Contact our sales office for further information and reservations:

The NSW Rail Transport Museum (the ‘Museum’) provides travel services which may include, but are not limited to, rail, road, air or sea travel, accommodation, meals / refreshments and activities which singly or severally may comprise and may be advertised as a tour package (the ‘tour’).

The NSW Rail Transport Museum markets tours under the brand name Heritage Express™. Heritage Express is a wholly owned business unit of the NSW Rail Transport Museum.

These conditions incorporate the basis upon which all tour bookings by you and your party are accepted by the Museum.

You are responsible on behalf of anyone else included in your booking, so please ensure that all passengers booked by you are provided with a copy of these conditions.

You are also bound by any instructions or safety conditions, guidelines or regulations, conditions of carriage, State or Federal by-laws or regulations that may apply for the purposes of the tour (whether imposed by the Museum or a third party), and which may be notified and / or displayed during the tour.

Making a booking:
Bookings may be made in person or by mail to the above addresses, or by telephone or facsimile to our sales office on the above numbers, or as indicated in a Museum tour brochure or other Museum advertising. Payment can be accepted by cash, cheque, postal order or a credit card as nominated on the reservation form. Any correspondence will be sent to the address you supply.

Your reservation will be processed upon receipt of a completed reservation form accompanied by either the full payment, the nominated non refundable deposit, or in accordance with a payment plan offered in writing by the Museum. Reservations will not be held or processed without payment.

The payment of the full tour value or a deposit signifies that you have read, understood and agreed to these detailed reservation conditions.

Payment for one day tours:
Payment for any one day tour of less than 24 hours duration must be made in full at the time of booking.

Written confirmation of telephone reservations for one day tours will be provided within 14 days of receipt of your reservation. Confirmation of one day tour personal, fax and mail reservations is generally not provided.

Payment for extended tours:
For extended tours of more than 24 hours duration, or involving overnight accommodation, a reservation can be secured by payment of a non-refundable deposit of $250.00 per passenger. The balance of the fare is due no later than 30 days prior to departure, or, if part of an ‘early bird’ fare package, no later than the date specified in the tour brochure for ‘early bird’ fare payment.

For reservations made less than 30 days prior to departure, the full fare is payable at the time of booking. If any payments are not received by the due date the Museum reserves the right to treat the booking as cancelled and subject to cancellation fees and / or forfeiture of the deposit.

Written confirmation of receipt of your Extended tour reservation will be provided within 14 days of receipt of your reservation.

Fares:
Any concession fares offered are outlined in the Museum’s brochure for the tour.

• School Student fares apply to children aged five to fifteen and older school students in possession of a valid School Student Identification Card.
• Children four and under travel free but are not allocated a seat / sleeping berth or any other tour inclusions which may be offered such as meals and activities, unless prior arrangements have been made. Children are welcome on our tours, however, if you wish to bring a child aged four or under on a Museum tour which includes meals and / or activities, please contact our sales office for advice and a quotation prior to making your reservation.
• Seniors fare applies to passengers in possession of valid State Government issued Seniors Cards.
• NSW Rail Transport Museum members fares apply to passengers with a current, valid Museum membership subscription. The Museum reserves the right to demand the full fare should the Member’s subscription lapse or be cancelled for any reason in the period between booking and the commencement of the tour, or if the Member’s subscription fees are in arrears.

A valid Seniors or Museum Members card number must be quoted at the time of booking. Evidence of a passengers entitlement to a concessional fare may be required at the time of booking or when ticket(s) are examined during the tour. Concession fares are not transferable.

Group Discounts:
Group travel incentives are available – please contact our sales office for a quotation if you wish to book 16 or more people on a One Day tour, or eight (8) or more people on an extended tour. For larger groups we can also offer carriage block bookings and private train charters.

Tour fare inclusions:
GST, all accommodation, meals, rail travel by private heritage train, transfers, entry fees and sightseeing as specified in the itinerary.

