Last time I travelled along this route was 1965 on Southern Aurora in First Class cabins where you get woken up in the morning by the guard with a cuppa tea and had brekkie in a proper dining car with white table cloths and steel crockery and served at the table.
I did the journey about a year before you. My memory is that the breakfast was included in the price. While I did have my own loo, the showers for single berth cabins were at the ends of the carriage
I loved the old Southern Aurora. Travelled on it many times, as well as the Daylight, The Spirit of Progress, the Overlander to Adelaide and the Sunlander from Bris to Syd.
You say way more expensive but once you factor transport to and from the airport, even public, it comes close. Even without the overnight hotel fee that is saved. As a tourist you are taken into the heart of your destination with literally every public transport option at your feet. That convenience in time and money makes it even in my eyes. I love travelling on trains.
Agreed, but it was better in all moments past so we can do it but choose to do 1980's XPT for one and all. Best time was the Southern Aurora, get on 17.30, stow bags in sleeper, off to the dining car with current squeeze (wife in my hetro case) food and wine before the train even left Syd suburbs, the rest is censored until breakfast in VICTORIA (not Mexico) as the sun comes up and into the centre of Melbourne by 8.00. Yum.
The train looked empty so you could probably have paid one third of the cost of a sleeper cabin for an economy seat and not suffered the effects of a crowded train. You aren’t gonna sleep much anyway so that’s an expensive shower!
I have a 12 month pass, then it costs $88 to upgrade to sleeper. For me it would work a lot better if the train had internet and phone service. Night time sleepers mean I can work a full day, take train to syd/melb, sleep some then work a full day when I arrive. The down side being, it's a very bumpy route and it's difficult to sleep. The train is costly. Time wise, it's probably twice as long by train when you factor in security, travel to and from airport. The benefit of the train being you can sleep on it, and shower so you are somewhat fresh when you arrive.
Done this trip quite a few times. A tip: if you have your own cup with a fittable lid and a tea-bag, the buffet car will give you boiling water for free (and milk if you ask nicely).
I took the XPT from Sydney to Melbourne in 2000 during the Olympic games, as you could'nt get a flight then! Thought it was a bit of a time warp to the 80s back then, and that was more than 20 years ago! Definately overdue for retirement, as much as I'm fond of the XPT!
Back in 1992, I caught the overnight train from Sydney to Melbourne. It was called the Melbourne Express, and was made up of ex-Southern Aurora coaches. There was a proper dining car in which I had a tasty dinner, and very nice economy single berth sleeping compartments as per the Indian Pacific. The XPT is quite pleasant during the day, but the overnight version is not a patch on what I enjoyed all those years ago.
I caught the midnight rattler to Sydney with mates as a 17 year old in 1986. Economy. Met a guy just out of Pentridge who had a huge plastic bag full of weed. Best trip of my life, no pun intended.
My wife and I started our honeymoon in 1984 with a sleeper trip to Melbourne on the old Southern Aurora. Proper dining carriage with table service, a bar and lounge car, and a spacious sleeper compartment with its own bathroom. Sad that a service like that is not viable any more.
Travel tip for meals.. on train or plane, always pre order the vegetarian option. It’s usually fresher & less likely to upset your stomach than off fish or meat in sloppy gravy
This was amazing, thank you. I used to catch the XPT from Southern Cross to Benalla years ago, riding in the Economy class, but always wondered what the sleeper cabins were like. This looks like an experience I will definitely have to try.
well the new trains they ordered do not have sleepers. so you should book soon in the next few years because these trains will be a thing of the past soon.
Thanks Josh. I agree, a microwave dinner is one thing, the fact that you must pay for this garbage is another. XPT food is also way too expensive. 'When' we do travel on the XPT we take our own food and beverages, alcohol included. Much much much better!
Remember the number of stops. The XPT service runs two return trips each day between Melbourne and Sydney, making scheduled stops at Broadmeadows, Seymour, Benalla, Wangaratta, Albury, Wagga Wagga, Junee, Cootamundra, Yass Junction, Goulburn, Moss Vale, Campbelltown and Central with optional stops at Culcairn, Henty, The Rock, Harden and Gunning.
Much nicer than when I went on one of these sleepers as a teen, before the refurbishments. Twas kinda grotty and worn, though on the upside someone rubbed out the Y at Yass Junction and I saw a derailed freight train from the XPT
@@saturninedays not really because sunrise in Brisbane especially during summer is 4:30am and by the time you arrive at Roma Street at 5:30am it's already daylight
@@adambrock3932 it's got in around 4:50-5 most times i've caught it, i guess it's the time of year i travel but there's usually 45-60 minutes before sunrise
Agree with the previous comment! The facilities are adequate but behind the times! And as long as airfares are cheap enough is an expensive option! The rail service is really geared to all the in between stations on the way! What is needed between Sydney and Melbourne is a Very Fast Train! And competitive with air travel! Also, last time I used XPT it was like Melbourne’s poor cousin with a platform far from station exit! And most delays seemed to be in Victoria? 😢
The platform is 1 or 2 at Southern Cross. The exit is adjacent to the southern end of the platform, just a few metres from the driver's cabin. Although your checked luggage is at the rear of the train.
