Adelaide Parklands Terminal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Adelaide Parklands Terminal
Location	Richmond Road, Keswick Terminal
Coordinates	34°56′17″S 138°34′52″E / 34.93806°S 138.58111°E / -34.93806; 138.58111
Owned by	Journey Beyond
Operated by	Journey Beyond
Line(s)	The Overland The Ghan Indian Pacific Great Southern
Platforms	3 (1 side, 1 island)
Tracks	3
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Parking	Yes
History
Opened	18 May 1984
Services
Preceding station Journey Beyond Following station Cook One-way operation Indian Pacific Mount Victoria towards Sydney Cook towards East Perth Broken Hill One-way operation Coober Pedy One-way operation The Ghan Terminus Marla towards Darwin Terminus The Overland Murray Bridge towards Adelaide Great Southern Inverleigh One-way operation Stawell towards Brisbane

The Adelaide Parklands Terminal is a big train station in Adelaide, South Australia. It used to be called Keswick Terminal. This station is special because it's the only one in the world where you can catch trains that go across Australia in both north-south and east-west directions.

The terminal is about 3 kilometers (2 miles) southwest of the main city area. It's located near the suburb of Keswick. In 1987, the area around the terminal became its own suburb, covering a large space of about 56.6 hectares (140 acres).

When Did the Terminal Open?

The Adelaide Parklands Terminal first opened on May 18, 1984. Back then, it was known as Keswick Terminal. It was built by a company called Australian National. They wanted a special station just for long-distance passenger trains. This allowed them to move these services out of the main Adelaide railway station.

In 1997, the station was sold to a new company called Great Southern Rail. Later, in June 2008, the station's name was changed to Adelaide Parklands Terminal. This change was part of a plan to make the station better for travelers, with improved shops, food, and overall comfort.

Which Trains Use This Station?

The Adelaide Parklands Terminal was built to handle different types of train tracks. This allowed trains like The Ghan, Indian Pacific, and Trans-Australian to use it. The Overland train also used the station.

At first, The Overland used wider tracks, but these were changed to the standard size in 1995. The station also used to serve other regional trains in South Australia until about 1990.

Since 1991, the main trains using the terminal have been The Ghan, Indian Pacific, and The Overland. A special train called The Southern Spirit ran for a few years, and the Great Southern train started its seasonal trips in 2020. Today, all these trains are run by Journey Beyond. Sometimes, other special passenger trains from different states also visit the terminal.

Getting Around from the Terminal

Even though there are local train tracks nearby, the closest suburban train station is about 700 meters (766 yards) away. The nearest bus stop is also a short walk, about 450 meters (492 yards) away.

Gallery

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  The Indian Pacific at the terminal

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  Main platform with carriages from The Ghan

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  Terminal entrance (2014)

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  Choo Choos Cafe (2011)

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  GM22 at the head of the Trans Australian in 1986. (Note dual gauge tracks)