Not included in your tour fare:
Any meals not specified in the itinerary and any items of a personal nature such as telephone calls, gratuities, porterage, drinks, travel insurance, laundry, connecting transport to join or leave the tour, personal accident and medical expenses and all extra costs incurred on a client’s behalf.

Tour costs:
Each tour presented by the Museum represents a complete package and, as such, an itemised breakdown of component costs will not be given.

Tickets:
Tickets and vouchers are issued by the Museum authorising participation on Museum tour services only. Tickets will not be issued unless payment has been received in full. Any passenger who is not in possession of an appropriate valid ticket or voucher authorising travel on the Museum’s tour may be removed from the tour at the Museum’s convenience and the Museum will not be liable for any consequential costs or claims.

Pre-departure information:
Final details, helpful hints and the exact tour timetable will be forwarded by mail with your tickets / vouchers approximately seven days prior to tour departure.

Please note that tour timings shown in the Museum’s tour brochure are indicative only.

Late Reservations:
To avoid disappointment, reservations should be made as soon as possible. Subject to availability, reservations made less than seven (7) days in advance of the tour will be confirmed as soon as possible by phone or facsimile and ticket(s) will be held for collection when you join the tour.

A $30 late booking fee will apply for bookings made on extended tours 14 days or less in advance of the tour departure date.

If you cancel a reservation:
Cancellation fees apply in accordance with standard travel industry practice.

Any application for refund must be notified promptly and confirmed in writing, and must be accompanied by any tickets or vouchers issued. The Museum reserves the right to decline to pay any refund if ticket/s and / or vouchers (if already issued) are not returned prior to the date of departure. Cancellation fees are calculated on the day written notification is received by the Museum.

For One Day tours:

• Cancellations notified 14 days or more prior to the day of departure – 10% of the tour fare and all associated charges is forfeited.
• Cancellations notified more than 7 days and less than 14 days prior to the day of departure – 20% of the tour fare and all associated charges is forfeited.
• Cancellations notified 7 days or less prior to the day of departure, or failure to join the tour, or leaving the tour once it has commenced – no refund.

For Extended tours:

• Cancellations notified more than 60 days prior to the day of departure – the value of the deposit / minimum payment applicable to the tour is forfeited.
• Cancellations notified more than 30 days and up to and including 60 days prior to the date of departure – 25% of the total fare and associated charges is forfeited.
• Cancellations notified more than 14 days and up to and including 30 days prior to the date of departure – 50% of the total fare is forfeited.
• Cancellations notified 14 days or less prior to departure, or failure to join the tour, or leaving the tour once it has commenced – no refund. Any deposits paid are non refundable. The minimum cancellation fee levied will at least be equivalent to the deposit payable for the tour, however the amount retained as a cancellation fee may increase depending upon the amount of notice of cancellation provided.

Where the booking includes other services such as meals, accommodation, entrance admissions etc., the Museum reserves the right to pass on any additional cancellation fees that may be incurred.

A cancellation will not be accepted merely due to circumstances such as weather conditions, due to timetable alterations, or because a particular type of locomotive or carriage cannot be made available.

No credit or refund is possible for any unused services included in the basic tour price, or for any lost, mislaid or destroyed travel documents.

The Museum must strictly enforce these cancellation policies as it is obliged to commit to costs and reservations on your behalf which are subject to onerous cancellation fees.

Travel insurance:
It is strongly recommend that you carry Travel Insurance which may cover you against things such as personal illness or accident, cancellation, loss of baggage etc. If you choose not to take Travel Insurance the Museum may require a declaration stating that this is your preference.

Special accommodation requests:
The Museum will make every endeavour to allocate any reserved seats and / or sleeping berths (when offered) on a fair and equitable basis and to satisfy special accommodation requests when made in writing at the time of booking, but this may not always be possible.

Tour Timetable and connections:
Passengers are responsible for making (and paying for) any and all connecting travel arrangements and confirming with their transport provider that reliable and suitable connections exist on the day to connect with the Museum tour departure.