Back in my RAN days (late sixties, early seventies) the normal method of transport between Melbourne and Sydney was by train. Travel consisted of six seat compartments like you see on old British movies staring Alec Guinness!
Plane tickets were quite pricey back then. My father told me that in the late 70s, a flight from Sydney to Melbourne would cost a good portion of his wages as a junior accountant at a major firm.
@@jonathantan2469 airfares were ridiculously expensive up until Virgin Blue arrived and broke the duopoly of Ansett and QANTAS price gouging. I feel comfortable saying that given QANTAS would create their own discount carrier (Jetstar) to compete.
@@ilaser4064 In 1999 I enlisted in the RAN (never again!!) and started my training at HMAS Cerberus in Victoria. QANTAS or Ansett flights Melbourne-Sydney were around $200 return in 1999, on special. That's close to $450 return in today's money after inflation.
Great to see this workhorses still going strong!! Fantastic class which are still superior to most other forms of travel on offer with a great sleeper journey kit
@@charlieb2903 Apart from the sometimes squeaking & groaning suspension that should receive rectification attention they do the job as well as when they were new. It's the track quality, winding routes & steep gradients that are the main problem, not the train.
Australian trains are way behind the rest of the first world. Incredibly slow, frequent signal stoppages for traffic problems, shocking food, poorly maintained and cleaned.
It's not commercially viable for a country such as Australia, with a large land mass and relatively small population to spend the money required for the standard of railway infrastructure in areas such as Europe and Asia.
@@lisabudd5979 that’s because there’s is 40million more people in England then there is in Australia and in a much smaller land mass. So railways don’t need to be anywhere near as long, with large gaps between towns and cities. I would seriously hope that the train services in England were far better then in Australia.
Last time I took the overnight XPT was literally a few days before everything hit the fan in 2020. Trackwork thanks to an accident coming the other way on the Albury line meant we had to take buses from there to Melbourne. Nothing had changed since the previous trip on the XPT from Melbourne to Sydney in 1998.
If slow speed cost 100$ and 12hrs, when a plane is $50 and just a few hours, you won't transfer much onto rail. Especially given how much more hsr would be compared to slow rail. It would only serve the wealthy
I think that it's going to be a Medium speed train that will be more feasible than a high speed train, like they have overseas. You should check out the NZ railway network. Not even a overnight sleeper service between Auckland and Wellington.
found these videos when researching transport options to and from Melbourne and Sydney for this year's Smash con, love all the attention to detail and the good look inside the cabins and seeing that they lock, too. That food though? yeah, bump whatever policy they've got, if I'm using this service, I'm smuggling a kebab on board $10 for a microwave meal, bloody hell...
Hi Josh, happy for your experience 👍🏻 My friend and I will be travelling from Sydney to Melbourne on Saturday morning but when arrive in Albury, train replaced by bus to Melbourne 😊. Enjoy😊😊😊
I'm from Sydney and lived in Melbourne in 2015. They had a summer special that time $50 one way , I used to catch it all the time to Sydney. The best is overnight you sleep all the way through and when you wake up your in NSW. I did once catch the day train to Sydney and you have no wifi , its noisy and can not relax. I recommend going overnight.
I did this same trip back in January. I got out just ahead of the worst of Sydney's covid surge, and had to go straight to work when I got home to Melbourne, so flying wasn't an option. It cost around $400, but it was quite an experience and, at least on that basis, well worth the money. As for sleeping on the train, it seemed like a good idea but I don't think I got any actual sleep. Relaxing though, and a huge improvement on trying to sleep sitting up, which is what I did on the Melbourne to Sydney trip a few weeks before. The whole experience, from the decor, to the "food" service, and in particular the NO WIFI is like a time capsule from the 1980's. On the other hand, it's also like a glimpse of the future: the way the toilets/showers are built, tiny, metal everywhere, and using every inch of wall and floor, seems like what I imagine space travel might be like.
Train is 40 years old, what have we been doing all these years when so many other countries have been investing in fast trains capable of travelling at 300kph.
My wife and i took the night train from Broadmeadows {VIC} to Sydney. I should have the cereal, but had the tosties which were not the best. Trip was good. On the way home we took the day train but chose to have breakfast at Sydney Central before boarding. We left central on time but because of slow running between Campbelltown and Goulbourn we lost 30min.
