Irish singer-songwriter Brian McFadden, who rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of the hugely popular boyband Westlife, is the guest artist this year.

McFadden is currently a judge on Australia’s Got Talent. 

He will board the historic train in Sydney for its 4352km journey across southern Australia.

Bathurst will be the first stop on a tour that also takes in Broken Hill, Watson, Rawlinna and Kalgoorlie. 

The train will pull into Bathurst Railway Station at 7.45pm next Wednesday, December 5.

Co-ordinator Tracey Bannon Read said this will be the 13th year the Outback Christmas Tour has pulled into Bathurst.

The Assumption School Choir will sing Christmas Carols with Mr McFadden and he will also do a couple of numbers.

The event is always popular with locals. Mrs Bannon Read said the tour had its origins 100 years ago when an old mail train took Santa to towns along the outback rail line.

Then, 13 years ago, Great Southern Rail revisited the tradition, using the Indian Pacific to carry Santa to certain towns along the way.

In some of the tiny outback communities families travel hundreds of kilometres to meet the train.

Mrs Bannon Read said Bathurst people should bring along a chair or blanket so they can wait for the train in comfort.

The event is free but people will be asked to make a donation to the Royal Flying Doctors Service.

Great Southern Rail has promised to match any money raised

Past Outback Christmas performers include: Jessica Mauboy (2011) James Reyene and Mark Seymour (2010), Shannon Noll (2009), David Campbell (2007), Human Nature (2006), Guy Sebastian (2005),[22] Jimmy Barnes (2004), John Paul Young (2003), Marcia Hines (2002), John Williamson (2001) and Nikki Webster (2000).