Fantastic deals with NSW TrainLink, Brisbane. Book XPT - Brisbane to Sydney / First Class Sleeper Overnight securely online now. Call 1300 730 039. TrainLink is unable to guarantee connections with other rail or coach services, airline flights or cruise/shipping departure. Brisbane to Casino sector is operated by coach.

• Countrylink Xpt
• Xpt Train Sydney To Brisbane

• 44216 and another haul the northbound Brisbane Limited across the Corinda line at Yeerongpilly in 1987

• 44238 & 4470 haul a northbound goods train cross Beaudesert Road, Acacia Ridge, 1987. This crossing has since been replaced by an overpass

• 4479 and a 45 class haul a southbound train past Mt Lion, on the Brisbane-Casino line, 1987

• 44208 crossing a 44 & 45 class hauled southbound goods train on the North Coast line in 1987

• 4479 and a 45 class haul a southbound goods train through the S bend south of Kyogle station, 1987

• 4479 and a 45 class haul a goods train about to exchange electric staffs at Fairy Hill, north of Casino, 1987

• 4456 and a 45 class haul a southbound goods train through Casino station, 1987

• 44231 on a northbound freight train arriving at Casino in 1987

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The XPT, (short for 'eXpress Passenger Train'),is the main passenger train used in regional New SouthWales, Australia. Itoperates on key eastern seaboard routes including the Sydney-Melbourne and Sydney-Brisbane services. The XPT has been in servicefrom 1982, and is based on the striking InterCity 125 (or Class 43) design used by British Rail.

History

Development

In the 1970s, public concern about the ageing state of passenger rollingstockin New South Wales led to the situation becoming a politicalissue in the 1976 StateElection. In 1977, the PublicTransport Commission issued several tenders for theconstruction of replacement rail vehicles of varying types. Commonwealth Engineering(Comeng) submitted a tender for a single type of train based on theBritish InterCity125 train, which had entered service from 1976. In 1979, thisComeng bid was successful and although the bid was for 100vehicles, only 30 were constructed by the time the contracts weresigned in 1980. The initial order was for four sets of fivepassenger cars hauled by two power cars each, and two spare powercars.^[1]

The HST design had to be significantly modified, with the powercars becoming shorter, the engine being down rated, and air filtersand the cooling system modified to cater for hot and dustyAustralian conditions. The passenger trailers cars were based on aBudd design, rather than the British Rail Mark 3 trailers of theHST (InterCity 125), which were considered unsuitable. The interiorof the passenger cars was based on the HST however, with fixedseating of 1+2 configuration in first class and 2+2 configurationin second class.

Inservice

The first two power cars commenced testing with a luggage van inAugust 1981. With an operating speed of over 160 km/h, on ademonstration run to Albury on September 6, 1981 the XPT set a newAustralian speed record of 183 km/h between Table Top andGerogery, about 40 km from Wagga Wagga, breaking that ofWestern Australia's 1971 Prospector railcar. On a test run toAlbury on September 10, 1992 the XPT reached 193 km/h betweenTable Top and Yerong Creek. However this record was broken byQueensland's QR TiltTrain in 1999.

The first full test XPT set ran in January 1982, and the firstrevenue passenger service began on 8 April 1982 to Dubbo, replacing the locomotivehauled Central West Express. The next service was theMid- North Coast XPT to Kempsey from May 1982. TheRiverina XPT to Albury was introduced in August1982, with services introduced to Canberra inAugust 1983 and Tenterfield or Armidale in 1984 (theNorthern Tablelands XPT). The initial XPT livery was thered, orange and black livery of the then State RailAuthority of New South Wales.

Initially the XPT carried a fare surcharge compared to parallellocomotive hauled services, however this was abolished in 1985. TheXPT was a success, with high patronage forcing the order anddelivery of an additional 12 trailer cars to allow six sets of 7passenger cars. This allowed the extension of the Mid-NorthCoast XPT from Kempsey to Grafton, becoming the HolidayCoast XPT from 1985.

In 1988, the Booz- Allen Hamilton report issued by the newlyelected Greiner StateGovernment recommended the cessation of all country passengerservices, citing their economic non-viability.^[2] Thiswas considered politically unfeasible, so the report's alternativeoption of moving New South Wales to an all-XPT country passengerservice was adopted, resulting in the progressive withdrawal oflocomotive hauled services. In 1989, CountryLink was established as a businessunit of State Rail, and from 1990, XPT services were extended toBrisbane and Murwillumbah, the Northern Tablelands XPT wascut back to Tamworth, and the Canberra XPT waswithdrawn,^[3]replaced by locomotive hauled trains (prior to the introduction ofthe Xplorer railcars).

Between 1990 and 1992, with the inception of the CountryLinkbrand, the trains were repainted in a new blue, turquoise and whitelivery. In 1992, tenders were called for the provision ofadditional rollingstock and the refurbishment of existing cars forthe introduction of XPT services to Melbourne. ABB in Dandenong, Victoriaconstructed four additional power cars, five new seating cars andeight new sleeper cars. The sleeper cars were introduced onservices to Murwillumbah and Brisbane in 1993, the Tamworth XPT wasreplaced by an Xplorer set, and the daily Grafton XPT wasintroduced. Services to Melbourne began at the end of 1993,initially a single overnight service (replacing theSydney/Melbourne Express) but later an additional dailyservice was introduced, by extending the 'Riverina XPT' servicefrom Albury, on the New South Wales/Victorian border through toMelbourne, a distance of approx 320 kilometres, replacing theIntercapital Daylight Express (which had actually beenwithdrawn earlier in 1991). In 2004, with the cessation of serviceson the Murwillumbahbranch line, the Murwillumbah XPT was cut back to Casino.

