Cow derails popular tourist train in Australian Outback

SYDNEY — One of Australia’s most popular tourist trains, The Ghan, derailed after hitting a cow in the Outback, train company officials said Monday.

No passengers were hurt in the incident, which happened Sunday night near the small town of Kulgera in the Northern Territory, said Sophie Dent, spokeswoman for Great Southern Rail, which operates The Ghan.

The train was on its 1,850-mile (2,979-kilometer) run between the Northern Territory capital of Darwin and the South Australia state capital of Adelaide when it slammed into the cow. The locomotive ran off the tracks, but there was no damage to the train, Dent said.

“It’s not uncommon to hit animals if they’re in front of the tracks,” Dent said. “We can’t stop suddenly.”

A new locomotive was brought in and the train resumed its journey Monday morning, she said.

The Ghan cuts through Australia’s harsh central desert, offering passengers breathtaking views of the Outback’s majestic landscape.

I rode that train in April the other direction, Adelaide to Darwin. Two comments. It is not just a tourist train. It is a major connection from southern Australia to northern Australia. It is a bit expensive but a wonderful trip. Marvelous food (including camel, emu, and kangaroo). Comfortable and clean. Would do it again.

We saw a lot of cows, a few camels, no kangaroos. The scenery reminded us of going through the panhandle of Texas except for the trees. They are very different.

It is not just a tourist train. It is a major connection from southern Australia to northern Australia.

I was just reading about that:

Hi-speed Trains Boost Jobs
Super-fast travel between Australia’s major cities has been on the national agenda for decades now the campaign is stepping up a gear, writes Nick Gibson.
The dream of travelling from Melbourne to Sydney in just three hours will soon be a reality as Aussies swap planes for hi-speed trains.
Jets have traditionally overcome the ‘tyranny of distance’ facing travellers across the Australian continent and the Melbourne - Sydney air route is now the world's fourth busiest. But the need to offset the effects of climate change and reduce carbon-based energy use is forcing a change in transport policies, away from planes and towards energy-efficient trains. A major restructuring of the Australian economy is moving the country towards a higher percentage of electricity, heating and transport fuelled by renewable energy sources.
“In the next few years Australia will move quickly towards an energy-efficient economy and this will have a major impact on job creation,” says Darrell Todd, ceo of thinkingausrtalia.com
Transport generates the fastest-growing amount of Australian greenhouse gas emissions (16%). Across the transport sector aviation is the fastest-growing contributor of carbon emissions.
A high-speed train, meanwhile, carries eight times more passengers than a jet plane over a given distance - using the same amount of energy. Electrifying 95% of Australia's transport system would play a major role in reducing carbon emissions, as it could be powered by 100% renewable energy.
Says Darrell Todd: “The building of a new national high-speed rail network linking all major cites will be a massive infrastructure project and will provide thousands of new jobs for a decade or more”.
If you are a UK worker or professional seeking a new job and better lifestyle Down Under, contact us today to find out about jobs and migration and how YOU could be starting a new life in Australia in 2010. Tel: 0845 850 4040

Apparently they're looking for migrants to help them build the new high-speed rail.

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