The Ghan for more freight to travel through the region, leading to a hope that Darwin will serve as another trade link with Asia. In preparation for the connection to Darwin, one of the locomotives was named after Steve Irwin in a hope that the internationally recognised face of Australia would help promote the new service and tourism to the region. The modern Ghan has featured in an episode of Channel 5's series "Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways", and the Mighty Trains series. It was also the subject of a slow television documentary called 'The Ghan: Australia's Greatest Train Journey'. The entire journey
The Ghan in January 1891. Work on the extension to Alice Springs began in 1926, and was completed in 1929. Until then, the final leg of the train journey was still made by camel. Although there were plans from the beginning to extend the line to Darwin, by the time the extension to Alice Springs had been completed, "The Ghan" was losing money and the plans for further extension to Darwin were suspended indefinitely. The original Ghan line followed the same track as the overland telegraph, which is believed to be the route taken by John McDouall Stuart during his 1862 crossing