You should be ready to join the tour at least 15 minutes (or at such other time as nominated in pre-departure information) before the indicated departure time and check-in with Museum personnel immediately upon joining the tour. The Museum is unable to delay departures for latecomers, due to delayed connections, or to guarantee clients onward connections at the conclusion of the tour.

Changes to the itinerary:
The Museum always endeavours to provide accurate descriptions and information in brochures and advertising material and attempts to ensure all elements of the tour are of a reasonable standard. However, tour arrangements are generally made many months in advance and circumstances may change, in the event of any significant changes you will be informed as soon as reasonably possible if there is time before departure. Advertised fares for each tour are based upon known costs at the time of publication and we do not anticipate the need to make changes.

Due to changing operational conditions the Museum reserve the right to make changes to the itinerary when necessary without compensation. The Museum will always endeavour to substitute a program of equivalent content and of similar standard. In the event of the unavailability or cancellation of an event, tour or service provided by a third party and contracted as part of the tour, the Museum may, at its’ discretion, refund a proportion of your fare(s).

Advertised Locomotive and / or Carriages:
Every effort will be made to provide the locomotive(s) and carriage(s) described in the Museum’s publicity material. However, due to operational or maintenance requirements determined by the Museum or a third party, or a declared Total Fire Ban or extreme fire weather conditions in all or a portion of the train or locomotives’ route, it may be necessary to substitute a different locomotive or carriage. Every endeavour will be made to provide the most suitable locomotive or carriage in the circumstances.

Travelling alone:
Single overnight accommodation is generally available on the rail portion of extended tours – this accommodation is limited and will be allocated in strict order of booking receipt.

A single supplement may apply for off train accommodation when offered. In remote locations single accommodation may not be available at off train accommodation and it may be necessary for singles to share.

Single travellers may request twin share accommodation and we will endeavour to match you with a suitable travelling companion. However, if this is not possible, or if one person in a twin share cancels, then a single supplement is payable.

Smoking:
Smoking is prohibited in all areas on the Museum’s trains, on transport services and in venues which may be incorporated in the Museum’s tours from time to time. Short smoking breaks are scheduled at station stops during most journeys.

Baggage:
All baggage is carried at your own risk and we accept no liability for loss of, damage or delay to your luggage under any circumstances. All baggage must be lockable and clearly labelled inside and out with your name, full residential street address and home phone number.

Due to space constraints, you should only bring on board hand luggage required for your tour. Checked or excess luggage cannot be accepted.

Pets:
All pets or animals (except guide dogs) are prohibited aboard Museum tours.

If we cancel your tour:
We reserve the right to cancel any tour at our discretion. If we cancel your tour due to circumstances such as, but not limited to, lack of bookings or difficulties with equipment or network access, we will notify you no later than 14 days prior to the intended departure date. We will either offer you an alternative tour and date of comparable value or we will refund in full all monies paid. We will not be liable for any consequential loss or compensation. If you accept the alternative tour, but then subsequently cancel, standard cancellation fees will apply.

We also reserve the right to cancel all or a portion of a tour without notice in cases of force majeure which include, but are not limited to, actual or potential industrial dispute affecting the provision of part or all of the Museum’s services, natural disaster, unavailability of network access, equipment failure, war, civil disturbance, or any event of such proportions that we decide it is unwise to proceed with the tour.

Indemnity:
When a tour offers participation in photo stops or travel to, from or through a location where normal passenger facilities (locations other than those used for passenger purposes by regularly scheduled public passenger rail services) are not provided, it must be clearly understood that any passenger who so alights, detrains or entrains does so entirely at their own risk and must, in so doing, obey any lawful instruction provided by an authorised Museum or other official.

Arbitration / complaints:
The contract and these conditions shall be governed in all respects by the laws of Australia. In the unlikely situation that you have a complaint about any aspect of the Museum’s arrangements, the complaint must be reported immediately to our tour manager or tour host / hostess, and (if applicable) to the duty manager of the hotel, motel or supplier whose services are involved, in order that we may be given the opportunity to correct the matter during the tour.

The Museum is unable to consider any complaint in respect of tour arrangements unless full details are submitted to the Museum in writing no later than 14 days after the completion of the tour.

