is the Ghan,
one of Australia's most iconic trains.

It travels through some
of the driest, hottest,

and most spectacular
landscapes in the world.

For engineers keeping this
luxury train running safely,

it's a tough, round-the-clock job.

The Ghan's route
crosses the entire continent,

from Adelaide in the south,
to Darwin in the north,

two and a half days each way.

Filmed from above,
(train whistles)

this series showcases some of the
most incredible railways on Earth.

We'll gain a unique aerial insight into
these remarkable trains

and the extraordinary
landscapes they pass through,

revealing the technology that built them,

and the dedicated people
who keep them running.

We'll uncover the culture, the
history, and the engineering

that makes these the world's greatest
train journeys from above.

NARRATOR: The Ghan, one of
the longest passenger trains in the world,

is preparing to leave on an epic journey
from the south to the north of Australia.

The country is vast, almost
eight million square kilometers,

and the train will cover
nearly 3,000 kilometers.

With its size comes variety; desert,
tropical forest, rich grassland,

along with truly unique wildlife.

And Australia's geology is remarkable,

because little has
changed in 4.4 billion years.

Adelaide, in Australia's deep south, is
the Ghan's starting point and home base.

Home of the Kaurna people,

the city has become the thriving
wine capital of Australia,

and an important center
for the country's opal trade.

MARIO:
We're currently locking down the train,

so in a few minutes' time we will be
leaving Adelaide Parklands Terminal,

on our way to Darwin.

(overlapping chatter)

Good afternoon everyone.
How are you doing?

(indistinct responses)
You're all looking well.

NARRATOR: Bang on time
at 12:15, the Ghan sets off,

at the start of its
two-and-a-half-day journey.

Today, there are 29 carriages, although at
times it has pulled up to 44 carriages,

making it over a kilometer long.

On its way, it winds past some of
colonial Australia's earliest history.

This is the original Adelaide Jail,

opened in 1841, just five years
after the colony was founded.

Close to the jail, the
train crosses the river

that was the site of the area's
earliest European settlement.

The Ghan's always
headed by two locomotives,

usually the iconic Red Ghan engines.

The journey takes the train into
areas so remote and so arid

that the second engine's a spare,
in case the first breaks down.

Today, it's a dark blue
Pacific National loco.

To cover the whole length of the Ghan
from the air, we filmed several journeys,

each with different sets of locomotives.

On board, engineer
Aaron Bennett has a key job.

He's one of two technicians on the Ghan.

Parts of the track in the vast
Australian Outback

are more than 100 kilometers
from any human habitation,

so they can't rely on outside
help when things go wrong.

AARON: Once a train leaves the station,
it's all on us to repair the train.

We've got a lot of stuff
that fails over time, and yeah,

we've got drawings for absolutely
everything on the train as well.

So, if we're not sure how
to fix it, then yeah,

we can look into the manuals and
be able to work it out as we go.

NARRATOR: The two power cars
generate all the electricity

for the air conditioning, lighting, and
the fridges and cookers in the kitchens.

(motors rattling)

(loudly) As you can tell, it's very loud,
very, very hot, dusty, dirty.

We've got three Mercedes diesels in here.

Normally we have two
running at the same time,

but we've also got
one for redundancy.

NARRATOR: The standby generator can be
brought online if another fails.

The Ghan is Australia's equivalent of the
Orient Express in Europe, a luxury train.

Today, there are 30 staff
looking after 176 passengers.

ALL:
Cheers! (laughter)

NARRATOR:
Preparations for each journey

begin as soon as the
southbound train from Darwin

returns from its 3,000-kilometer
marathon trip through the Outback,

to its base here in Adelaide.

The trains take a
battering on every journey,

but the Ghan's got to be ready to
depart again in under 48 hours,

so a ten-person team has to find every
fault that's developed on the carriages

and fix them all.

MAN: Primary suspension springs, secondary
suspension springs are all in one piece.

Vertical and horizontal
shock absorbers not leaking oil.

NARRATOR: The train passes through
trackside sonic detectors

which pick up any anomalies
from the wheels and bearings.

A problem's been spotted.

