Australian rail
Services both urban, intra and inter state, offer very good facilities for wheelchair passengers.
Queensland
All Queensland Rail stations are wheelchair accessible. Trains are accessible, some stations allow direct access from the platform others use portable ramps provided by the guard/conductor. Regional trains have wheelchair facilities, wheelchairs are provided on board to assist in moving around the train. These facilities are also provided on the 'Tilt Train'. Companion cards issued in any Australian state are honoured by Queensland Rail allowing the hiolder to have a companion or support person to travel free.
Full details easily obtained by accessing their web sites
www.traveltrain.com.au go to 'Booking Trip' and then 'passengers with disabilities
www.citytrain.com/disability access/overview/
www.railsmart.com.au/easyaccess.html.
Victoria
All V line stations are wheelchair accessible. All trains are accessible by portable wheelchair ramps, provided by the conductor.
Wheelchair accessible toilets are available on Sprinter andVLocity railcars, while limited accessible toilet facilities are available on locomotive hauled trains. Companion cards issued in any Australian state are honoured by V line allowing the holder to have a companion or support person to travel free.
Full details
www.vline.com.au/travellingwithvline/Customers_with_Disabilities/b11.html
West Australia
Transperth's railcars and their new bus fleet have wheelchair access.
their website gives information regarding which coach services. www.transperth.wa.gov.au
Intra state trains have wheelchair friendly toilets. Passengers in whellchairs may elect to sit in the wheelchair passengers in scooters/gophers are required to sit in the train seats. Buffet cars are available (this is 'bar service' not dine in) and wheelchair positions are located in the same car as the buffet car. The 'Prospector" (Kalgoorlie service) and 'Australind' (Bunbury service) have buffet cars. The 'Avonlink' and 'Merriden' ( Northern and Merredin services) do not have buffet cars but have wheelcahir scooter/gopher storage facilities and toilet facilities. On coach servises passengers may elect to sit in their wheelchair or sit in a seat. The driver facilitates the wheelchair passenger to disembark at major comfort stop points. Scooters/gophers must have collapsible steering columns to allow storage in the luggage locker.
www.transwa.wa.gov.au
Inter State
Great Southern Rail, operators of, The Ghan, Overland and Indian Pacific have advised details of their services. Full size wheelchairs, electric wheel chairs and Scooters/gophers are not able to fit through the external doors of the trains. They will be carried free of charge in the luggage compartment. GSR provide chairs to embark the trains and have lifting devices to enable entry to trains. On board, GSR provided Wheelchairs may be used for visits to the buffet and toilets etc,
The Ghan and the Indian Pacific provide special needs cabins which are double the space of the Gold Service twin cabin. Plans are in hand for a $20 million upgrade which will see the widening of external doors on the 'Pullman' cabins to allow full size wheelchair access. GSR is also making major modifications to their trains to improve the level of access in their Red Service 'sit up' carriages.
The Overland operating between Melbourne and Adelaide has been modified to provide Wheelchair allocated spaces with a lock down facility. This facility is sold in conjunction with a reserved seat if you prefer transfer from the wheelchair to the train seat for the journey
For more information visit www.gsr.com.au go to travel advice and select special needs.
Services both urban, intra and inter state, offer very good facilities for wheelchair passengers.
Queensland
All Queensland Rail stations are wheelchair accessible. Trains are accessible, some stations allow direct access from the platform others use portable ramps provided by the guard/conductor. Regional trains have wheelchair facilities, wheelchairs are provided on board to assist in moving around the train. These facilities are also provided on the 'Tilt Train'. Companion cards issued in any Australian state are honoured by Queensland Rail allowing the hiolder to have a companion or support person to travel free.
Full details easily obtained by accessing their web sites
www.traveltrain.com.au go to 'Booking Trip' and then 'passengers with disabilities
www.citytrain.com/disability access/overview/
www.railsmart.com.au/easyaccess.html.
Victoria
All V line stations are wheelchair accessible. All trains are accessible by portable wheelchair ramps, provided by the conductor.
Wheelchair accessible toilets are available on Sprinter andVLocity railcars, while limited accessible toilet facilities are available on locomotive hauled trains. Companion cards issued in any Australian state are honoured by V line allowing the holder to have a companion or support person to travel free.
Full details
www.vline.com.au/travellingwithvline/Customers_with_Disabilities/b11.html
West Australia
Transperth's railcars and their new bus fleet have wheelchair access.
their website gives information regarding which coach services. www.transperth.wa.gov.au
Intra state trains have wheelchair friendly toilets. Passengers in whellchairs may elect to sit in the wheelchair passengers in scooters/gophers are required to sit in the train seats. Buffet cars are available (this is 'bar service' not dine in) and wheelchair positions are located in the same car as the buffet car. The 'Prospector" (Kalgoorlie service) and 'Australind' (Bunbury service) have buffet cars. The 'Avonlink' and 'Merriden' ( Northern and Merredin services) do not have buffet cars but have wheelcahir scooter/gopher storage facilities and toilet facilities. On coach servises passengers may elect to sit in their wheelchair or sit in a seat. The driver facilitates the wheelchair passenger to disembark at major comfort stop points. Scooters/gophers must have collapsible steering columns to allow storage in the luggage locker.
www.transwa.wa.gov.au
Inter State
Great Southern Rail, operators of, The Ghan, Overland and Indian Pacific have advised details of their services. Full size wheelchairs, electric wheel chairs and Scooters/gophers are not able to fit through the external doors of the trains. They will be carried free of charge in the luggage compartment. GSR provide chairs to embark the trains and have lifting devices to enable entry to trains. On board, GSR provided Wheelchairs may be used for visits to the buffet and toilets etc,
The Ghan and the Indian Pacific provide special needs cabins which are double the space of the Gold Service twin cabin. Plans are in hand for a $20 million upgrade which will see the widening of external doors on the 'Pullman' cabins to allow full size wheelchair access. GSR is also making major modifications to their trains to improve the level of access in their Red Service 'sit up' carriages.
The Overland operating between Melbourne and Adelaide has been modified to provide Wheelchair allocated spaces with a lock down facility. This facility is sold in conjunction with a reserved seat if you prefer transfer from the wheelchair to the train seat for the journey
For more information visit www.gsr.com.au go to travel advice and select special needs.
