CountryLink

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CountryLink is the name given to the train and coach services that runs throughout regional areas in the state of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. CountryLink connects Sydney with NSW cities and towns that include Dubbo, Broken Hill, Orange, Griffith, Tamworth, Armidale, Moree, Coffs Harbour, Grafton and Casino, as well as with Canberra, Melbourne and Brisbane. CountryLink is a business unit of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, an agency of the Government of New South Wales.

CountryLink currently operates two types of trains within its system, the XPT (eXpress Passenger Train) and the Xplorer, and contracts local coach operators to provide coaches to places not serviced by either the XPT or Xplorer. Countrylink is currently undergoing a $32 million refurbishment of its fleet with the first of the new-look power cars and carriages already in service.

CountryLink's coach network is considerably more comprehensive in terms of area served than its rail network.

Contents

[edit] The XPT

XP2004 in its new livery during filming at Central Station
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XP2004 in its new livery during filming at Central Station
Interior of sleeper. The seats and the overhead compartments convert to beds. Tray tables fit into the armrests.
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Interior of sleeper. The seats and the overhead compartments convert to beds. Tray tables fit into the armrests.
An XPT shower/toilet. The basin and bowl are modular and integrate into the wall.
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An XPT shower/toilet. The basin and bowl are modular and integrate into the wall.

The main and most popular train is the XPT. The XPT was the fastest passenger train in Australia between 1981 and 1999. The train usually consists of four to seven trailer carriages sandwiched between two power cars. The first XPT was introduced into service in 1982. The power cars are based upon the British High Speed Train. The train was painted with the livery "intercity" on the side of the power car to mark what sort of train it was. Between 1990 and 1992, the XPT went through a transformation in line with the inception of CountryLink. The entire fleet was renovated, (mainly the passenger cars) and was repainted with a dark blue, turquoise, white and silver livery. New carriages were also developed from late 1992 to the end of 1993. This was done in conjunction with the development of new intercapital services. It was around this time that the XPT became the mainstay of the long-distance passenger rail fleet in New South Wales.

The XPT has featured several special liveries including one for the Centenary of Federation and the 2000 Olympic Games. On a test run to Albury on 18 September 1992 the XPT set a new Australian rail speed record of 183km/h between The Rock and Henty, about 40km from Wagga Wagga. Its normal operating speed in service is 160 km/h, although they have 190km/h cpablility. The XPT has three main routes: Central West, North Coast and South.

The Central West XPT travels through western Sydney, The Blue Mountains, Central Tablelands, to Dubbo. There is one return service a day departing Central Station in the morning, arriving at Dubbo in the afternoon. This service commences a return journey after a short layover period arriving at Central Station in the evening.

There are two daily services to the south, both to Melbourne. One is a daylight service departing in the morning, arriving in the early evening and the other is an overnight service. The daylight service to Melbourne will typically form the overnight return service the next day and vice versa.

The XPT provides three daily services to the north coast, one to Brisbane, one to Casino and one to Grafton.An early afternoon departure is made from Sydney Central in order to arrive in Brisbane in the morning. The return journey leaves Brisbane after a short layover period. The shorter services to Casino and Grafton are daylight services. There is no overnight service to Sydney.

CountryLink offers three classes of travel on the XPT:

  1. Economy: Offers standard seating, reclining 28 degrees.
  2. First Class: Seating with enhanced recline of 40 degrees and first choice during meal times.
  3. Sleeper: A private twin-share room with a wardrobe, beds that fold to become seats during the day. Showers and toilets are shared between sets of two berths. This class is only available on overnight trains. On daylight trains, these berths are also classified as first class seats.

The CountryLink XPT features an onboard buffet car where meals and snacks may be purchased. Toilets, washrooms and viewing areas are provided in each carriage.

[edit] The XPLORER

The XPLORER is the second type of train used in the CountryLink system. The XPLORER was first introduced into service in 1992. The first services were designed to travel to Canberra but a northern Tablelands service was created later on. The Canberra XPLORER was only a two car set until it expanded to a three car set due to popularity. The two power cars included a single passenger car. The power cars have passenger seats on them and are usually longer than the middle cars.

Today the XPLORER travels to Canberra (3/4 car), Armidale/Moree (5/6 car), Broken Hill (3 car) and Griffith (2 car).

As of 2005, there are two services to Canberra a day (one departing in the morning, the other, the evening). This trip takes around 4 hours. Previously, three daily services were run but due to staffing shortages, these were reduced. The operation of three daily services may return when additional staff become available.

The Northern Tablelands XPLORER departs Sydney Central around 10:00am each day. This service contains the Armidale XPLORER and the Moree XPLORER. The two trains are attached to each other, with the Armidale XPLORER leading the way. When the combined train reaches Werris Creek, the train is divided, with the front three cars travelling to Tamworth and Armidale, while the other two travel to Gunnedah and Moree. The next morning, the two trains meet up at Werris Creek and amalgamate with the Moree XPLORER leading the way back to Sydney and Newcastle.

The other two services are weekly services only. The Griffith XPLORER was first introduced around 2003 with a two car service every Saturday. The Griffith XPLORER is attached to the morning Canberra service and when the train reaches Goulburn, the train divides. The train returns to Sydney from Griffith on Sunday morning. The other service is referred to as 'The Silver City XPLORER'. This service travels to Broken Hill every Monday with a three car train, returning on Tuesday morning. This service was created around 2002 when two spare Endeavour carriages, suitably converted into an XPLORER, became available as a result of the extension of electrification of the South Coast Line to Kiama. Both these services previously ran with older train sets; the retirement of these causing a suspension of direct train services to Griffith and Broken Hill in the late 1990s, until the XPLORER services began.

The Endeavour is identical to the XPLORER except for the interior and the exterior doors. The XPLORER has automatic doors except at the front and back where a swing door has been installed instead. This is because swing doors are much easier for the guard to open and the automatic doors will only open at a certain speed. However, not all XPLORERs have the manual guards doors. The Broken Hill one has the automatic guard doors because the train was originally an Endeavour and the manual door could not have been installed. The XPLORER has an onboard buffet on each train.

[edit] Routes

As of 2005 there are ten different routes in the Countrylink system.

North Coast

[edit] Grafton XPT

(1 x Daily)

[edit] Casino XPT

(1 x Daily)

[edit] Brisbane XPT

(1 x Daily)


Southern

[edit] Canberra Xplorer

(2 x Daily)

[edit] Melbourne XPT

(2 x Daily)

[edit] Griffith Xplorer

(1 x Weekly - from Sydney Saturdays; from Griffith Sundays)


Western

[edit] Dubbo XPT

(1 x Daily)

[edit] Broken Hill Xplorer

A view from inside the train engine of the Broken Hill Xplorer.
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A view from inside the train engine of the Broken Hill Xplorer.
Darnick station. The station is only a small platform next to the tracks. The dirt road to the right is the region's major road.
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Darnick station. The station is only a small platform next to the tracks. The dirt road to the right is the region's major road.

(1 x Weekly - from Sydney Monday; from Broken Hill Tuesday)

North Western

[edit] Northern Tablelands Xplorer

(1 x Daily)

To Armidale

To Moree

[edit] External links

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