Central West Express

The Central West Express is the legacy name for the Australian passenger train operating on the Main Western line in New South Wales from Sydney to Dubbo.

Central West Express
XPT at Sydney Terminal in November 2007
Overview
Service typePassenger train
StatusOperational
First serviceJune 1941
Current operator(s)NSW TrainLink
Route
TerminiSydney
Dubbo
Distance travelled462 kilometres
Average journey time6 hours 30 minutes
Service frequencyDaily in each direction
Line(s) usedMain Western
Technical
Rolling stockXPT

As of 2023, the name has fallen out of official use by NSW TrainLink to refer to the XPT service over the years.

History

The Central West Express commenced operating in June 1941 operating on alternate days from Sydney to Dubbo and Parkes. In the early 1950s it received air-conditioned RUB sets and began to be hauled by 42 and 43 class diesel locomotives, although steam locomotives of the 36 and 38 classes would regularly haul it until July 1967.

In September 1956 in a reorganisation of rolling stock, the Central West Express was cut back to operate as a day return service to Orange with the RUB sets replaced by a HUB set.[1] From 1957, the service was hauled by 46 class electric locomotives between Sydney and Lithgow following the electrification of the Main Western line over the Blue Mountains.

The service was selected as the first to be converted to XPT operation. Rebranded the Central West XPT, it commenced operating in April 1982. Initially it operated six days a week to Orange extending to Dubbo on alternate days.[2] From August 1983 all services ran to Dubbo[3] and from December 1985 a Sunday service was introduced, a frequency it still maintains.[1][4]

Further reading
  • Central West Express Peter Attenborough Eveleigh Press 2011 ISBN 978 1 87 656853 5

References
  1. Cooke, David (1984). Railmotors and XPTs. Australian Railway Historical Society NSW Division. ISBN 0 909650 23 3.
  2. "The XPT Turns 15" Railway Digest April 1997 page 43
  3. "1983/84 Annual Report" Railway Digest April 1985 page 93
  4. Western Region timetable Transport for New South Wales 26 November 2017
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