| XPT | |
|---|---|
XP2004 in the current CountryLink livery at Sydney Terminal |
|
| Manufacturer | Commonwealth Engineering |
| Family name | HST |
| Constructed | 1980 |
| Entered service | 8 April 1982 |
| Number built | 19 power cars 60 passenger cars |
| Operator | CountryLink |
| Specifications | |
| Maximum speed | Service: 160 km/h (100 mph), Record: 193 km/h (120 mph) |
| Traction system | Diesel electric |
| Engine(s) | Paxman VP185 12-cylinder diesel |
| Power output | 1,492 kW (2,001 hp) per power car |
The XPT (short for "eXpress Passenger Train") is the main long-distance passenger train used in regional New South Wales, Australia, and on key eastern-seaboard routes including the interstate Sydney-Melbourne and Sydney-Brisbane services. It has been in service from 1982, and is based on the InterCity 125 High Speed Train (HST) designed by British Rail.
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In the 1970s, public concern about the ageing state of passenger rollingstock in New South Wales led to the situation becoming a political issue in the 1976 State Election. In 1977, the Public Transport Commission issued several tenders for the construction of replacement rail vehicles of varying types. Commonwealth Engineering (Comeng) submitted a tender for a single type of train based on the British InterCity 125 train, which had entered service from 1976. In 1979, this Comeng bid was successful and although the bid was for 100 vehicles, only 30 were constructed by the time the contracts were signed in 1980. The initial order was for four sets of five passenger cars hauled by two power cars each, and two spare power cars.[1]
The HST design had to be significantly modified, with the power cars becoming shorter, the engine being down rated, and air filters and the cooling system modified to cater for hot and dusty Australian conditions. The passenger trailers cars were based on a Budd design, rather than the British Rail Mark 3 trailers of the HST (InterCity 125), which were considered unsuitable. The interior of the passenger cars was based on the HST however, with fixed seating of 1+2 configuration in first class and 2+2 configuration in second class.
The first two power cars commenced testing with a luggage van in August 1981. With an operating speed of over 160 km/h, on a demonstration run to Albury on 6 September 1981 the XPT set a new Australian speed record of 183 km/h between Table Top and Gerogery, about 40 km from Wagga Wagga, breaking that of Western Australia's 1971 Prospector railcar. On a test run to Albury on 10 September 1992 the XPT reached 193 km/h between Table Top and Yerong Creek. However this record was broken by Queensland's QR Tilt Train in 1999.
The first full test XPT set ran in January 1982, and the first revenue passenger service began on 8 April 1982 to Dubbo, replacing the locomotive-hauled Central West Express. The next service was the Mid- North Coast XPT to Kempsey from May 1982. The Riverina XPT to Albury was introduced in August 1982, with services introduced to Canberra in August 1983 and Tenterfield or Armidale in 1984 (the Northern Tablelands XPT). The initial XPT livery was the red, orange and black, the so called 'Candy' livery of the then State Rail Authority of New South Wales.
Initially the XPT carried a fare surcharge compared to parallel locomotive-hauled services, however this was abolished in 1985. The XPT was a success, with high patronage forcing the order and delivery of an additional 12 trailer cars to allow six sets of 7 passenger cars. This allowed the extension of the Mid-North Coast XPT from Kempsey to Grafton, becoming the Holiday Coast XPT from 1985.
In 1988, the Booz- Allen Hamilton report issued by the newly elected Greiner State Government recommended the cessation of all country passenger services, citing their economic non-viability.[2] This was considered politically unfeasible, so the report's alternative option of moving New South Wales to an all-XPT country passenger service was adopted, resulting in the progressive withdrawal of locomotive-hauled services. In 1989, CountryLink was established as a business unit of State Rail, and from 1990, XPT services were extended to Brisbane and Murwillumbah, the Northern Tablelands XPT was cut back to Tamworth, and the Canberra XPT was withdrawn,[3] replaced by locomotive-hauled trains (prior to the introduction of the CountryLink Xplorer railcars).
Between 1990 and 1992, with the inception of the CountryLink brand, the trains were repainted in a new blue, turquoise and white livery. In 1992, tenders were called for the provision of additional rollingstock and the refurbishment of existing cars for the introduction of XPT services to Melbourne. ABB in Dandenong, Victoria constructed four additional power cars, five new seating cars and eight new sleeper cars. The sleeper cars were introduced on services to Murwillumbah and Brisbane in 1993, the Tamworth XPT was replaced by an Xplorer set, and the daily Grafton XPT was introduced. Services to Melbourne began at the end of 1993, initially a single overnight service (replacing the Sydney/Melbourne Express) but later an additional daily service was introduced, by extending the "Riverina XPT" service from Albury, on the New South Wales/Victorian border through to Melbourne, a distance of approx 320 kilometres, replacing the Intercapital Daylight Express (which had actually been withdrawn earlier in 1991). In 2004, with the cessation of services on the Murwillumbah branch line, the Murwillumbah XPT was cut back to Casino.
The XPT fleet are currently used on five routes from Sydney:
CountryLink's fleet currently includes
Carriage coding, features and numbers are as follows:
Typically the XPT operates as a seven-car set consisting of (from Sydney end) XP-XFH-XF-XF-XBR-XL-XP for services on the Central West XPT to Dubbo. All other services have the XAM first class day/nighter car attached to the XL sitting car. Countrylink operate the XAM cars on all services arriving and departing Sydney to/from Melbourne, Brisbane, Grafton and Casino.
XPT power cars originally featured a Paxman Valenta 12RP200L Engine with a single turbocharger. These were recently replaced by Paxman VP185 12-cylinder, diesel electric engines with four low-pressure turbochargers and two high-pressure turbochargers boasting 1492 kW / 2000 horsepower. The first retrofitted power car, XP2016, returned to service on 27 June 2000. Traction equipment was manufactured by Brush Traction of Loughborough, England. Power cars comprise five main compartments at the platform level. At the front is the drivers' cab, followed by the clean air compartment, engine room, cooling group, and compressor room at the rear of the locomotive.
A typical XPT consist will include two power cars, one pulling and the other pushing as per the British Intercity 125, removing the need to shunt locomotives from one end of the train to the other to change directions. While the Intercity 125 may carry up to 9 passenger cars, the XPT rarely carries as many as 8 trailers.
The State Rail Authority has named 18 of the 19 XP power cars after destinations that the XPT has served.
These are:
Currently only power cars XP2003, XP2004, XP2006, XP2007 and XP2017 retain their names.
Early in the split-up of the NSW State Rail Authority into CountryLink, CityRail and FreightRail, power car XP2012, "City of Tamworth" was used in many CountryLink publicity photographs.
Cooke, David (1984). Railmotors and XPTs. Australian Railway Historical Society NSW Division. ISBN 0-909650-23-3.
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