Northern Tablelands Express

The Northern Tablelands Express is the legacy name for the passenger train service in Australia between Sydney and Armidale, and between Sydney and Moree, operated by the New South Wales Government Railways and its successors since June 1941.

Northern Tablelands Express
Xplorer at Sydney Central in October 2006
Overview
Service typePassenger train
StatusOperational
First serviceJune 1941
Current operator(s)NSW TrainLink
Route
TerminiSydney
Armidale
Moree
Distance travelled579 km (Armidale)
666 km (Moree)
Service frequencydaily in each direction
Line(s) usedMain North
Mungindi
Technical
Rolling stockXplorer

As of 2023, the name is unofficial and over the years, has not formally been used to refer to the Xplorer service run by NSW TrainLink.

History

The Northern Tablelands Express has operated from Sydney via the Main Northern line to various destinations in the New England district. It first ran in June 1941 between Sydney and Armidale, composed of R type carriages that were replaced by air conditioned RUB carriage stock in April 1951.[1] It was usually hauled by a 35 class steam locomotive. In June 1959 it was converted to DEB set railcar operation dividing at Werris Creek with one portion for Glen Innes or Tenterfield and the other for Moree.[2][3]

In June 1984, the service was taken over by XPTs and renamed the Northern Tablelands XPT with a DEB set connection between Werris Creek and Moree.[4] In October 1985, the service was truncated to Armidale with an XPT operating the service three days per week and a locomotive hauled HUB/RUB set on the other three days.[2][5]

In February 1990, the service was further truncated to become a day return XPT service to Tamworth.[6][7] In 1993, the service was replaced with Xplorer railcars, initially still to Tamworth on a day return but, upon delivery of sufficient rolling stock, direct services were provided to Armidale and Moree, that once again divided at Werris Creek and this is how the train continues in service today.[8][9]

References
  1. Northern Tablelands Express Sydney Morning Herald 23 June 1941
  2. "More Timetable Changes" Railway Digest November 1985 page 326
  3. Cooke, David (1984). Railmotors and XPTs. Australian Railway Historical Society NSW Division. ISBN 0-909650-23-3.
  4. "XPT Rosters and Names" Railway Digest August 1984 page 255
  5. "Proposed Country Train Plans" Railway Digest May 1985 page 132
  6. "The New Timetable" Railway Digest March 1990 page 95
  7. "33 and 34, more than 67" Railway Digest May 1990 page 173
  8. "Xplorer Enters Service" Railway Digest November 1993
  9. "North West timetable". NSW TrainLink. 7 September 2019.
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