When the train drives past the readers,

it listens out for certain
noises and pitches,

and tells you if there's
a possible bearing problem.

So, we just start by
refreshing the grease.

Lots of moving components.
You've just gotta check for wear,

make sure your split
pins haven't fallen out.

NARRATOR: On this car, the team has
spotted a couple more issues.

The brake pads need changing.

DAVE: That's the old one worn out,
or pretty close to worn out,

and that's the new one there.

NARRATOR:
And there's a water leak.

Each carriage needs around
3,000 liters of water on a trip.

In such hot, dry conditions,

every drop counts, so the leak's
got to be traced and fixed.

Yeah, so what we've
found here is this ball valve

that shuts off and holds the
pressure for the water system,

and it's just not quite closing off.

You've got, like, nine rooms in there,

nine showers and hand basins and
toilets flushing and all sorts,

so they need all the water they can get.

NARRATOR: It's not just the
underside that needs attention.

On board, the interiors need to
be checked for wear and tear.

TROY:
That's good.

Again, in the shower areas,

there's things tend to
come loose on a train

that they don't come
loose in a hotel.

DAVE: I'm definitely
getting a bad run this week.

NARRATOR:
It's been a punishing journey.

Right through the train,
the team is finding that

they're having to change many
more brake pads than usual.

Yeah, so because this thing goes
out to the outback of Australia,

so you get a lot of film of red dust
pretty much over everything.

You've got, like,
drains that come down here,

where your basin sinks and
that kind of stuff, so it adds moisture,

and then stuff sticks to it and all that.

So, yeah, sometimes
just to fix something

you've gotta clean it off before you
can even see what you're doing.

NARRATOR:
With the brakes finally sorted,

the cars can be re-joined
to the rest of the train.

(clanks)
(radio chatter)

Everything's running smoothly,
and the Ghan can reach its top speed;

110 kilometers per hour.

(chatter)

As passengers settle down
for the long journey ahead,

from the train, there are
already some great views.

This region, the famous Barossa Valley,

is the center of wine
production in Australia.

With over 150 wineries, it's got some of
the best-known brands in the world.

And then, filmed from
above along the railroad,

the extent of South Australia's
wind farms is really clear.

The area gets constant, strong westerly
winds blowing off the Indian Ocean,

the so-called, "Roaring Forties."

Nearly half the state's
electricity is generated here.

It's only the second trip on the
Ghan for new chef Sean Casey.

He's busy preparing the first
lunch service of the journey.

SEAN:
The most challenging part is probably

learning to work in a confined space,

and making sure that you got all
your prep and everything ready to go,

so that you can function
properly in a confined space,

which can be difficult at times.

(overlapping chatter)

NARRATOR: How this first meal goes will
set the standard for the next two days.

But there's a potential problem.

A maintenance crew has discovered a
serious fault on the track north of here.

NARRATOR: The Ghan is passing through an
area of heavy industry around Port Pirie.

From above, there's a view of one of the
largest lead smelters in the world.

No other country exports
more lead than Australia.

The area was originally
occupied by the Nukunu people,

but now has large Italian
and Greek communities

that first grew up in the late
19th and early 20th century.

They came to work in
the smelting factories.

The Ghan's been making good progress.

It's on route to its
first stop in Port Augusta,

but faults on the track ahead could cause
serious delays to trains on the line.

With nearly 3,000 kilometers
of track in need of inspection,

maintenance workers have
to travel massive distances,

carrying everything
they'll need for the job.

They drive small trucks,

specially adapted to be able to
drive on both road and rail,

to a track problem that might
be hundreds of kilometers away.

Infrastructure manager Stefan
Andreucci is on his way to a fault

that's been discovered up the line.

STEFAN:
We're in the Land Cruiser 71 Series,

fitted with the rail wheels, so
allowing us to travel by rail,

and making life a lot easier.

So, as long as you're
safe with it, it's always fun.

NARRATOR:
Stefan's colleague, Nicolas Clark,

is already planning how
best to make the repair.

It's a plated joint, and basically what
has happened is the bolts have snapped,

and that rail has now shifted
and created that wide joint.

