Cattle truck crashes into The Ghan at Alice Springs interrupting once-in-a-lifetime trip for passengers
Passengers saw their unique journey cut short after a cattle truck rammed into The Ghan train in the Australian outback.
The truck collided with a second car of the luxury passenger train at the Arltunga level crossing, about 60 kilometres north of Alice Springs, at around 10am local time on Sunday.
A spokeswoman for Journey Beyond, the company that operates The Ghan, said no serious injuries had been reported to passengers, operators or crew.
“Bus transport has been arranged to pick up guests and take them to Alice Springs,” she said.
‘Emergency services are currently on site.’
The truck driver was treated for shock at the scene and taken to hospital.
The Ghan, which can carry up to 300 people, sails between Darwin and Adelaide in three days and has been in operation for more than 90 years.
Tickets start at $2,755 per person, up to over $5,000 for a one-way platinum ticket, including all meals.
The Ghan (pictured), an iconic Australian passenger train, has collided with a cattle truck in the Northern Territory
No serious injuries were reported among the train passengers (pictured one of the crossings of The Ghan with the Stuart Highway)
Sunday’s accident is expected to cause chaos on the track as the train cannot be moved.
“The disruption to the rail network is expected to continue for several days as the train cannot run,” police told ABC News.
NT WorkSafe has been notified of the incident and the railway network operator has also been informed.
“The investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident is still ongoing.”