Back in the day, my family lived in Broadmeadows just next to the railway line and almost every night my brothers and me would wait for the Spirit of Progress to run past first then an hour later the Southern Aurora on their way to Sydney. I remember on both trains seeing people siting in a dining car having their evening meal. Both trains of course long gone. In 1998 I traveled across the U.S. in an Amtrak first class cabin which puts this train to shame. On Amtrak the stewards make your bed, and then reset the cabin in the morning you have a three full service meals in the dining car plus snacks available throughout the day. the cabin beds were arranged along the length of the window which makes it far more enjoyable than the arrangement of this train. I spent a total of 8 days and nights on the Amtrak for about 1000 bucks. Okay, that was 1998 but still... The only drawback with the Amtrak was that the first class is at the front of the train and American train drivers are blowing the horn almost constantly. I never saw the inside of the Southern Aurora but I suspect it would have been nicer than this. This train is okay, just seems somewhat ordinary.
thanks for reminding me that I needed to book my rail journey from MEL-SYD (return) in a few months...for me as a pensioner it'll be cheaper to do a return rail journey..$210..that's economy day travel going up and sleeper coming back, with free rail journey within Victoria...I think if I flew it would cost well over $400, plus I won't need to check my baggage, thus allowing me to travel with a bit more.. my last rail journey was from MEL - SYD return 2016...I went up economy but decided to upgrade to sleeper on return cause both journeys were overnight...this next trip will be daytime going up and book into a hostel..then hit the Quay for my cruise ship...return will be at night cause I won't be able to make daytime journey and nighttime means I can be back home by following morning, all via inexpensive rail/bus, crash and unwind...
What I like the most is the luv ❤️ n concern of the Australian 🇦🇺 team to the traveller .... how well packed things are kept with simple bare 💖 necessities unlike other trains were they f*** k it up some way or the other well best journey happy travelling always 😀
once you cross into Mexico the track really improves and it is possible to get some sleep. The track on the good guys side was built by upset convicts on work release and intended to rock sheep to a stupor on the way to Homebush Abattoirs (now the 2000 Olympic site). Still Ozzie train travel is a great 80's flashback experience including the TV dinner. Hint, food from the 'Buffet" (sic) is pretty good, nice pies and sausage rolls, good sandwiches, and main street prices. How nice are the staff, such a pleasant surprise. Be warned it takes forever and costs a bomb. I loved it.
Good guessing, Peter is spot on except I dream of being a Russian, much better, modern train system and I can be annoying online to Yanks (a loving Oz term).
Oh god, I remember the red rattlers too. I took one from Central to Goulburn before the XPTs were a thing. Stopping at every single station along the way, no heating. Boy was I glad to get off that train.
Accordibg to google that utensil is called a Spife. Spifes are a type of hybrid utensil that combine the functions of a spoon and a knife. The name is a portmanteau of "spoon" and "knife". It was created by Zespri, a New Zealand kiwifruit marketer, to make a utensil that could be easily used to cut and eat kiwifruits. 11:08
Did the trip once never again. Painfully slow, extremely uncomfortable seats in cattle class, could barely stand up due to the swaying of carriage at speed. Drove back home to Sydney and saved 2hrs. Time for a major upgrade.
Fair enough price. I remember catching an old diesel red carriage thing about 1992 for about $48 i think. Sit up and try your best to sleep the journey or option for a bed carriage was $110 or $130. 32 years later inflation hasn't really taken its toll on the journey. If your a train and railway buff thats a great price.
Good video, enjoyed your trip, have found that the meals available are very good and reasonable price,they are from the air line industry and are actually heating in a oven, around 30 mins, considering the trains are around 40 years old the staff do the best with what they have, Australian government both states and federal prefer to spend money on motorway and toll roads than public transport
Hi, Josh. New subscriber. Been on XPT once in 1984 coming back from Albury after a Southern Aurora trip from Sydney the night before. I was on a Nurail fortnightly all-NSW Lines first class pass. This was a great video. I do relate to comments favouring Southern Aurora and Dining car etc. Look forward to more from you, friend.
I know some people have mentioned how long it takes to get from Sydney to Melbourne. But who wants to have to be in Sydney or Melbourne at unsociable hours. 11 hours is perfect if you consider the time leaving and arriving.
I’m a shit flier so get the XPT whenever I can and also catch sleepers when overseas. It’s a great way to travel. I hear they’re going to retire the sleeper carriages entirely in the near future on the XPT.
Thanks Josh. The one and only time I took an overnight train to Melbourne from Sydney was in a seat. Reclining or not it was horrendous. I had restless legs all night! the next time? A sleeper for me. 👍
Thank you for video! I planned to use a train for Melbourne to Sydney trip to enjoy a countryside, in my Australia holidays, but I really don’t like that bathroom, and going to flight instead:D
Just saw your vlog of the trip from Sydney to Melbourne. You somehow missed telling us what the fares are, by Sleeper Class and Economy. The time it leaves Sydney and arrives in Melbourne, etc.