So, what we're doing
now is just replacing that,

so we don't have that same issue again.

NARRATOR: First, the section
to be replaced is marked up,

and the equipment is
swung into position.

Just make sure it grips.

NARRATOR: The team
carries sections of spare rail.

So, that's what this used
to look like. It broke away, cracked.

Now we're just replacing it
with a whole new piece of rail.

-MAN: How do you do that?
-By welding it. Thermite welding.

NARRATOR:
The damaged section is removed.

Once cut to length, the new
piece of rail will be welded into place

using a specially constructed mold.

NICOLAS: So, these molds here will sit
over the join on the rail,

and the molten steel will come
through the top and fill those molds

And those molds will allow
the two pieces of rail to join.

NARRATOR:
The mold is fitted around the joins,

and any gaps packed
with a mixture of wet sand.

So, the molten steel will
come in the center of the mold,

and that excess steel will
pour out into the tray.

STEFAN: Preheating the track,
we're gonna preheat both the ends,

'cause then the weld sticks to both rails.

NICOLAS: So, now, with the weld,
what we're doing is basically

permanently fixing it. So, now it won't
have any issues with separation.

NARRATOR: The combination
of metal oxides is ignited,

and produces nearly 2,500
degrees Celsius in seconds.

This melts steel filler
into the mold around the gap.

The technique can be used easily,
even in the most remote areas.

Perfect for the Ghan.

With the mold removed and the weld cleaned
up, it's ground to a seamless finish.

SHANE (radio):
North control, Shane speaking.

Ready to clear when you are.

NARRATOR: Amazingly, the whole
repair takes less than four hours.

Trains can now pass safely.

MAN (PA): Ladies and gentlemen, shortly
we'll be arriving into Port Augusta,

where we'll stop for a brief moment while
we have a driver change. Thank you.

NARRATOR: Port Augusta is a
key part of the Ghan's history.

In 1865, more than 100 camels and 31
camel handlers were landed here by ship.

Horses had been struggling in
the heat of the journey to Darwin.

Some of the riders were Afghans.

Their camel train came to be called,
"The Ghan." The name stuck.

Port Augusta, with a
population of just over 13,000,

is the gateway to Australia's huge,
but sparsely inhabited, outback.

After Port Augusta, the Ghan sets off
into the heart of the continent.

The next stop, Marla, is
over 700 kilometers away.

It has a population of just 100.

On board, chef de partie Chetan
Suri has only a couple of hours

to prepare a five-star menu,

dinner for over 85 platinum
and gold class passengers.

(speaking in foreign language)

(chatter)

He's under pressure, and Mario, the
journey manager, has come to give a hand.

So, tonight, as every night,
we do three choices entrée,

three choices main, three desserts.

Of our entrées, one of them
will be kangaroo loin

served with corn puree, rosella chutney.

NARRATOR: On the Ghan, the chefs make a
point of sourcing regional specialities.

CHETAN: So normally, the Ghan is
famous for a lot of different reasons.

One of the reasons is we're
trying to source local products,

so we design the menu in
the way we are traveling.

Even tonight, we have kangaroo as entrée.

Hopefully you can see
some kangaroos outside.

(indistinct chatter)

NARRATOR:
The food prep is going well,

but on the Ghan it pays
to expect the unexpected.

A couple of difficulties we face
while working on the train:

Firstly, of course, is the movement.

(power buzzing off)
(spoon clatters)

Train technician Aaron, green kitchen
calling. Are you receiving? Over.

AARON (radio):
Yeah, receiving, green kitchen.

The power is out in the green kitchen.

Could you please
come and have a look? Over.

AARON (radio): Yeah, receiving that
Chet, I'm on my way now.

NARRATOR: Aaron Bennett is on 24-hour call
to deal with emergencies just like this.

All right, so engine three is offline,

so we've just had the
power drop out on the train.

Just gotta quickly work out why.

Engine three shut down
because it didn't sync in time,

so we've got a third generator we
can just put online now. Start that up.

And sync them together to get
the power back on as fast as we can,

'cause it's kitchen service.