Dress, health, fitness and conduct:
Dress standards may apply on some tours as outlined in the brochure advertising the tour or the final itinerary issued with your ticket(s).

The Museum reserves the right to decline, to accept or retain any person as a passenger should such person’s health, mental condition, general deportment or physical infirmity impede the operation of the tour, or the rights, welfare or enjoyment of other clients. All passengers must abide by the relevant safety conditions and any lawful instructions issued by authorised Museum officers. Any passenger who infringes these conditions may be removed from the tour at the Museum’s discretion and the Museum will not be liable for any inconvenience or consequential costs or claims.

The Museum also reserves the right to request a passenger be accompanied by a fare paying companion should age or infirmity hinder their ability to travel on the tour on their own. Failure to notify the Museum of any disabilities or mobility restrictions prior to departure may result in refusal of carriage on the day or during the tour. Full cancellation conditions would apply.

Walking is an essential element of our tours. The amount of walking varies on each tour, but all clients will need to be able to walk unaided on moving trains and, depending upon the tour, other forms of transport.

Many of the Museum’s tours involve travel in heritage carriages which preclude the use of wheelchairs or prams on board and some tour venues and activities may be more suitable than others for mobility impaired passengers. On our trains, Museum personnel will be on hand to assist passengers to their seats if required and folding wheelchairs and prams may be stored in some carriage vestibules or luggage compartments.

Please consult our sales office if you have any doubts about your capability to cope on a particular tour. If at any stage of the tour you would require use of a wheelchair, then these tours may not be suitable for you.

Our Responsibility:
The Museum cannot accept any liability of whatever nature for the acts, omissions or default, whether negligent or otherwise, of third parties providing services in connection with your tour pursuant to a contract either express or implied between themselves and yourself (which may be evidenced in writing by the issue of a ticket, voucher, coupon or the like) and over whom we have no direct or exclusive control.

The Museum does not accept any liability in contract or in tort (actionable wrong) for any injury, damage, loss, delay, additional expenses or inconvenience caused directly or indirectly by force majeure or other events which are beyond our control, or which are not preventable by reasonable diligence on our part including, but not limited to civil disturbance, fire, floods, unusually severe weather, acts of god, acts of Government or of any authorities, accidents to or failure of machinery or equipment or industrial action (whether or not involving our employees and even though such action may be settled by acceding to the demands of a labour group).

Where travel is by scheduled carrier or charter service, that carrier’s responsibility is limited in accordance with their conditions of carriage.

The Museum and / or its associated companies or agents give notice that they act as booking agents only for the persons or companies providing or offering the means of travel, conveyance, transport, accommodation or other service and all receipts, tickets, vouchers and the like are issued subject to the terms and conditions under which these transportation and other services are provided.

Certain laws imply terms, conditions and warranties (‘Terms’) into agreements for the provision of services and prohibit the exclusion, restriction or modification of such Terms or limit the liability of the supplier of the services for a breach thereof. Subject to Terms, the Museum shall not be liable for an injury, loss, accident, delay or irregularity that may be caused to any persons or property however caused or arising during any tour under its management, sponsorship, procurement or otherwise.

The Museum applies all reasonable checks to ensure those involved in the preparation and provision of its tours maintain the appropriate standards.

The descriptions, information and opinions given in the Museum’s brochures in respect of facilities and other suppliers services who are used are given in good faith based on the latest information available at the time of going to press. In exceptional circumstances local factors (weather conditions, technical failures etc.) may limit or remove the facilities described. The Museum cannot be held responsible for such limitation or withdrawal of facilities.

Where the Museum has described accommodation or other tour inclusions as a certain standard these are not necessarily official gradings but the Museum’s own assessment based upon its impression or general opinion and what is available locally.

Neither the Museum nor any person or supplier assisting or collaborating with it shall be liable for death or personal injury unless directly resulting from the negligence of the Museum or its servants in its contractual duty to exercise care in making arrangements for the client.

Last updated 22 April 2004