When you factor in the skybus (Melb) and airport station (Syd) access fees, the train is MUCH cheaper than flying. $89 economy, $122 first class (which is really only premium economy). I doubt I'd bother with the sleeper, wouldn't sleep in it esp with the bed in that direction (ie roll out when accelerating/decelerating).
That may be the case , but you don’t get searched by security! At the station unlike the airport! And your ticket includes checked luggage unlike some airline tickets
These trains are due to be replaced. I'm not sure that the new rolling stock will include sleeper cars. In any case the new trains will be diesel multiple units, and so will be noisier for passengers than the XPTs.
That's after they modify all the platforms to make the cheaper train fit ?. The new train will be here in 23 but you wont see it on the rails for 5or 6 years ?. And it wont have air conditioning and lights you will be given candles .
UGL consortium out of Dubbo - no idea how that will work for the provisioning centre - it's way off the main lines and out west - good luck, when the network goes down lol.
That cabin has real ‘correctional centre’ vibes. 😂
No competition and state run from memory. Zero incentives to improve and priced in line with flights.
Last time I travelled along this route was 1965 on Southern Aurora in First Class cabins where you get woken up in the morning by the guard with a cuppa tea and had brekkie in a proper dining car with white table cloths and steel crockery and served at the table.
Yes, I remember that. And when they changed it to the XPT they said it was an upgrade and for our benefit!! Bah! Humbug!!
I remember the Southern Aurora too. This looks terrible by comparison.
I did the journey about a year before you. My memory is that the breakfast was included in the price. While I did have my own loo, the showers for single berth cabins were at the ends of the carriage
I loved the old Southern Aurora. Travelled on it many times, as well as the Daylight, The Spirit of Progress, the Overlander to Adelaide and the Sunlander from Bris to Syd.
You say way more expensive but once you factor transport to and from the airport, even public, it comes close. Even without the overnight hotel fee that is saved. As a tourist you are taken into the heart of your destination with literally every public transport option at your feet. That convenience in time and money makes it even in my eyes. I love travelling on trains.
Agreed, but it was better in all moments past so we can do it but choose to do 1980's XPT for one and all. Best time was the Southern Aurora, get on 17.30, stow bags in sleeper, off to the dining car with current squeeze (wife in my hetro case) food and wine before the train even left Syd suburbs, the rest is censored until breakfast in VICTORIA (not Mexico) as the sun comes up and into the centre of Melbourne by 8.00. Yum.
The train looked empty so you could probably have paid one third of the cost of a sleeper cabin for an economy seat and not suffered the effects of a crowded train. You aren’t gonna sleep much anyway so that’s an expensive shower!
Same I Love Trains 😍😃
Indeed...train travels are unbeatable and unmatchable.
I have a 12 month pass, then it costs $88 to upgrade to sleeper. For me it would work a lot better if the train had internet and phone service. Night time sleepers mean I can work a full day, take train to syd/melb, sleep some then work a full day when I arrive.
The down side being, it's a very bumpy route and it's difficult to sleep.
The train is costly. Time wise, it's probably twice as long by train when you factor in security, travel to and from airport. The benefit of the train being you can sleep on it, and shower so you are somewhat fresh when you arrive.
Done this trip quite a few times. A tip: if you have your own cup with a fittable lid and a tea-bag, the buffet car will give you boiling water for free (and milk if you ask nicely).
Thanks for the tip. I often travel in xpt. Never knew it.
@@chrislee3739 No worries. They do insist on the lid though.
Freebies!
I took the XPT from Sydney to Melbourne in 2000 during the Olympic games, as you could'nt get a flight then! Thought it was a bit of a time warp to the 80s back then, and that was more than 20 years ago! Definately overdue for retirement, as much as I'm fond of the XPT!
They are being retired
Back in 1992, I caught the overnight train from Sydney to Melbourne. It was called the Melbourne Express, and was made up of ex-Southern Aurora coaches. There was a proper dining car in which I had a tasty dinner, and very nice economy single berth sleeping compartments as per the Indian Pacific. The XPT is quite pleasant during the day, but the overnight version is not a patch on what I enjoyed all those years ago.
I caught the midnight rattler to Sydney with mates as a 17 year old in 1986. Economy. Met a guy just out of Pentridge who had a huge plastic bag full of weed. Best trip of my life, no pun intended.
My wife and I started our honeymoon in 1984 with a sleeper trip to Melbourne on the old Southern Aurora. Proper dining carriage with table service, a bar and lounge car, and a spacious sleeper compartment with its own bathroom. Sad that a service like that is not viable any more.
