| New South Wales XPT | |
|---|---|
 XP 2016 (power car) atSydney Central, 2016. | |
 Economy-class carriage, 2008 | |
| Stock type | Diesel powered |
| In service | 1982–present |
| Manufacturer | Comeng,ABB |
| Constructed | 1981–1993 |
| Entered service | 8 April 1982 |
| Refurbished | 1992–1993, 2005–2008 |
| Number built | 19 Power cars 60 Trailers |
| Number in service | 58 |
| Number scrapped | 2 |
| Successor | R set |
| Formation | 4–7 carriages |
| Fleet numbers | XP2000–XP2017, XP2019 XAM2175–2178, 2180–2182XL2228, 2230–2236XBR2150–2158XF2200–2223 XFH2104–2110, XFH2112–13 |
| Operators | State Rail Authority,CountryLink,NSW TrainLink |
| Lines served | |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Stainless steel |
| Train length |
|
| Car length | Power car: 17.35 m (56 ft 11 in) Tralier: 25.25 m (82 ft 10 in) |
| Width | Power car: 2.89 m (9 ft 6 in) Trailer: 2.92 m (9 ft 7 in) |
| Height | Power car: 4.22 m (13 ft 10 in) Trailer: 4.04 m (13 ft 3 in) |
| Doors | 2 per side, hinged slam |
| Maximum speed |
|
| Weight | 40 t (39 long tons; 44 short tons) |
| Axle load | Power car: 19 t (19 long tons; 21 short tons) Trailer: 6.5 t (6.4 long tons; 7.2 short tons) |
| Prime mover(s) | Paxman Valenta (as built) Paxman VP185 (from 2000) |
| Traction motors | Brush Electrical TMH 68–46 |
| Power output | 383 kW (514 hp) per car |
| Transmission | Voith Turbo T311r KB260 |
| Bogies | Power car: PLA Trailer: NHA |
| Braking system(s) | Disc,air operated(Westcode EP with Automatic standby) |
| Coupling system | Knuckle |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge |
TheNew South Wales XPT (short for eXpressPassengerTrain) is a class ofdiesel-powered passenger trains built byComeng andABB. Based on theBritish Rail-designedHigh Speed Train, each XPT set comprises two XPpower cars in apush-pull configuration and, between them, from four and seven passenger carriages.
The XPT was procured following a competitivetendering process, with an initial contract for 30 trainsets, comprising 10 power cars and 20 carriages, in March 1980. The design of the InterCity 125 was substantially modified. Testing commenced in August 1981 and the first set entered service under theState Rail Authority during January 1982. The XPT proved to be considerably faster than existing trains, reducing the journey time betweenSydney andMelbourne by up to two hours.
Throughout the 1980s, additional XPT sets were procured, permitting the launch of services such as theNorthern Tablelands XPT and theRiverina XPT. An XPT fare surcharge was discontinued in May 1985. During the early 1990s,sleeping cars were procured, permitting the XPT to effectively take on overnight services such as theSydney/Melbourne Express. There were also advanced plans made for additional XPTs to be produced for Thailand, but they were later abandoned.
The XPTs are operated underNSW TrainLink, running on long-distance regional and interstateNorth Coast,Main Western andMain Southern line services throughoutNew South Wales and interstate intoVictoria andQueensland.
The trains have been subject to refurbishments and overhauls to permit their use into the twenty-first century. During October 2016, the NSW government announced the XPT fleet would be entirely replaced as part of the Regional Train Project. Thereplacement fleet, originally set to enter service in 2023, has encountered delays (now scheduled for around 2025–2027), thus the XPT will operate longer than originally anticipated with the potential for them to be retained after the new trains enter service.
