Hi I have just returned from Townsville. I went up by Sunlander and back by Tilt Train. The Townsville stop is just to pick up and set down passengers. It is where the train picks up any slack from Cairns or from the South. The station has only vending machines and is miles from any shops. The Stop at Mackay is always at night. It is a refueling stop for the locos and watering stop for the passenger cars. I think again only vending machines and it is also not near shops.