My son loved watching this. He's 5 and his greatest dream is to travel on this train 😂❤
Travel tip for meals.. on train or plane, always pre order the vegetarian option. It’s usually fresher & less likely to upset your stomach than off fish or meat in sloppy gravy
Nice work Josh! I loved the savage review of the meal and of the conductor's detective skills!
Cheers Dom, hope you’re well!
The conductor or PSA (Passenger Service Attendant) are trained to not miss any clues and can detect any abnormality
A lovely little video thanks for the memories did a lot of travelling by train at nite in the sleeper cars.
This was amazing, thank you. I used to catch the XPT from Southern Cross to Benalla years ago, riding in the Economy class, but always wondered what the sleeper cabins were like. This looks like an experience I will definitely have to try.
well the new trains they ordered do not have sleepers. so you should book soon in the next few years because these trains will be a thing of the past soon.
Thanks Josh. I agree, a microwave dinner is one thing, the fact that you must pay for this garbage is another. XPT food is also way too expensive. 'When' we do travel on the XPT we take our own food and beverages, alcohol included. Much much much better!
Great review, can't believe it takes a train that long between Sydney and Melbourne in this day and age.
We haven't got the population to run Shinkansens economically.
At least it allows for a decent night’s sleep
Remember the number of stops.
The XPT service runs two return trips each day between Melbourne and Sydney, making scheduled stops at Broadmeadows, Seymour, Benalla, Wangaratta, Albury, Wagga Wagga, Junee, Cootamundra, Yass Junction, Goulburn, Moss Vale, Campbelltown and Central with optional stops at Culcairn, Henty, The Rock, Harden and Gunning.
the sydney melbourne air corridor is one of the top 20 most busy in the world. qantas is more protected than koalas
@@nyc863 Scratch Top 20! That corridor is the fifth busiest in the world presently. Absolutely insane.
Much nicer than when I went on one of these sleepers as a teen, before the refurbishments. Twas kinda grotty and worn, though on the upside someone rubbed out the Y at Yass Junction and I saw a derailed freight train from the XPT
Far cry from the old Spirit of Progress days, which had a restaurant carriage serving full sit-down service with freshly cooked dinner and breakfast.
Wonderful journey! I would pick that over a plane anytime. Thanks so much for sharing! Loved it.
Can't agree more about the final part of the trip. It's so nice seeing Melbourne come into view in the morning!
VOMIT. 🤮 🤮 🤮.
Nah can't beat arriving in Brisbane as the sun comes up
@@adambrock3932 True! But I've only managed that once-the XPT needs to be running super late to make it work
@@saturninedays not really because sunrise in Brisbane especially during summer is 4:30am and by the time you arrive at Roma Street at 5:30am it's already daylight
@@adambrock3932 it's got in around 4:50-5 most times i've caught it, i guess it's the time of year i travel but there's usually 45-60 minutes before sunrise
Agree with the previous comment! The facilities are adequate but behind the times! And as long as airfares are cheap enough is an expensive option! The rail service is really geared to all the in between stations on the way! What is needed between Sydney and Melbourne is a Very Fast Train! And competitive with air travel!
Also, last time I used XPT it was like Melbourne’s poor cousin with a platform far from station exit! And most delays seemed to be in Victoria? 😢
The platform is 1 or 2 at Southern Cross. The exit is adjacent to the southern end of the platform, just a few metres from the driver's cabin. Although your checked luggage is at the rear of the train.
Back in my RAN days (late sixties, early seventies) the normal method of transport between Melbourne and Sydney was by train. Travel consisted of six seat compartments like you see on old British movies staring Alec Guinness!
Plane tickets were quite pricey back then. My father told me that in the late 70s, a flight from Sydney to Melbourne would cost a good portion of his wages as a junior accountant at a major firm.
@@jonathantan2469 airfares were ridiculously expensive up until Virgin Blue arrived and broke the duopoly of Ansett and QANTAS price gouging. I feel comfortable saying that given QANTAS would create their own discount carrier (Jetstar) to compete.
@@ilaser4064 In 1999 I enlisted in the RAN (never again!!) and started my training at HMAS Cerberus in Victoria. QANTAS or Ansett flights Melbourne-Sydney were around $200 return in 1999, on special. That's close to $450 return in today's money after inflation.
Great to see this workhorses still going strong!! Fantastic class which are still superior to most other forms of travel on offer with a great sleeper journey kit
Still going strong? They should have been pensioned off years ago. Australian railways are a national disgrace
@@charlieb2903 Apart from the sometimes squeaking & groaning suspension that should receive rectification attention they do the job as well as when they were new. It's the track quality, winding routes & steep gradients that are the main problem, not the train.
