<Tr> <Td> <Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> </Tr> </Table> </Td> <Td> 0km </Td> <Td_colspan="2"> Adelaide Parklands Terminal </Td> </Tr> <Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> </Tr> </Table> <P> The Adelaide--Darwin railway is a 2,979 kilometre south - north transcontinental railway in Australia, between the cities of Adelaide and Darwin . Built in stages in the twentieth century, the line was completed in 2004 when the Alice Springs to Darwin line opened . It is used by The Ghan passenger train and freight trains operated by Genesee & Wyoming Australia . </P> <P> The Northern Territory Acceptance Act 1910 that saw the Commonwealth Railways assume responsibility for the South Australian Railways' northern narrow gauge lines along with those in the Northern Territory, required the building of a South - North railway although no date was specified . Two routes were considered; a standard gauge line branching off the Trans - Australian Railway at Tarcoola or a cheaper narrow gauge extension of the line from Oodnadatta that had opened in 1891 . In the end the latter was chosen with the Central Australia Railway (CAR) opening to Alice Springs in August 1929 . Meanwhile the North Australia Railway (NAR) opened in stages south from Darwin to Birdum, the latter being reached in 1929 . </P>

Australian passenger train service on the adelaide to darwin route