New South Wales XPT

Improving public transport was a major issue in the 1976 New South Wales state election. One of the commitments of the incoming Wran government was to buy new rolling stock for country rail services.[2][3]

In January 1978, the Public Transport Commission invited tenders for 25 high-speed railcars similar to Western Australia's Prospector railcars delivered by Comeng in 1971. The tender allowed bidders to suggest alternative types of high-speed train. Comeng submitted a tender for a train based on the British Rail designed High Speed Train, which had entered service in the United Kingdom in 1976. In August 1979, Comeng was announced as the successful bidder and although the tender had called for 100 vehicles, by the time the contract was signed in March 1980, the order was only for 30: 10 power cars and 20 carriages, enough to form four five-carriage trains with two spare power cars.[4][5][6][7][8]

Locomotives and passenger cars of the XPT (click to enlarge)

The High Speed Train design was significantly modified, with the power cars being 50 cm (19.7 in) shorter, the Paxman Valenta engine downrated from 2250 to 2000 bhp (1680 to 1490 kW), gearing lowered for a top operating speed of 160 km/h (99 mph), suspension modified to operate on inferior track, and air filters and a cooling system modified to cater for hotter, dustier Australian conditions. The passenger cars, built to a loading gauge bigger than that of railways in Britain, were based on a Budd design.[6] The XPT is theoretically capable of reaching speeds of 200 km/h (124 mph).[9]

XP2007, in the first CountryLink livery, at Central station in May 2009

The first power car and trailer commenced testing with a stainless steel luggage van in August 1981.[10] The initial XPT livery was red, black and orange with InterCity XPT signwriting on the power cars. On a demonstration run to Albury on 6 September 1981 the XPT set a new Australian rail speed record of 183 km/h between Table Top and Gerogery in southern NSW, breaking that set by the Western Australian Government Railways' Prospector railcar in 1971. On a test run to Albury on 18 September 1992 the XPT reached 193 km/h between Table Top and Yerong Creek.[11][12] This record was broken by Queensland Rail's Electric Tilt Train in May 1999.[13]

The first full test XPT set ran in January 1982. The four sets entered service on the Central West XPT to Dubbo in April 1982, the Mid North Coast XPT to Kempsey in May 1982 and the Riverina XPT to Albury in August 1982.[6]

In 1983, a further five power cars and 15 trailers were ordered. These allowed the Canberra XPT to commence in August 1983 followed by the Northern Tablelands XPT to Glen Innes and Tenterfield (2 times per week only) in June 1984.[14] The XPT cut 50 minutes off the trip between Sydney and Canberra.[15] By tightening up the diagrams, an overnight South XPT to Albury was introduced, but cancelled in June 1985 due to low patronage.[16][17][18] In 1985 an additional 12 trailer carriages were ordered to allow six sets of 7 carriages to be formed.[19][20] From October 1985, the Mid North Coast XPT to Kempsey ceased, being replaced by the Holiday Coast XPT to Grafton. The Northern Tablelands XPT also was cut back to Armidale and only ran on alternate days with a HUB/RUB set operating on the other days.[21]

Initially the XPT carried a fare surcharge compared to parallel locomotive hauled services; however this was abolished from May 1985.[22]

It was proposed to extend operations to Melbourne with costs to be shared with V/Line. A five-carriage promotional train ran to Melbourne on Sunday 17 February 1985, running four free return shuttles to Tullamarine Loop.[23] Crew training commenced on the North East line between Albury and Benalla in July 1985 with services scheduled to commence on 3 August, however agreement could not be reached with the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees over crewing and the plan was shelved.[24][25][26] Another promotional train ran to Melbourne in November 1990.[27]

Following the election of the Greiner government in March 1988, consultants Booz Allen Hamilton were commissioned to prepare a report into NSW rail services. On purely economic grounds, the report recommended closing all country passenger services as they were judged unviable; however this was not politically acceptable.[28] If services were to be maintained, the report recommended operating a reduced rail service, all with XPTs.

In February 1990, the Brisbane Limited and Pacific Coast Motorail were withdrawn and replaced by XPT services to Brisbane and Murwillumbah. To provide rolling stock for these, the Canberra XPT was withdrawn and replaced by a locomotive hauled train and the Northern Tablelands Express was truncated to become a day return service to Tamworth.[29][30]

In June 1990, the government announced that it would purchase a fleet of Xplorers to reintroduce services to Armidale and Moree. When these were introduced in October 1993 the Northern Tablelands XPT ceased and the stock replaced a locomotive hauled set on a service to Grafton.[31]

XPT in the second CountryLink livery at Gunning in March 2009

In October 1990, the government announced that eight sleeper carriages would be ordered for use on overnight services to Brisbane, Murwillumbah and Melbourne.[32][33] These were included in an order placed with ABB in 1991 for four power cars and 13 trailers that was jointly funded by the New South Wales and Victorian governments.[34][35][36][37] At the same time the earlier stock was repainted in CountryLink livery.[38] The power cars were repainted by Clyde Engineering at Kelso while the carriages were done in Breemar.[39][40]

In November 1993, XPTs replaced locomotive hauled stock on the overnight Sydney/Melbourne Express.[41] In December 1994 an XPT daylight service to Melbourne was introduced by extending the Riverina XPT from Albury.[42]

In 1995, CountryLink trialled three Swedish Railways X2000 tilting train carriages. After conducting a statewide tour in March, they were used on Canberra services from 23 April until 18 June 1995 with modified XPT power cars XP2000 and XP2009.[43]

Since 2003, an XPT has operated a service each January to Parkes for the Parkes Elvis Festival.[44][45] With the closure of the Murwillumbah line, the XPT service was cut back to Casino from May 2004.[46][47] In October 2013, with a set isolated west of Lithgow by bushfires, it was deployed on the Outback Xplorer service to Broken Hill.[48]

A total of 19 XP power cars were built, originally powered by a Paxman Valenta 12RP200L engine with a single turbocharger. These were replaced from June 2000 by Paxman VP185 12-cylinder, diesel engines with four low-pressure turbochargers and two high-pressure turbochargers boasting 1,492 kW or 2,001 horsepower that had been successfully used by some British Rail High Speed Trains since 1994.[49][50] Traction equipment was manufactured in England by Brush Traction of Loughborough.

