Overnight sleeper train melbourne to sydney cost

Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox.

But tonight the scene in front of the XPT is different. It is much busier than normal and the type of passengers boarding are different. There are young professionals, many in suits, and fashionably dressed trendy types. They approach the XPT with a sense of wide-eyed excitement they will soon lose when they hear the service is fully booked meaning it will be crowded. It will turn into disappointment when they learn there are no charging outlets or wifi — and then anger when they discover there is no mobile reception on board.

Overnight sleeper train melbourne to sydney cost

Exclusive : NSW government says it is open to all options even though new rolling stock, now due in , will have reclining seats only. The permanent withdrawal of sleeper carriages on Sydney-Melbourne trains may be averted after new rolling stock enters service, thanks to the increasing popularity of intercity rail. New Spanish-built trains ordered by the previous Coalition government were initially meant to enter service in January , but are now not expected to be running before April As yet, there is no firm arrival date. But the New South Wales regional transport minister, Jenny Aitchison, told Guardian Australia the government was keeping an open mind when asked if the existing XPT sleepers could be refurbished and added to train sets after the new rolling stock arrived, or whether surplus stock could be used to run more scheduled services on popular routes. The government will wait to see if the reclining seats on the new trains prove more popular with travellers than sleeper carriages, which have only a handful of berths per service. There is no modern connectivity on the XPT fleet, which since the s has been servicing long-distance trips from Sydney such as the twice-daily almost hour journey to Melbourne. Demand on the Sydney-Melbourne route has been so high that the state operator has frequently been adding extra carriages to the twice-daily run. Average monthly patronage figures before December — traditionally one of the busiest months — were 31, For every 20 air passengers between Sydney and Melbourne in , one person caught the train service, at least for part of the journey. Strong night train ridership drove much of the growth on the Sydney-Melbourne route, with monthly patronage on these services having jumped by about 3, on average between and Baby boomers had become particularly fond of the service, but there had also been a rise in full fare-paying passengers, bucking an assumption the train mostly served concessions. One obvious drawback of the train is that just two services a day run in each direction, and the trip takes longer than in a car. Even the new fleet of trains will not see a reduction in travel time without investment in improving the track.

Discover the best of the city, first. The scent of a supermarket roast chook wafted past me and clashed with steam rising from a large tupperware container of garlic prawns being consumed to my right. By the time we pull into Southern Cross station at about 7.

Log in Sign up. Conditions apply. Discount is exclusive to tickets bought through this website and applies to seasonal Adult fares. With comfortable seating and scenic views along the way, NSW TrainLink is a convenient and enjoyable way to travel between Australia's two largest cities. Fares vary seasonally in response to demand and may be different to those shown here.

But tonight the scene in front of the XPT is different. It is much busier than normal and the type of passengers boarding are different. There are young professionals, many in suits, and fashionably dressed trendy types. They approach the XPT with a sense of wide-eyed excitement they will soon lose when they hear the service is fully booked meaning it will be crowded. It will turn into disappointment when they learn there are no charging outlets or wifi — and then anger when they discover there is no mobile reception on board. Australian air travel is in chaos. Airlines are still reeling from Covid inactivity, fuel prices are high and there is soaring demand from travellers, which has meant Australians are facing record prices to fly this Christmas. The consumer watchdog is wary of carriers deliberately running fewer services so they can keep air fares high.

Overnight sleeper train melbourne to sydney cost

Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions.

Rogue bistro

However, there is a bottleneck at the checkout, as the Eftpos machine processes slowly. Fares vary seasonally in response to demand and may be different to those shown here. Discount is exclusive to tickets bought through this website and applies to seasonal Adult fares. Discover Time Out original video. The permanent withdrawal of sleeper carriages on Sydney-Melbourne trains may be averted after new rolling stock enters service, thanks to the increasing popularity of intercity rail. Strong night train ridership drove much of the growth on the Sydney-Melbourne route, with monthly patronage on these services having jumped by about 3, on average between and This article is more than 1 year old. Time Out. And where are they walking? Flights were expensive so I took the overnight Sydney to Melbourne train — it was cheap and cheerful at first Elias Visontay. Australian air travel is in chaos. The warning is repeated three times before our first stop — a measure staff have adopted to cope with the wave of first-timers taking the XPT in recent months due to unaffordable domestic air fares. You can purchase tickets online, over the phone, or at the station. Love PT?

All Melbourne to Sydney trains trains are operated by the Australian coach and train operator NSW TrainLink , known for its high-quality service in both freight transportation as well as passenger services.

I wrote in late November that Australians were opting for cheaper overnight trains and coaches to travel between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. About us. Site map. Overall, these issues can be addressed with an eye mask and earplugs. The NSW government is keeping an open mind as to whether the existing XPT sleeper carriages could be refurbished and added to train sets after the new Spanish-built trains arrive. No thanks Awesome, you're subscribed! Even the new fleet of trains will not see a reduction in travel time without investment in improving the track. You may also like. Spirit of the Outback. Most viewed. It would be great for the tracks to be upgraded so trains could run faster — at times it feels painfully slow. Recommended [image]. Planes, trains and automobiles: comparing cost, speed and emissions of Sydney-Melbourne travel.