Great Southern Rail Platinum Club

The refurbishment of the Platinum Club has reinvigorated a national icon. In doing so, it has connected and engaged with a broader audience, locally, nationally and globally. The new Platinum Class offering repositions luxury rail tourism in Australia with a contemporary design that respects and builds on a rich heritage. The new Platinum Club has delivered an almost immediate measurable increase in revenue and is already attracting a broader customer demographic.

The adaptability of experience and setting was a benefit developed through the project. The design team employed a range of tactics gleaned from hotel design where a single space is required to change function and mood over a 24-hour period. This knowledge assisted in curating a space that adapts seamlessly to breakfast, lunch, dinner and lounge functions. The resulting benefit was a compact space that changes personality over the course of the day to invite travelers to enjoy different service and atmosphere.

The interior design embraced the ever-changing context of the exterior environment by developing a neutral palette, which complimented the colours and tones of the Australian landscape. This restrained and highly considered palette is intrinsically linked to the landscape it explores. The view and colours of the countryside are considered as an ever-changing extension of the material selection. The design consciously allows the vistas of the Australian Outback to be the hero during the day. Evening settings switch to the internal softness and luxury of Platinum class travel.

The first of four carriages was built as a working prototype before the remaining refurbishments commenced. A unique opportunity was created through the prototype carriage construction, to fine tune a number of elements such as ergonomics, functional performance and material detailing. This afforded the client to adjust minor functional criteria to ensure the final solution improved on current operational performance. Reaching beyond the traditional market with a modern line and multi-functionality, it allows the business to trial new settings and offerings.