The Royal Australian Mint is celebrating 50 years of Journey Beyond Rail Expeditions’ revered Indian Pacific, with a new coloured 50 cent coin depicting the iconic Australian train and the announcement of a competition to win a trip for two on the transcontinental journey.
Royal Australian Mint CEO, Ross MacDiarmid, said the exciting launch of the new coin and upcoming competition follows the incredibly popular coin and competition that commemorated 90 Years of The Ghan last year.
“The Royal Australian Mint is delighted to share this unique limited edition coin that celebrates another of Australia’s world famous railway journeys, a story which will resonate with the Australian public, train lovers, coin collectors and fans of the iconic Indian Pacific itself” said Mr MacDiarmid.
Journey Beyond’s Chief Commercial Officer Peter Egglestone said it was an honour to have the Indian Pacific’s special milestone recognised in a coin.
“The Indian Pacific is a truly transcontinental rail adventure that journeys across the Nullarbor, through mountain ranges and rocky valleys and across arid deserts. The inaugural journey nearly 50 years ago was a significant achievement, which has now developed into the all-inclusive guest experience today with regionally-inspired food and wine, world-class service and Off Train Excursions.”
On 23 February 1970, the first Indian Pacific service left Sydney, becoming the first direct train to cross the Australian continent. This service was made possible when the east-west standard gauge project was completed several months earlier, allowing a single journey from the east to west Australia and back. The Indian Pacific, named for the two oceans that the train reaches on its journey, travels from Sydney across the Nullarbor to Perth, taking in Broken Hill, Adelaide and Kalgoorlie. The entire journey of 4,352 km takes four days. The journey includes the longest straight stretch of railway track in the world: a 478 km stretch across the Nullarbor. The Indian Pacific is considered one of the great railway journeys in the world. The wedge-tailed eagle logo of the Indian Pacific reflects the unique and ancient landscapes that are enjoyed by its passengers.
The 50th Anniversary of the Indian Pacific – 2020 50c Coloured Uncirculated Coin is available in a limited mintage of 30,000 and are Australian legal tender.
To learn more about the coin, please visit the Royal Australian Mint’s website.
Find out more about the iconic train line on the website of the train operator, Journey Beyond Rail Expeditions.
This video gives you an idea what it means to cross the continent downunder by train.