@@Martindyna It is the Train as well. The Trains are 40 Years old. Do you want a modern rail network or one stuck in the 1980's?
I went on the overnight train from Sydney to Melbourne loved the. Journey loved seeing the country side of victoria
Australian trains are way behind the rest of the first world. Incredibly slow, frequent signal stoppages for traffic problems, shocking food, poorly maintained and cleaned.
It's not commercially viable for a country such as Australia, with a large land mass and relatively small population to spend the money required for the standard of railway infrastructure in areas such as Europe and Asia.
England is better and there a smaller country than Australia.
@@lisabudd5979 "there"? Illiterate.
@@lisabudd5979 that’s because there’s is 40million more people in England then there is in Australia and in a much smaller land mass. So railways don’t need to be anywhere near as long, with large gaps between towns and cities. I would seriously hope that the train services in England were far better then in Australia.
Love. Austrayla
Thanks Josh ! Your filming was wonderful with great sounding voice too. Definitely going by overnight train.
That food is a reminder of how far airline food has come
Last time I took the overnight XPT was literally a few days before everything hit the fan in 2020. Trackwork thanks to an accident coming the other way on the Albury line meant we had to take buses from there to Melbourne. Nothing had changed since the previous trip on the XPT from Melbourne to Sydney in 1998.
Awesome video and thank you for sharing 💙👍👍
i do this overnight route often . Better than flying and dealing with crowded airports and triggered crowds.
One of the busiest travel corridors in the world but no high speed service.
If slow speed cost 100$ and 12hrs, when a plane is $50 and just a few hours, you won't transfer much onto rail. Especially given how much more hsr would be compared to slow rail. It would only serve the wealthy
I think that it's going to be a Medium speed train that will be more feasible than a high speed train, like they have overseas. You should check out the NZ railway network. Not even a overnight sleeper service between Auckland and Wellington.
@@Manawatu_Al2844 what's medium? 130-160 of the xpt is pretty good, would need a huge cost for 200, anything more and that's HSR
@@stopsallmelb I'd say 160 to 200 Km/h on a existing railway line , 250km/h would be high-speed rail on a brand new railway line.
found these videos when researching transport options to and from Melbourne and Sydney for this year's Smash con, love all the attention to detail and the good look inside the cabins and seeing that they lock, too.
That food though? yeah, bump whatever policy they've got, if I'm using this service, I'm smuggling a kebab on board
$10 for a microwave meal, bloody hell...
Looks very intriguing. Thanx for upoading. Hope Australia soon gets going with their HS plans! 💪
Was amazing. The train on time 👏🤣
i caught that train from sydney to melbourne (and back) with my grandma when i was 4yrs old to visit my aunty. the train was brand new.
Great video and record of the event, thanks for taking the time to create it!
Hi Josh, happy for your experience 👍🏻 My friend and I will be travelling from Sydney to Melbourne on Saturday morning but when arrive in Albury, train replaced by bus to Melbourne 😊. Enjoy😊😊😊
I'm from Sydney and lived in Melbourne in 2015. They had a summer special that time $50 one way , I used to catch it all the time to Sydney. The best is overnight you sleep all the way through and when you wake up your in NSW. I did once catch the day train to Sydney and you have no wifi , its noisy and can not relax. I recommend going overnight.
I did this same trip back in January. I got out just ahead of the worst of Sydney's covid surge, and had to go straight to work when I got home to Melbourne, so flying wasn't an option. It cost around $400, but it was quite an experience and, at least on that basis, well worth the money.
As for sleeping on the train, it seemed like a good idea but I don't think I got any actual sleep. Relaxing though, and a huge improvement on trying to sleep sitting up, which is what I did on the Melbourne to Sydney trip a few weeks before.
The whole experience, from the decor, to the "food" service, and in particular the NO WIFI is like a time capsule from the 1980's. On the other hand, it's also like a glimpse of the future: the way the toilets/showers are built, tiny, metal everywhere, and using every inch of wall and floor, seems like what I imagine space travel might be like.
Train is 40 years old, what have we been doing all these years when so many other countries have been investing in fast trains capable of travelling at 300kph.
Astounding that the new trains that will be replacing these XPT's eventually don't even have sleeper options! You just have to sit there all night!
They should at least have the sleeper pod option as used on the Queensland Rail Tilt Train.
My wife and i took the night train from Broadmeadows {VIC} to Sydney. I should have the cereal, but had the tosties which were not the best. Trip was good. On the way home we took the day train but chose to have breakfast at Sydney Central before boarding.
We left central on time but because of slow running between Campbelltown and Goulbourn we lost 30min.
Back in the day, my family lived in Broadmeadows just next to the railway line and almost every night my brothers and me would wait for the Spirit of Progress to run past first then an hour later the Southern Aurora on their way to Sydney. I remember on both trains seeing people siting in a dining car having their evening meal. Both trains of course long gone.