Improvingpublic transport was a major issue in the1976 New South Wales state election. One of the commitments of the incomingWran government was to buy new rolling stock for country rail services.[1][2]
During January 1978, thePublic Transport Commissioninvited tenders for 25 high-speedrailcars, which were to be broadly similar toWestern Australia'sProspector railcars delivered byComeng in 1971. The tender allowed bidders to suggest alternative types of high-speed train. Comeng submitted a tender for a train based on theBritish Rail designedHigh Speed Train, which had entered service in the United Kingdom in 1976.[3] During 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]
The High Speed Train design was significantly modified, with the power cars being 50 cm (19.7 in) shorter, thePaxman Valenta engine downrated from 2250 to 2000 bhp (1680 to 1490 kW), gearing lowered for a top operating speed of 160 km/h (100 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 aloading gauge bigger than that of railways in Britain, were based on aBudd design.[5] Nonetheless, the passenger car bogies were based on the British Rail BT10 design;[8] later coaches used a different design, which was modified after being found to have a worse ride quality.[9] The XPT is theoretically capable of reaching speeds of 200 km/h (125 mph).[10]
During August 1981, the first power car and trailer commenced testing with astainless steel luggage van.[11] The initial XPT livery was red, black and orange withInterCity XPT signwriting on the power cars. On a demonstration run toAlbury on 6 September 1981, the XPT set a newAustralian rail speed record of 183 km/h betweenTable Top andGerogery 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 andYerong Creek.[12][13] This record was broken byQueensland Rail'sElectric Tilt Train in May 1999.[14]
In January 1982, the first full test XPT set started running. The first four sets entered service on theCentral West XPT toDubbo during April 1982, theMid North Coast XPT toKempsey in May 1982 and theRiverina XPT toAlbury in August 1982.[5] The XPT cut one hour and 54 minutes off the travel time from Sydney to Dubbo.[15]
In 1983, a further five power cars and 15 trailers were ordered; these allowed theCanberra XPT to commence in August 1983 followed by theNorthern Tablelands XPT toGlen Innes andTenterfield (two times per week only) in June 1984.[16] The XPT cut 50 minutes off the trip between Sydney and Canberra.[17] By tightening up the diagrams, an overnightSouth XPT to Albury was introduced, but was withdrawn in June 1985 due to low patronage.[18][19][20] During 1985, an additional 12 trailer carriages were ordered to allow six sets of 7 carriages to be formed.[21][22] From October 1985, theMid North Coast XPT to Kempsey ceased, being replaced by theHoliday Coast XPT toGrafton. TheNorthern Tablelands XPT also was cut back toArmidale and only ran on alternate days with aHUB/RUB set operating on the other days.[23]
Initially, the XPT carried a fare surcharge compared to parallel locomotive hauled services; however this charge was abolished from May 1985.[24]
It was proposed to extend operations toMelbourne with costs to be shared withV/Line. A five-carriage promotional train ran to Melbourne on 17 February 1985, running four free return shuttles to Tullamarine Loop.[25] Crew training commenced on theNorth East line between Albury andBenalla in July 1985 with services scheduled to commence on 3 August, but agreement could not be reached with theAustralian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees over crewing and the plan was shelved.[26][27][28] Another promotional train ran to Melbourne in November 1990.[29]
Following the election of theGreiner government in March 1988, consultantsBooz 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.[30][31] If services were to be maintained, the report recommended operating a reduced rail service, all with XPTs.
During February 1990, both theBrisbane Limited andPacific Coast Motorail were withdrawn and replaced by XPT services toBrisbane andMurwillumbah. To provide rolling stock for these, theCanberra XPT was withdrawn and replaced by a locomotive hauled train and theNorthern Tablelands Express was truncated to become a day return service toTamworth.[32][33]
In June 1990, the government announced that it would purchase a fleet ofXplorers to reintroduce services toArmidale andMoree. When these were introduced in October 1993, theNorthern Tablelands XPT ceased and the stock replaced a locomotive hauled set on a service to Grafton.[34]
During October 1990, the government announced that eight sleeper carriages would be ordered for use on overnight services to Brisbane, Murwillumbah and Melbourne.[35][36] These were included in an order placed withABB in 1991 for four power cars and 13 trailers that was jointly funded by the New South Wales and Victorian governments.[37][38][39][40] At the same time, the earlier stock was repainted inCountryLink livery.[41] The power cars were repainted byClyde Engineering atKelso while the carriages were done inBreemar.[42][43]
