The Spirit of Queensland Train’s RailBeds Review

Over the years I’ve been lucky to have travelled on some pretty incredible trains around the world.

I’ve experienced the romance of rail on the Venice Simplon Orient Express and the Royal Scotsman, zipped through the Japanese countryside on a bullet train and crossed Canada on The Canadian.

Here in Australia I’ve gone north to south on the Ghan and east to west on the Indian Pacific, travelled out to Longreach on Queensland’s Spirit of the Outback and was able to experience The Sunlander train before she became an Australian travel memory.

But I’ve never travelled on a train like this anywhere else in the world.

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The first of her kind in the Southern Hemisphere, the Spirit of Queensland was brought in to replace The Sunlander, cutting the Brisbane to Cairns route down from 31 hours to a 25 hour journey. A speedier trip isn’t the only change between the two, as while the Sunlander had private sleeping compartments, the Spirit of Queensland has two classes and both remind me of something you’d usually see in the sky.

The premium economy carriages feature leather seats, entertainment systems with on demand movies, TV and music in the back of the seat in front of you and a 35 degree seat recline.

Meanwhile the RailBeds are reminiscent of business class seats on an airline. Or possibly first class, depending on who you’re flying with.

By day the RailBeds are large seats that can recline 35 degrees and have a footrest that can be used as a seat if you’re travelling with someone who wants to come and have a chat. By night they are converted into the sort of flat bed that I’d be very happy to find on a plane, measuring 1.9m x 0.51m.

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There are two RailBed carriages, with 19 in one car and 16 in the other to allow for customers using wheelchairs. Most rows have three seats, with two on one side and another on the other side of the aisle, so if you’re travelling solo as I was you may want to request the single bed aisle when you book rather than the double if you’d prefer not to sleep next to a stranger.

Speaking of sleeping, if you suffer from sleep apnea and travel with a machine, you should let Queensland Rail know that you’ll be bringing one onboard so they can take care of you. All seats come with a 240 volt AC power outlet so depending on your machine you should be just fine, but do let them know when you book your ticket.

RailBed passengers also receive an amenities kit that can be subject to change and at the time of writing includes a lip balm, face cleanser, moisturiser and bar of soap in a travel bag.

While the Sunlander’s Queenslander class had a full dining car, the Spirit of Queensland’s RailBeds continue that airline feel with a trolley service, so you can have dinner and a movie without moving from your seat.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included in your RailBed ticket, with one glass of complimentary wine with your evening meal. Any other drinks and snacks can be purchased from the club car, which is where economy passengers buy their meals.

Unlike the Sunlander where meals are all freshly prepared in the kitchen, here they’re more airline food style. It’s still all fresh Queensland produce but it’s mostly been prepped on land before it’s finished on board.

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When it comes time to get ready for bed, the staff leaps into action, bringing out the hydraulics to flip the seat over to reveal a mattress. They then make the bed for you, providing all of the bedding as well as a towel for those who fancy a refreshing shower at high speed.

The shower may move a little bit more than you’re used to, but it’s surprisingly good, and there’s more space than you find on some other trains so your clothes don’t have to get wet when you do.

As for what to wear to bed? Before leaving home I’d already decided I was going the PJs route and had packed my Singapore Airlines sleep suit. As I came back from the bathrooms feeling all comfy I noticed some people had the same idea as me while others planned to sleep in their clothes. So really the choice is up to you, and whatever you feel comfortable doing.

With the beds all made up, the lights dimmed and the curtains closed, the RailBeds feel like a fun slumber party. A fast moving slumber party.

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While the Spirit of Queensland can and does do 160 kilometres per hour at times, she doesn’t stick to that speed the whole way. There are little things like bends and track conditions to take into consideration, and of course slowing to come into towns and stopping to let passengers on and off.

But she does feel fast. While you can’t feel the speed of a plane once you’re up in the air, you can feel the speed of a train. You feel connected to the rails, and as the train tilts, so do you. It’s quite exciting and I’m grinning like a kid on a theme park ride as I pop my head under the curtains to see the shadows of trees whizzing past and the moon and the stars shining above.

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As my train / airline experience blurs a little I sometimes forget where I am, and think ‘oh, a little turbulence’ as the train moves. I also wonder why I can’t find the call button to contact a member of staff, and then realise this isn’t a plane and there isn’t one, except for wheelchair customers.

The next morning I wake up, look out the window and smile. The sun is preparing to come up over the mountain range, there’s mist everywhere, and kangaroos are hopping beside the train. I may have grown up on a farm where kangaroos were commonplace but the sight puts a big smile on my face.

It’s beautiful out there, and I feel lucky to be seeing this part of Queensland in a completely new way.

Planning for your Spirit of Queensland RailBeds trip

So you’ve decided to book your Spirit of Queensland Railbeds trip. Excellent choice! Now I can share some more tips with you before you go.

Firstly, if you’re planning to get the train from Brisbane the map below shares some of the hotels and Stayz home rental options that are nice and close to the station. Just hover over them or click to see more.

Next, when it’s time to pack you can check in up to two 20kg bags, and while there’s no weight restriction for your carry on it does need to be 48cm x 23cm x 34cm to fit in the overhead compartment or on the floor in front of you.

As always, make sure you bring your travel essentials in your carry on, including all of your medication. I’ve recently upgraded my travel medication game with a Dosey pill compact with sections for days of the week and a mirror which feels nice and fancy.

Your complimentary amenities pack includes a lip balm, face cleanser, moisturiser and a bar of soap but you will want to bring your own toothpaste and toothbrush. The onboard team will give you a clean towel so you don’t need to pack your own, but do pack comfy clothes and some PJs or loungewear you can sleep in. And be sure to bring a warm layer in case the 22 degrees on the train feels a bit cool after you’ve been in the Queensland heat outside.

I would also recommend bringing an eye mask and ear plugs to help you sleep. While foam earplugs can help, I now travel with Loop Dream earplugs which are comfy to sleep in and are much better at reducing noise. They’re not only great when I want to go to sleep but also when people are chatting loudly nearby and I want to turn the volume way down.

While the RailBeds come with in-seat on-demand movies, TV shows, music and podcasts, it’s good to know before you go that there’s no Wi-FI on the train and mobile reception can be spotty in some areas. So you’re best to load up your own device with lots of things to watch offline if you want more choices. Of course reading a good book on a train is always a good idea so save room in your carry on for that one but don’t be surprised if you spend most of your time looking out the window taking in the view and loving your slow travel in Queensland.

Amanda Woods travelled on Spirit of Queensland as a guest of Queensland Rail. All thoughts and opinions remain her own.