In 1998 I traveled across the U.S. in an Amtrak first class cabin which puts this train to shame. On Amtrak the stewards make your bed, and then reset the cabin in the morning you have a three full service meals in the dining car plus snacks available throughout the day. the cabin beds were arranged along the length of the window which makes it far more enjoyable than the arrangement of this train. I spent a total of 8 days and nights on the Amtrak for about 1000 bucks. Okay, that was 1998 but still...
The only drawback with the Amtrak was that the first class is at the front of the train and American train drivers are blowing the horn almost constantly.
I never saw the inside of the Southern Aurora but I suspect it would have been nicer than this.
This train is okay, just seems somewhat ordinary.
this is an antique, should belong in a museum, shove aside and leave room for high speed rail.
i had the pleasure of doing some contract work on new trains and their nearly finished. nice to.
After seeing that $10.50 meal, it looks like you'd need to buy/bring a few extra snacks of your own!
Awesome video. Thank you for sharing ❤
thanks for reminding me that I needed to book my rail journey from MEL-SYD (return) in a few months...for me as a pensioner it'll be cheaper to do a return rail journey..$210..that's economy day travel going up and sleeper coming back, with free rail journey within Victoria...I think if I flew it would cost well over $400, plus I won't need to check my baggage, thus allowing me to travel with a bit more..
my last rail journey was from MEL - SYD return 2016...I went up economy but decided to upgrade to sleeper on return cause both journeys were overnight...this next trip will be daytime going up and book into a hostel..then hit the Quay for my cruise ship...return will be at night cause I won't be able to make daytime journey and nighttime means I can be back home by following morning, all via inexpensive rail/bus, crash and unwind...
What I like the most is the luv ❤️ n concern of the Australian 🇦🇺 team to the traveller .... how well packed things are kept with simple bare 💖 necessities unlike other trains were they f*** k it up some way or the other well best journey happy travelling always 😀
I have caught the XPT a few times from Melbourne to Junee NSW, which is a stop halfway to Sydney.
In economy though.
Mega Gunzel!
Great vid.
once you cross into Mexico the track really improves and it is possible to get some sleep. The track on the good guys side was built by upset convicts on work release and intended to rock sheep to a stupor on the way to Homebush Abattoirs (now the 2000 Olympic site). Still Ozzie train travel is a great 80's flashback experience including the TV dinner. Hint, food from the 'Buffet" (sic) is pretty good, nice pies and sausage rolls, good sandwiches, and main street prices. How nice are the staff, such a pleasant surprise. Be warned it takes forever and costs a bomb. I loved it.
Why do you refer to Victoria as Mexico?Do you dream about being an American?
This is a common joke in NSW, we call Victorians Mexicans cause they're "South of the border".
Also, Victoria is south of the Murray, like Mexico is south of the Rio Grande
Good guessing, Peter is spot on except I dream of being a Russian, much better, modern train system and I can be annoying online to Yanks (a loving Oz term).
@@seamusobrien2675 Does that mean you will be calling Victorians Ukrainians from now on?
I remember when these had a smoking car 😂
Edit: come to think of it, I remember travelling on red rattlers often when I was very small.
Oh god, I remember the red rattlers too. I took one from Central to Goulburn before the XPTs were a thing. Stopping at every single station along the way, no heating. Boy was I glad to get off that train.
I took the XPT from Sydney to Melbourne a couple of years ago , I’ll drive next time it’s quicker and cheaper
Australia train are slow and old compare to Europe and way far behind Japan which have world class bullet train .
@@ductritran8637 just back from Japan and the bullet trains are soooooo nice.
I regularly do sleeper between Melbourne and Sydney. It's such a bumpy service.
Accordibg to google that utensil is called a Spife. Spifes are a type of hybrid utensil that combine the functions of a spoon and a knife. The name is a portmanteau of "spoon" and "knife". It was created by Zespri, a New Zealand kiwifruit marketer, to make a utensil that could be easily used to cut and eat kiwifruits. 11:08
"The bread roll is decent, though." It's sad when that is the highlight of the meal!
Seen nuclear submarines more roomy than our first class interstate trains =.=
I been xpt train from Wagga to central on 22nd july
Did the trip once never again. Painfully slow, extremely uncomfortable seats in cattle class, could barely stand up due to the swaying of carriage at speed. Drove back home to Sydney and saved 2hrs. Time for a major upgrade.
Night looks beautiful.
Fair enough price. I remember catching an old diesel red carriage thing about 1992 for about $48 i think. Sit up and try your best to sleep the journey or option for a bed carriage was $110 or $130.
32 years later inflation hasn't really taken its toll on the journey.