Countrylink Xpt

Services

Xpt Train Sydney To Brisbane

The XPT fleet are currently used on five routes from Sydney:

• Melbourne (2 daily each way, 2 overnight)
• Brisbane (Once daily each way, service to Brisbane isovernight)
• Dubbo (Once daily each way)
• Grafton (Once daily each way)
• Casino (Once daily each way, service from Casino to Sydney isovernight)

Fleet

CountryLink's fleet currently includes

• 19 XPT power cars
• 8 Sleeping cars
• 9 First class saloon cars
• 9 First class saloon/buffet cars
• 25 Economy class saloon cars
• 9 Economy class saloon/luggage cars

CountryLink's XPT is currently undergoing a major refurbishment.This work is carried out at United GroupRail's facilities at Chullora, NSW. They emerge with new interior decor,including new seat covers, curtains, carpets, and improvedinter-carriage gangway, buffets, washrooms, disabled facilities,plus upgraded driver's cab layout and a new CountryLink corporatelivery.

Carriages

Carriage coding, features and numbers are as follows:

• XP- Power Cars: XP 2000 - XP 2018. 2000 - 2014were built by Comeng, 2015 -2018 were built by ABB Transportation.
• XFH- Economy Class, Booked Luggage &Guard's Lookout: XFH 2104 - XFH 2010, XFH 2112 and XFH 2113. Allbuilt by Comeng.
• XF- Economy Class: XF 2210 - XF 2224. Allbuilt by Comeng.
• XBR- First Class & Buffet: XBR 2150 - XBR2158. All built by Comeng. XBR2157 was rebuilt economy class saloon XD 2225 and XBR 2158 wasrebuilt from economy saloon/luggage car XDH 2111; both were rebuiltby ABB Transportation.
• XL- First Class: XL 2228 - XL 2236. XL 2228 -XL 2232 were built new and XL 2233 - 2236 were rebuilt by ABBTransportation from XFH/XDH saloon/luggage cars.
• XAM- First Class sleeping car, can also be used as a daysitting car: XAM 2175 - XAM 2182 were built by ABBTransportation.

Typically the XPT operates as a seven car set consisting of(from Sydney end) XP-XFH-XF-XF-XBR-XL-XP for services on theCentral West XPT to Dubbo. All other services have the XAM firstclass day/nighter car attached to the XL sitting car. Countrylinkoperate the XAM cars on all services arriving and departing Sydneyto/from Melbourne, Brisbane, Grafton and Casino.

Powercars

XPT power cars originally featured a Paxman Valenta 12RP200LEngine with a single turbocharger. These were recently replaced byPaxman VP185 12-cylinder, diesel electric engines with four lowpressure turbochargers and two high pressure turbochargers boasting1492 kW / 2000 horsepower. The first retrofitted power car, XP2016,returned to service on 27 June 2000. Traction equipment wasmanufactured by Brush Traction of Loughborough,England.

A typical XPT consist will include two power cars, one pullingand the other pushing as per the British Intercity 125,removing the need to shunt locomotives from one end of the train tothe other to change directions. While the Intercity 125 may carryup to 9 passenger cars, the XPT rarely carries as many as 8trailers.

On 18 of the 19 XP power cars, the State Rail Authority hasnamed these after destinations that the XPT has served. Theseare:

• XP2000 - City of Maitland
• XP2001 - City of Dubbo
• XP2002 - City of Brisbane
• XP2003 - City of Orange
• XP2004 - City of Kempsey
• XP2005 - City of Newcastle
• XP2006 - City of Wagga Wagga
• XP2007 - City of Albury
• XP2008 - City of Goulburn
• XP2009 - City of Murwillumbah
• XP2010 - City of Taree
• XP2011 - City of Sydney
• XP2012 - City of Tamworth
• XP2013 - City of Casino
• XP2014 - City of Grafton
• XP2015 - City of Wangaratta
• XP2016 - City of Cootamundra
• XP2017 - City of Melbourne
• XP2018 - City of Coffs Harbour

Currently only power cars XP2003, XP2004, XP2006, XP2007 andXP2017 retain their names.

Early in the split up of the NSW State Rail Authority intoCountryLink, CityRail and FreightRail, power car XP2012, 'City ofTamworth' was used in many CountryLink publicity photographs.

See also

References

1. ^Bromage, D. 20 years of XPTs. Railway Digest March2002
2. ^Hoyle, J. CountryLink- a snapshot. Railway Digest November1996, ARHS NSW Division
3. ^'History of Railways inCanberra'. ARHS ACT Division. http://www.arhsact.org.au/misc/can_rail_history.php. Retrieved2007-04-29.

Furtherreading

Cooke, David(1984), Railmotors and XPTs, Australian RailwayHistorical Society NSW Division, ISBN 0 909650 233