And, yep, those two are back online. Cool.

So, we should now just do a walkthrough,
and make sure everything's all right.

Sometimes it plays up and power
goes on and off. There you go.

Everything's back. Yep.

The power just came back, technician.
Green kitchen out, thank you.

-MAN: Woo-hoo!
-Woo!

Can't cook anything without the power.

NARRATOR: As night falls,
the pressure on the crew is at its height.

The passengers expect Michelin-Star
quality food and service.

Want me to come back for that, Chef?

-CHETAN: One minute.
-Yep, no worries.

-CHETAN: What is the table number?
-It's P5.

-CHETAN: Yeah, yeah.
-Thank you.

Mains, please. Plate them.

NARRATOR: Now the
train's headed for the outback,

where massive flooding destroyed
the track just six weeks earlier.

(train horn blares)

NARRATOR: The Ghan is heading through the
night to a 3:30 am stop in the outback.

It's so that passengers can experience
a sunrise out here into the wilderness.

Marla is in the middle of nowhere. If you
find yourself in need of a hospital,

it's either a 480-kilometer round trip to
Coober Pedy, or ring the flying doctors.

A bit like a cruise liner, the Ghan
makes special stops like this

to give passengers time to enjoy
excursions and one-off experiences.

This is the first of three on the journey.

Service operations
supervisor Andrew Newson

has got just under three hours to
get everything ready.

ANDREW: I start setting up
about 3:30 in the morning,

and doors open at quarter past six.

We certainly don't have
a lot of time to spare.

NARRATOR: Sunrise won't be kept waiting.
Right now, passengers are fast asleep,

but for chef Chetan Suri,
it's an early start; 4:00 am.

I think I just went to bed
probably four, five hours ago.

I'm just gonna go and
do my breakfast service,

and then have a
coffee and should be okay.

NARRATOR: He's in charge of preparing an
outdoor breakfast for over 150 people.

Daytime temperatures here in the
desert are 35 degrees Celsius and upwards,

but at night it's chilly;
only four degrees.

My chefs are up there cooking from
about 5:00 this morning,

baking some savory pastries for our
guests, slicing up some fruit.

I'm prepping for service.
(grill sizzling)

In half an hour, the doors
will be open for the guests

to go outside and have a cup of
coffee. And then just after 6:00,

we'll start doing the
egg and bacon sliders.

NARRATOR: The challenge, to prepare
scores of egg and bacon sliders at once,

-and keep them hot.
-Morning. Sunrise call.

-Good morning. Sunrise call. Morning.
-MARIO: Morning. How are you?

MAN 2: Good morning.
We survived. We survived.

-MARIO: Now, is this Vegemite?
-WOMAN: Can I get you something to eat?

Good morning. Bacon and egg?
Any tea or coffee at all?

NARRATOR:
Sunrise doesn't disappoint.

MARIO:
I absolutely love this moment.

It's just so peaceful
and beautiful this morning.

WOMAN: Yeah, you get woken up at a quarter
to six, and yeah, they get you out.

and you have to come out and step out
into the darkness and it's kind of cold.

And then suddenly the sun pops
up over the horizon. It's gorgeous.

NARRATOR: Mario and Andrew know
there's now less than 20 minutes

before the train must depart.

Any delay could hold up
freight trains on the track.

MARIO: Now we're packing down
and getting ready to depart Marla soon,

making our way to Alice Springs.

That's the last one, mate? Thank you.

NARRATOR: The outback is vast;
over five million square kilometers,

70% of the whole land mass
of Australia. Much of it is desert.

The Ghan is heading close to
where the hottest temperature

was ever recorded in Australia;
over 50 degrees Celsius.

Then, out of nowhere, a lake and birds.

It's a very unusual sight.
In January 2022,

this part of Australia suffered huge
rainstorms and massive flooding.

Over a 320-kilometer stretch,
whole sections of track,

were completely washed away.

Rails ended up at right angles,

and bridges were seriously damaged,
leaving tracks hanging in the air.

Work group leader Randall Day was among

the maintenance
workers sent to fix the line.