In November 1993, XPTs replaced locomotive-hauled stock on the overnightSydney/Melbourne Express.[44] In December 1994, an XPT daylight service to Melbourne was introduced by extending theRiverina XPT from Albury.[45] The XPTs reduced the travel time to Melbourne by up to two hours.[46]
During 1995, CountryLink trialled threeSwedish RailwaysX2000 tilting train carriages. After conducting a statewide tour in March, they were used onCanberra services from 23 April until 18 June 1995 with modified XPT power cars XP2000 and XP2009.[47]
Starting in 2003, an XPT has operated a service each January toParkes for theParkes Elvis Festival.[48][49] Following the closure of theMurwillumbah line, the XPT service was cut back toCasino from May 2004.[50][51] During October 2013, using a set that had been isolated west ofLithgow bybushfires, it was deployed on theOutback Xplorer service toBroken Hill.[52]
During 1986, an agreement was reached to build a fleet of XPTs for theState Railway of Thailand. To allow the train to be built to the narrower1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)metre gauge while retaining the same fuel capacity, it was proposed to extend the power cars by 2.7 to 20 metres (8 ft 10 in to 65 ft 7 in) and mount them onBo′Bo′Bo′ bogies. The negotiations were sufficiently advanced for thePrime Minister of Thailand to announce the agreement on television, however theAustralian Department of Trade withdrew its support at the last moment and the deal fell through.[40][53][54]
On 3 May 1991, an XPT locomotive derailed atHenty, injuring the driver and six passengers.[55]
On 27 January 2001, an XPT collided with a car on alevel crossing in theGerogery level crossing accident. Five people in the car were killed, and the train was derailed.[56]
On 20 February 2020, a Sydney to Melbourne-bound XPTderailed at Wallan, killing the train driver and his pilot, and injuring twelve.[57][58] The leading powercar, XP2018 was rebuilt as XP2019, re-entering service in February 2023.[59] Two carriages were written off.[60]
In October 2016, the NSW government announced the XPTs would be replaced as part of theRegional Train Project.[61][62][63][64] Two months later, it was announced that several different train manufacturers had been shortlisted to supply the replacement trains.[65] During February 2019, a contract with the Spanish rolling stock manufacturerConstrucciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) was signed for a new fleet ofbi-modeCivity trains; these are to replace the XPTs.[66] Originally scheduled to enter service sometime in 2023, the Civity fleet has been delayed, allegedly due to requested design changes.[67][68] The government has not ruled out retaining XPTs after the introduction of the new trains.[69]
In February 2025, the NSW government announced a $40.3 million life extension project to refurbish the XPT power cars and carriages.[70]
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The XPT fleet is currently used on services fromSydney toGrafton,Casino,Brisbane,Dubbo andMelbourne.[71][72][73] TheCentral West Express to Dubbo and theGrafton Express pre-dated the XPT fleet, which took over those services.[20][9]
A total of 19 XP power cars were built, originally powered by aPaxman Valenta 12RP200L engine with a single turbocharger. These were replaced from June 2000 byPaxman 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 someBritish RailHigh Speed Trains since 1994.[74][75] Traction equipment was manufactured in England byBrush Traction ofLoughborough.
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:[76]
Earlier power cars were built byComeng,Granville while XP2015–XP2018 were built byABB,Dandenong.[77] XP2015, originally namedCity of Melbourne, was renamedCity of Bathurst after it led an XPT which broke the Australian rail speed record in 1992; XP2017 received the former's original name in the same year.[78]
The XPT carriages were refurbished between 1992 and 1993, which included their repainting in CountryLink livery.[41] All were refurbished again between 2005 and 2008.[79][80][81][82]
After two carriages were written off after theWallan derailment in 2020,UGL Rail was contracted to convert two XF economy sitting cars to an XAM sleeper and XBR first buffet.[83][60]
As at June 2023, the carriage fleet of 58 carriages comprised[84]
The Dubbo set is captive and operates a daily return service. The other seven sets rotate on a seven-day repeating cycle, which was reported byRailway Digest in 2002 in accordance with the timetable at the time:[85]
Between each duty in Sydney, trains are serviced at theXPT Service Centre south ofSydenham 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.
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.[86] During 2001, all were reduced to five carriages outside of school holiday periods.[87][88] Presently, 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 theXPT Service Centre, a purpose built depot south ofSydenham station within the confines of the Meeks Road Triangle. All work is performed here except for wheel reprofiling which is performed on awheel lathe atFlemington Maintenance Depot.
Media related toXPT at Wikimedia Commons