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.

The XP power cars were named after cities and towns that the XPT served:[51]

XP2000–XP2014 were built by Comeng, Granville with XP2015–XP2018 built by ABB, Dandenong.

New South Wales XPT carriage stock
XPT carriages at Central railway station
Interior of an economy XF carriage
In service	1982–present
Manufacturer	Comeng, ABB
Built at	Granville, Dandenong
Constructed	1981–1993
Refurbished	1992–1993, 2005–2008
Number built	60
Number in service	58
Number scrapped	2
Successor	New Regional Fleet
Formation	4–7 carriages
Fleet numbers	XAM2175–2178, 2180–2182 XL2228, 2230–2235 XBR2150–2158 XF2200–2223 XFH2104–2110, XFH2112–13
Operator(s)	NSW TrainLink
Depot(s)	XPT Service Centre
Line(s) served	North Coast Main Western Main Southern
Specifications
Car body construction	Stainless steel
Car length	24.2 m (79 ft 4+3⁄4 in)
Width	2.92 m (9 ft 7 in)
Height	4.04 m (13 ft 3 in)
Doors	2 per side, hinged slam
Maximum speed	160 km/h (100 mph) (service)
Weight	40 t (39 long tons; 44 short tons)
Axle load	6.5 t (6.4 long tons; 7.2 short tons)
Power supply	415 V 3-phase AC 50 Hz
UIC classification	2′2′
Bogies	NHA
Braking system(s)	Disc, air operated
Coupling system	Knuckle
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The XPT carriages were refurbished in 1992/93 including a repaint in CountryLink livery.[38] All were refurbished again between 2005 and 2008.[52][53][54][55]

After two carriages were written off after the Wallan derailment in 2020, UGL Rail was contracted to convert two XF economy sitting cars to an XAM sleeper and XBR first buffet.[56][57]

As at June 2023, the carriage fleet of 58 carriages comprised[58]

• 7 Sleeping cars: XAM2175-2178, 2180–2182
• 8 First class saloon cars XL 2228–2236
• 8 First class saloon/buffet cars XBR 2150–2158
• 25 Economy class saloon cars XF2200-2223
• 9 Economy class saloon/luggage cars XFH 2104–2110, 2112, 2113

Initially, all services operated with five carriage sets. Following the purchase of extra carriages, this was increased to seven. In 1998, each set was reduced to six carriages.[59] In 2001, all were reduced to five carriages outside of school holiday periods.[60][61] Today, XPTs operate with four carriages to Dubbo (formed from the country end as XL, XBR, XF and XFH), and five (formed from the country end as XAM, XL, XBR, XF and XFH) on the North Coast and Melbourne services, with six during peak times when an extra XF is added (formed from the country end as XAM, XL, XBR, XF, XF and XFH) The Dubbo set can operate with one power car if required, with the power car turned at its destination.

The XPT fleet is maintained at the XPT Service Centre, a purpose built depot south of Sydenham station within the confines of the Meeks Road Triangle. All work is performed here except for wheel reprofiling which is performed on a wheel lathe at Flemington Maintenance Depot.

On 3 May 1991, an XPT locomotive derailed at Henty, injuring the driver and six passengers.[62]

On 27 January 2001, an XPT collided with a car on a level crossing in the Gerogery level crossing accident. Five people in the car were killed, and the train was derailed.[63]

On 20 February 2020, a Sydney to Melbourne bound XPT derailed in the Wallan derailment, killing the train's driver and pilot and injuring twelve.[64][65] The leading powercar, XP2018 was rebuilt as XP2019, re-entering service in February 2023.[66] Two carriages were written off.[57]

In October 2016, the NSW government announced the XPTs would be replaced as part of the NSW TrainLink Regional Train Project.[67][68][69][70][71] A contract with CAF was signed February in 2019, with the XPTs to be replaced with bi-mode Civity trains.[72] Originally scheduled to enter service in 2023, the new trains have been delayed.[73]

The Dubbo set is captive and operates a daily return service. The other seven sets rotate on a seven-day repeating cycle as follows:[77]

• Day 1: 07:42 Sydney to Melbourne arrives 18:30, forms 19:50 Melbourne to Sydney
• Day 2: arrives Sydney 06:58, forms 11:41 Sydney to Grafton arrives 22:15
• Day 3: 05:15 Grafton to Sydney arrives 15:45, forms 20:42 to Melbourne
• Day 4: arrives in Melbourne 07:30, forms 08:30 to Sydney arrives 19:59
• Day 5: 07:08 Sydney to Casino arrives 18:41, forms 19:30 Casino to Sydney
• Day 6: arrives Sydney 07:01, forms 14:41 Sydney to Brisbane
• Day 7: arrives Brisbane 04:53, forms 05:55 Brisbane to Sydney arrives 20:10

Between each duty in Sydney, trains are serviced at the XPT Service Centre south of Sydenham station. This pattern has led to the XPT being one of the most utilised train fleets worldwide with only three significant periods of downtime in the cycle. This includes one overnight stabling in Grafton, between days 2 and 3, and two overnight stablings in Sydney, between days 4 and 5, and days 7 and 1.