If your a train and railway buff thats a great price.
XPT First Class - Literally means fifth class Amtrack
Interesting bathroom setup.
Can’t wait to try this once, always see them go past but never gone on one
Easy to watch. Good job.
" he doesn't know how to use the 3 seashells" finally makes sense😂😂😂😢😅😅
Good video, enjoyed your trip, have found that the meals available are very good and reasonable price,they are from the air line industry and are actually heating in a oven, around 30 mins, considering the trains are around 40 years old the staff do the best with what they have, Australian government both states and federal prefer to spend money on motorway and toll roads than public transport
Thanks for that 👍.
Can you go to perth
Thanks for the video
Hi, Josh. New subscriber. Been on XPT once in 1984 coming back from Albury after a Southern Aurora trip from Sydney the night before. I was on a Nurail fortnightly all-NSW Lines first class pass. This was a great video. I do relate to comments favouring Southern Aurora and Dining car etc. Look forward to more from you, friend.
I know some people have mentioned how long it takes to get from Sydney to Melbourne. But who wants to have to be in Sydney or Melbourne at unsociable hours. 11 hours is perfect if you consider the time leaving and arriving.
Absolutely magnificent 😁
I got the train because it saved me the overnight accommodation in Sydney and I could use the time saved to work.. Seymour is well into Victoria
I’m a shit flier so get the XPT whenever I can and also catch sleepers when overseas. It’s a great way to travel. I hear they’re going to retire the sleeper carriages entirely in the near future on the XPT.
This is nice for couple ..so they can spend the time lovely … 😁
Thanks Josh. The one and only time I took an overnight train to Melbourne from Sydney was in a seat. Reclining or not it was horrendous. I had restless legs all night! the next time? A sleeper for me. 👍
Wah asyik ya. Sejuk kayanya.... Bersih, tertata dgn unik. Pemandangannya oke. Wah nanti boleh tuh bu astrid kita pergi bareng
Great video!
I love this video! 👍🏻😮
Thank you for video! I planned to use a train for Melbourne to Sydney trip to enjoy a countryside, in my Australia holidays, but I really don’t like that bathroom, and going to flight instead:D
Just saw your vlog of the trip from Sydney to Melbourne.
You somehow missed telling us what the fares are, by Sleeper Class and Economy. The time it leaves Sydney and arrives in Melbourne, etc.
Love this and I go to Central all the time to travel interstate x
I wish to travel from Perth to Adelaide - Melbourne - Sydney by train but it's soooo expensive. Air ticket is cheaper.
Love it! I travel all the time and I feel you
quick tip its Spencer street station no one calls it southern cross in Melbourne :)
Awesome video thankkkk youuuu
I think I'll stick to flying. Thanks for the interesting video review
To answer your question, I’d refer to what you were using with your breakfast as a spork lol
Can you do video on how to use Melbourne’s public transport
Going from Wagga Wagga to Brisbane required a 6-7hr stay in Sydney. Fun...
Sleeper cabin is awesome though.
When you factor in the skybus (Melb) and airport station (Syd) access fees, the train is MUCH cheaper than flying. $89 economy, $122 first class (which is really only premium economy). I doubt I'd bother with the sleeper, wouldn't sleep in it esp with the bed in that direction (ie roll out when accelerating/decelerating).
Thanks 👍🥰
That may be the case , but you don’t get searched by security! At the station unlike the airport! And your ticket includes checked luggage unlike some airline tickets
8:01 I felt that 👍🏽👍🏽
The spoon things called a sporf i believe
I'm heading to Sydney in a few months, and may just consider vlogging this too!
These trains are due to be replaced. I'm not sure that the new rolling stock will include sleeper cars. In any case the new trains will be diesel multiple units, and so will be noisier for passengers than the XPTs.
11:40 country side Broadmeadows lol ok
Was looking for this comment 🤣
Haha yeah I was like he's travelling south west and how the heck he got up north :D
At least with a train you don't have to wait in a 3- hour queue to check in, and it seems the service runs on time without cancellations
It seems that trains in Australia make no attempt to compete with the Airlines. The old Southern Aurora was far better way back in the late 60’s.
Unfortunately no. If NSW trains were an airline there would be no way I would go on them 🤣
Nice! I have never travelled interstate via train before..XPT looks really nice & clean & safe too right? I'll try that one day. Thanks for sharing👍
There’s supposed to be a new train coming in 2023 to replace the xpt
That's after they modify all the platforms to make the cheaper train fit ?.
The new train will be here in 23 but you wont see it on the rails for 5or 6 years ?.
And it wont have air conditioning and lights you will be given candles .
UGL consortium out of Dubbo - no idea how that will work for the provisioning centre - it's way off the main lines and out west - good luck, when the network goes down lol.
No is the v set