This is a few of the photos of the
flooding at the start of the year,

we went up to repair.

There's just large sections of the track
and the embankment fully washed away,

just pushed right through,
washed the culverts out as well.

NARRATOR: His team needed to
carry out the repairs urgently.

Three freight trains were stranded,

and neither goods nor
passenger trains could get from

Adelaide through to
Alice Springs and Darwin.

The main road to the north, the
Stuart Highway, was flooded too.

Towns and communities in Northern
Australia began running out of fresh food.

The amount of rainfall was totally
unexpected; a year's worth in three days.

Extreme weather events like
these are happening more often

because of rapid climate change.

Working in nearly 40-degree heat,

over 100 maintenance workers,
including Randall's team,

set about repairing the tracks.

And, extraordinarily,
just over three weeks later,

the first of the stranded freight trains
was able to complete its journey.

Today, on a nearby stretch of line,

Randall and his team are
using the same skills to fix

another fault caused by wet weather.

RANDALL: So, just the edge of the level
crossing's got a bit of a dip on it,

so it just causes a bit of pumping over
when the train goes over it.

NARRATOR: Rain has caused a mud
hole to form under the sleepers.

As the train passes,
the rails go up and down,

pumping out the mud,
making the holes even bigger.

-In the Ungele yard.
-Could be a drainage issue,

which a lot of times with
the high sides it can cause it.

So, obviously we've gotta just,
we've identified this little spot.

NARRATOR: If the holes are left,
they could cause a derailment.

(beeping)

Restoring track for train number 4500,
and reporting no later than 12:30 hours.

NARRATOR: Stefan Andreucci needs
to get clearance to start work.

STEFAN:
Doing 110 k's an hour,

you wanna definitely make sure
you're nowhere near that. (laughs)

I've been advised that one's
coming through at 12:45 hours,

-so we'll have to clear at 12:30 hours.
-NARRATOR: The clock is ticking.

There's less than four hours before
a freight train is due to pass.

Once loose material
underneath the line is removed,

new ballast can be poured in and
packed tightly to support the weight.

(machinery groans)

RANDALL: All right, that'll do.
Go on the other side.

NARRATOR: With minutes to go and the
crew standing far back from the line,

the expected goods train hurtles through.

On the Ghan Line, the train
continues its journey north,

towards the heart of Australia and the
center of the outback; Alice Springs.

(rattling)

But there's a worrying
sound coming from coach H.

It could be a serious wheel problem.

NARRATOR: As the Ghan
closes in on Alice Springs,

the stunning West
McDonnell Ranges come into view,

ancient mountains that
rise out of the red desert.

The famous gap in the mountains allows
just enough space for the railway,

the main highway, and the Todd River.

MAN (PA): Ladies and gentlemen,
we're approaching Alice Springs Terminal.

We ask that all guests please
do remain seated until you hear

the appropriate announcement
that it's safe to disembark.

There can be some jolting as the
Ghan comes to a halt. Thank you.

NARRATOR: The statue at
Alice Springs Station

is a reminder that this
was once a staging post for

the original Ghan, the camel train route.

And this is where the
old Ghan railway line ended.

While the train is
refueled and checked over,

the passengers are off on
excursions around the town.

(chatter)

Alice Springs is the
midway point of the journey.

It's a small town,
only 26,480 inhabitants.

But it's known throughout the world.

It began as an important telegraph
station between Adelaide and Darwin.

From here, visitors can travel
to the stunning Rainbow Valley,

and further afield, to Australia's most
iconic location; Uluru, or Ayers Rock,

a sacred site for the
local aboriginal people.

Some passengers have chosen
to explore the landscape around Alice

in the spirit of the old Ghan, by camel.

Camels were still being used
for transport until the 1940s.

During the four and a half hours the
passengers are exploring the area,

Rebecca Roberts, the
Ghan's second onboard technician

alongside Aaron, takes
the opportunity to check out

worrying noises from carriage H.

It might be a wheel issue, which
could cause serious problems.

REBECCA:
So, they reported it was carriage H,

but it's more than likely it could be
either side. So, it could be G or H.

