Hundreds of fans board the 'Elvis Express'

Hundreds of Elvis fans have swamped Sydney's Central Station before boarding the "Elvis Express" to an Australian celebration of the King.

Elvis fan Jarrod Livingstone-Foggo

Elvis fan Jarrod Livingstone-Foggo (AAP)

Sydney's Central Station has been enlivened by the spirit of the King with hundreds of Elvis fans preparing to board the "Elvis Express".

Some wore ill-fitting wigs and others wore altered jumpsuits for the trip on Thursday.

One Elvis fan showed off her 30-year-old forearm tattoo of his face.

It's the 12th year that NSW TrainLink has organised the express to the Elvis festival at Parkes in NSW's central west.

This year the train was sold out with about 300 fans spending $179 each on the round trip.

Two Elvis tribute artists will move from carriage to carriage entertaining fans during the seven-hour journey.

Elias Jamhour has been performing on the Elvis Express for four years.

He told AAP that performing on the train was always fun but could get wild.

"I think they [wild fans] should be ashamed of themselves to be honest," he joked.

"There were a few instances last year that had me a little bit worried."

The Parkes Elvis Festival has been running for more than 20 years and kicked off on Wednesday on what would have been Elvis's 79th birthday.

Barbara Clarke is celebrating her 40th birthday by attending the festival for the first time.

She dragged her best friend all the way from Brisbane for the event.

The friends say they're excited to meet Cynthia Pepper who starred alongside The King in Kissin' Cousins, this year's festival theme.

They'll attend a morning tea with the 60s star where they say they plan to ask her, "Did you kiss Elvis and what was it like?"

The festival runs until Sunday, January 12, and is expected to attract about 18,000 people.

NSW TrainLink Promotions Officer and Elvis fan Cameron Nicholls says the Elvis Express is "just a fun and safe way" of getting to Parkes and he hopes it continues for many years to come.


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Source: AAP


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