Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson and Member for Whitsunday Jason Costigan launched the rebranded route at Brisbane’s Ekka, kicking off a statewide video competition.
“The Spirit of Queensland route will be serviced by a brand new tilt train and two refurbished tilt trains, replacing the retiring Sunlander, as part of our $200 million investment in long distance travel,” Mr Emerson said.
“Bookings for the first service on October 28 are now open with all three tilt trains running by late 2014.
"The Spirit of Queensland fleet will include state-of-the-art rail-bed seating and entertainment, along with a high speed, smooth and comfortable ride.”
The Ekka will be the first leg of a statewide video competition to capture what the Spirit of Queensland means and what makes a Queensland rail holiday special. Visitors can create a 30 second video to go into the draw to win one of 10 holidays on board our new trains.
Member for Whitsunday Jason Costigan is a regular user of the Sunlander, which has had 3.5 million trips over the past 60 years.
“I remember traveling on the Sunlander to Brisbane as a boy and when I started my career in Bowen in 1989, I would travel back and forth on the Sunlander,” he said.
“It will be sad to see the Sunlander reach retirement age next year but it’s fantastic to see the modern fleet taking shape.
“I’m excited about what these new services can do for tourism in the Whitsundays and other parts of regional Queensland.”
The competition will open at the Queensland Rail Ekka pavilion on 8 August, with a video camera and photo booth set up for entrants to start showcasing their talents, while at the same time having some fun.
The competition will also be available at major regional centres including Gympie, Hervey Bay, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns throughout September.
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