So, it's worthwhile to check either side.
But whenever I check the wheel,

always check it like
it's possibly gonna move,

so you never put your
fingers down below the wheel.

Always check it up here, so you
can pull your hand away quickly.

NARRATOR: Rebecca needs to check
every wheel on carriages G and H

before the train can proceed.

If a wheel is seriously
damaged, worse case,

the carriage will
have to be left behind.

Two new drivers are taking over,
the third change so far.

Scott Fels has been
driving the Ghan for ten years.

So, one of the first jobs I'm
gonna do while I'm sitting here

is perform a brake test on the train.
I really don't care if it goes,

but I just wanna make sure it stops.

(beep)

Ah, it's looking pretty good.

NARRATOR: It's not uncommon for the Ghan
to have to slow down quickly,

or even stop, in an emergency,
to avoid collisions with wildlife.

Kangaroos are frequently hit by cars,
trucks, and trains in the Outback.

And there are wild camels,

the descendants of camels set free
when they were no longer needed.

They're especially vulnerable, because
they like to lick dew off the rails.

Well, in this job you've gotta
be vigilant for a lot of things.

Out in the open, we don't
encounter a lot of people,

so the only things you're really
looking out for is livestock,

is the biggest thing
that we would encounter.

'Cause a lot of the
rail network is unfenced,

and you're continuously keeping
an eye out for cattle,

or horses, or camels, in our case.

NARRATOR: If an animal is large enough,
it can even cause a derailment.

Once the locomotive goes into an
emergency brake application,

the computer system will then take over,
calculate the distance it's traveling at,

the speed and the weight, and it will
start to bring its own brakes on as well,

to bring you to a stop
as soon as possible.

NARRATOR: Rebecca has finally
tracked down the faulty wheel.

REBECCA: There seems to be a bit of
irregularity with this wheel here.

So, it seems like it's
got a bit of a groove in it,

so that will go back to our mechanics,
and they're just monitor it.

So, every time it goes back
to Adelaide, they check it out.

NARRATOR: Back at the
Ghan Service Base in Adelaide,

the team has found a
very similar wheel problem.

It's on a train being readied
for the next journey to Darwin.

Close inspection has shown that
one wheel is seriously chipped.

The wheels have, have worn through heat,

and made small pieces of metal
come off, which is called spalling,

which makes a clunk-clunk sound
when it's going along the track.

NARRATOR: High temperatures
caused by heavy braking,

a consequence of the huge
length and weight of the train,

can cause the metal to change its
state. It makes the wheels brittle.

Replacing the
wheel is a big job.

First, the problem carriage has to be
separated from the rest of the train.

Here at the service base, there is a
veritable graveyard of damaged wheels,

as the mileage, heat,
and dust have taken their toll.

(whirring)

Unlike changing the wheel on a car,
several items need disconnecting first.

Air lines for
the brakes, handbrake chain,

keeper plates holding the
axles onto the wheel section,

and electrical earthing straps.
Then the hard work can really begin.

The carriage needs to be lifted
clear using motorized jacks,

and finally the damaged
section can be wheeled free.

MICHAEL:
The job can be hazardous,

because you've got your
hands holding springs

and guiding people who are
lowering with a crane,

so you just have to be aware
and communicate with each other.

But yeah, hazardous, that.

NARRATOR:
Once separated,

the whole wheel assembly is
replaced with a refurbished set.

MAN:
All good.

NARRATOR:
With the rest of the unit stripped down,

the other wheels can be checked
and the whole process reversed,

in readiness for the next outgoing Ghan.

In Alice Springs, it's
time for the train to depart.

All the camel riders are safely back,

and a headcount carried out to
make sure no one's left behind.

This stretch of line from Alice
Springs to Darwin is recent.

It opened only in 2004.

Until then, most good and passengers
looking to complete the long journey

had to go by road.

The new rail track
runs for 1,400 kilometers.

It took three years and 1.3 billion
Australian dollars to build.

When they awake, the passengers will have
travelled another 1,000 kilometers,

leaving the outback way behind.

The passengers may be heading
into the cool of the night,

but one of the carriages is showing a
worrying increase in temperature.

