He may have left the building long ago, but the King of Rock'n'Roll is still very much setting souls on fire if the Elvis fever at Sydney's Central Station is any sign.
Elvis mania took over the station on Thursday morning as revellers in bejewelled jumpsuits got ready teddy to pack two trains - the Blue Suede Express and Elvis Express - for the annual pilgrimage to Parkes in the state's central west.
And lord have mercy, you should've seen the size of those gelled quiffs.
Hundreds of fans watched as crooners belted out Elvis hits, much to the amusement of morning commuters.
Hip-swivelling Scotsman Stewart Munro is among a group of five, ready to shake, rattle and roll over the next four days at the Parkes Elvis Festival..
"We're all here for Elvis, he's the king," he told AAP on Thursday.
"The whole world loves Elvis."
His cousin Ross Cummings, also heading to Parkes, says he was impressed by the Elvis fever at the station.
"I've never been, but if this is anything to go by, it's going to be good."
The two trains departed about 9.30am on the seven-hour, 365km trip to Parkes.
For Sydney woman Julie Barwick, it was now or never. So she roped in four friends and is looking forward to a good time.
"It's been on the bucket list for years, so we decided we'd make it happen this year," she told AAP.
"It's great fun and it's really nice people have made a big effort," she said.
Elvis impersonators moved from carriage to carriage, performing the King's hits, standing on seats and stealing kisses.
In his red jumpsuit, impersonator John Collins, from Berry, NSW, welcomed travellers to the first performance in the dining carriage.
"Some of you will be pleased to know you're all virgins again," he said, to squeals.
But the biggest cheers of all are reserved for the same serious hip swivelling that shocked conservative America when Elvis burst onto the scene in the 1950s.
Tourism Minister Adam Marshall said more than 25,000 revellers are expected to pack the rural town, but there is also the money, honey, with a forecast $14 million pumped into the local economy.
"It's the largest celebration of the King globally and it's right here in NSW," he said, before handing over to Parkes Mayor Ken Keith, the "best-dressed mayor in all of Australia".
Wearing a baby blue studded jumpsuit, Elvis shades and sideburns, Cr Keith was looking more like Elvis than Elvis himself.
With two trains from Sydney and two coaches from Canberra and Tamworth, the festival is "bigger and better than ever", he gushed.
"We're looking forward to this quirky, unique festival to provide all the fun and entertainment you'd like to see," he said.
This year marks 50 years since Elvis's 1968 comeback, although he's likely always on the minds of the colourful festival devotees.
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