If its air conditioning
unit fails completely,

it'll mean a very hot,
sticky day tomorrow.

NARRATOR:
Traveling through the night,

the Ghan has left Australia's
arid red landscape behind,

emerging at dawn deep in the Northern
Territory, into a different world.

Katherine, the train's next stop,
is where the outback meets the tropics.

It's a beautiful lush paradise,
with stunning gorges,

misty waterfalls,
and thermal springs.

There are even
freshwater crocodiles.

MAN (PA): A very good morning to
you all, ladies and gentlemen.

On time arrival into Katherine
this morning of 9:00 am.

Maximum temperature in
Katherine today is 37 degrees,

so once again, we ask you
please do remain hydrated.

So, approximately 30 minutes to Katherine,
ladies and gentlemen. Thank you.

NARRATOR: The plan at Katherine is to give
passengers a unique opportunity

to see some ancient
aboriginal art at first hand.

As always, time is tight, and
tour buses are already arriving

at Katherine Station,
to pick up the passengers.

The railroad between Adelaide and
Darwin is mostly single track;

there's not enough traffic to
justify a second set of rails.

But here at Katherine, a loop has
been built, to enable trains to pass.

It's one of several on the line.

From above, two freight trains can be
seen using the crossing point.

Once cleared, the northbound
Ghan is slowly maneuvered onto the loop,

alongside the platform.

As well as giving
passengers their excursions,

the stop here is for refueling,
and another crew change.

It's journey manager Mario
Gleeson's job to get the passengers

onto the right trips.

MARIO: We have 174 guests going
away on tour this morning,

so it's a combination of
the gorge cruise, helicopters,

and the rock art.

NARRATOR:
While the train is empty,

on board engineer Aaron Bennett
is taking the opportunity

to check out the aircon
problem in one of the carriages.

AARON: Yeah, it's up to
about 25 degrees at the moment,

which is a little bit too high. It should
be around the 22 to 20 mark.

The control breaker has
been tripping intermittently,

so that, sort of, tells me that
it's not actually the compressor

which has probably blown.

It's more of an electrical problem,
so could be either a loose wire,

or a contact that could be faulty.

So, yeah, they'll try and trace the
fault out now inside the train,

in the control cabinet.

The overload was loose
on the contact that feeds

the compressor underneath,
so just tightening it up.

And that's, yeah, that would've
been causing the breaker to trip.

because it would've been overloading
on the circuit breaker.

So, should be problem solved.

NARRATOR: The most popular of the
excursions is to Nitmiluk Gorge,

sometimes known as Katherine Gorge.

In fact, it's 13 gorges, with rapids
and falls on the Katherine River.

Its waters eventually reach the sea
at Anson Bay, south west of Darwin.

JAMES (PA): Hello, you're welcome to make
your way up

and I'll meet you all up there.

NARRATOR: The gorges are of immense
significance to the Jawoyn people,

who've lived in the area
for thousands of years.

Among them is James Cadell,
who's guiding the tour.

JAMES: Now, the men who are
painted here, the one in the middle,

if you look near his left-hand shoulder,
you'll see two men painted up there.

One of the men's holding a weird object in
his hand. Kind of looks like an umbrella.

NARRATOR: The area is home to
some of Australia's oldest art.

The paintings record stories
to be passed down to later generations

about the spirits of creation,

about hunting, butchery,
and about religion and magic.

JAMES: Now, he's actually painted here for
a reason, because in our dream time,

one of our dream time stories
for the rainbow serpent.

Now, they just came back from hunting,

they caught a kangaroo, and the kangaroo's
painted on the right-hand side,

with the joey in her pouch.

And that memory spirit with
the egg-shaped head on the left

is teaching the right ceremony,

so the right dance, the right way to cook
him, the right way to cut him.

So, it's being passed
down generation to generation.

MAN:
It's just such an education.

Of the indigenous guy,
he's taught us so much about

the rainbow serpent and
how he created these valleys,

and it's just wonderful
to have experienced this.

NARRATOR: Today, these
ancient works of art are among

the oldest and longest-running records
of any group of people in the world.

How are you, girls?
You have a good time?

(indistinct responses)
Excellent.

WOMAN:
Thank you.

NARRATOR: The Ghan is now on
the final leg of its journey to Darwin,

where there's high humidity

and the risk of monsoon rains and
massive thunderstorms.

NARRATOR:
The final 300 kilometers to Darwin.

The habitat here is
Australia's tropical savannah.

Right now, the weather is calm,

and the train's passing places
redolent with Australian history.

From above, Pine Creek, the site of a
famous gold rush in the 19th century,

when gold was discovered
by workers building

the telegraph line from
Alice Springs to Darwin.

As mines opened and
prospectors flooded in,

it grew so fast that a narrow-gauge
railway to Darwin was built in 1888.

It survived until 1976.

Sean Casey's at the end of
his first week on the Ghan,

and has just one lunch service to go.

I did a trip five days ago, then they
called me to go on this trip.

Big bonus. I love seeing the outback.

Never been to Alice Springs,
never been to Darwin,

never been to Marla, so it's
been some phenomenal experiences

I've had in the seven days
I've been on the train.

It's been really good. Really good.

Having someone phenomenal to train you
is probably the quickest way to learn.

Someone that shows you how it
gets done, what needs to be done.

Quickest way to learn.

NARRATOR: The train's
passing another historic site;

Adelaide River, a small
community of 350 people.

During World w*r II, the town was an
important Allied military base,

where thousands of
Australian and American soldiers

prepared to go off to w*r in
the Pacific, against the Japanese.

110 kilometers back from the coast,

it was considered safe from
the Japanese bombers

that in February 1942 had launched
ferocious attacks on Darwin.

(PA tone)

MARIO (PA):
I'd like to take this opportunity,

on behalf of our crew, to
farewell all of our guests.

It has been an absolute
pleasure having you on board,

and we hope you enjoyed your
journey through the heart of Australia

on the Ghan.

NARRATOR: The bridge over the Elizabeth
River is the gateway to Darwin itself.

Until 20 years ago, it
was a road bridge only,

but was widened to
carry trains as well.

The train pauses, to allow journey
manager Mario Gleeson off,

to help guide the carriages
into their final position.

(train horn blares)

MARIO: NR74, we're
now set up on the ground.

I will count you down to six carriages,
and you're right to pull forward. Over.

NR74, you now have two cars to go.

NR74, you now have one car to go.

There you go. Welcome to Darwin.

NARRATOR: Darwin is named
after naturalist Charles Darwin.

His old shipmates
named it in his honor,

when they arrived there on
the Beagle's third voyage.

MARIO: There's mixed feelings,
because we've had this...

wonderful relationship
with a lot of guests

that have joined us from Adelaide all
the way to Darwin, and you know,

you create that friendship and now
you've gotta say goodbye to them.

It was an absolute
pleasure having you with us.

NARRATOR: This city is nearly
3,000 kilometers from Adelaide,

and the climate is very different;
tropical and humid.

It's known as
Australia's lightning capital.

(thunder)

Today, Darwin is growing fast.

Since the start of the Second World w*r,
its population has increased 70 times,

to 140,000.

It's a major port,
a gateway to Asia.

And with over 5% of people
employed in hospitality in the region,

tourism's of growing importance.

Today, the Ghan's passengers are
happily adding to the throng.

-WOMAN: Thank you.
-MARIO: Thank you very much.

It's been an absolute
pleasure having you with us.

And the staff were brilliant.

MARIO: Oh, thank you so much.
Thank you for joining us.

So, we'll be finishing work around 6:00.
We will board a coach for the crew.

We'll have a wonderful night's rest and
do it all over again tomorrow morning.

NARRATOR:
On its return to Adelaide,

the Ghan will again battle
across this land of extremes,

facing intense heat, herds of animals,
and the threat of biblical flooding.

(thunder)

That the journey is possible at all

is testament to the work of an
army of unseen engineers.

It's the very challenge of this epic trip,

together with the stunning
scenery through which it passes,

that makes this one of the greatest
railway journeys in the world.