XPT patronage in the 1980's

Tangarbage · Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:34 am

When the XPT trains entered service in 1982, was there an increase in patronage on Country Trains?

gregrudd · Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:34 am

Eungai79 · Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 1:52 pm

Whilst I can’t be sure of an overall increase in patronage after the introduction of the XPT (anyone have any old Annual Reports lying around?), it is worthy of note that also at this time a number of other service improvements were introduced that may have contributed to an increase in patronage. These include:

- the introduction of the North Coast Overnight Express, a faster train between Sydney and Murwillumbah
- new day return passenger services from Bathurst and Mudgee to Sydney and Scone to Newcastle
- changing the Up Cooma Mail timetable to an AM departure ex Cooma, giving that town a choice of morning or afternoon services
- I believe an extra midday(ish) service was also introduced between Sydney and CBR

A number of country stations were also upgraded and the XPT was used extensively in marketing at the time (albeit with an occasional identity crisis: the XPT, InterCity XPT, InterCity XPT Express, XPT Super Train, being some examples!). The SRA very actively promoted it as heralding a new standard that would take rail travel into the 21st Century.

Some of the train’s initial timetables were unpopular; eg: the up Central West XPT arrived back in Sydney after 2130, the up Mid-Nth Coast XPT departed Kempsey at 0430 and only conveyed pax from Kempsey, Wauchope, Taree & Maitland/Broadmeadow – one wonders if this train was often full.

Also unpopular was the fixed seating, as described previous post, with people used to reclining and rotating/rollover seating. But even more unpopular was the surcharge applied to XPT fares. From memory, all XPT fares were 1st class (despite there being two different standards of seating onboard) plus a distance based surcharge of several dollars (remembering this is early 80’s).

In 1984, XPT services were introduced to CBR and Tenterfield/Glen Innes (depending on day of the week). An overnight XPT service between Albury and Sydney, the South XPT, replaced the South Mail. Around this time, the XPT fare structure was abolished and fares became as for other trains and the consists were divided up into first and economy. Signalling improvements also lead to further reduced journey times on some lines, eg: CTC between Junee and Albury.

Patronage definitely increased from this time onwards and from around 1986, all consists were built up to seven cars. In 1985, the XPT between Sydney and Kempsey was withdrawn and the Holiday Coast XPT was introduced between Grafton and Sydney, replacing the loco hauled North Coast Daylight. In 1986, the XPT carried it’s 2 millionth passenger and there is a picture of that lucky lady cutting a giant cake in the book ‘With Iron Rails.’

It is during this period, that I think the XPT was probably at it’s most popular – it was still fairly new, fares were the same as other trains, the fixed seating had mostly been replaced, the timetables were mostly convenient and, as major national highway works were still some years off, it’s journey times were quite competitive. Dining and sleeping facilities were still available for those who preferred longer overnight journeys on loco hauled trains.

From 1990 onwards, things started to generally decline. Many other threads discuss this period (air fare wars, XPTs on overnight runs, etc). I do believe that patronage did increase once more though, in 1993/94, with the introduction of day and night XPT services to Melbourne and Xplorer services to CBR, Armidale and Moree as well as an internal XPT refurbishment (RIP those comfy ‘D’ seats, however they were looking rather tired) and frequent CountryLink marketing campaigns that certainly increased product visibility and recognition. I haven’t seen a CountryLink TV ad for years now.

Reasons for the massive decline in patronage over the last eight years or so have also been detailed elsewhere, but for what it’s worth, I think it’s a real shame to now see a day when half empty five and four car XPTs amble around on slower timetables and wonkier track. Even over Christmas 2006, the North Coast XPTs seemed to be built to seven cars on several days only, whilst the Melbourne XPTs, not at all.

gregrudd · Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:08 pm

Circus · Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 7:10 pm

All Countrylink services have slowly deteriated over the past few years and with it goes the patronage.
Sometimes the overnight XPT to Melbourne carries only 40-50 pax. letting the crews have a decent break.
A lot of other trains do run 1/2 empty and management does not care a hoot...in fact I would not be surprised if the Government want to close or sell off Countrylink services.
A lot of trains continually break down and coaches are put on.
The on going joke by the On- Board Crews is talking about the Countrylink Bus Services instead of the trains Laughing

DHT · Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 10:48 pm

Eungai79 · Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 3:21 pm

GeoffreyHansen · Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 6:24 pm

I have recently travelled on the XPT in December and January between Sydney and Brisbane and on both occassions it was just about full.

Countrylink should be ashamed of its increased use of road coaches, most other operators wouldn't allow such a thing to happen on the same level.

dalts 1985 · Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 8:37 pm

Riccardo · Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 8:46 pm

You could probably get an XPT set back if you did a pre-1962 and stopped them at Albury, with connection on a Velo to Melbourne.
I don't feel this is a problem, with Syd-Mel journeys done by Virgin Blue and Jetstar, and intermediate points covered by the connecting train.

The liberated train (x2?) could be used to boost North Coast services, which I understand still need them.

While I understand people getting s'hitty about the end of the Murbah line, the situation of having one XPT to Brisbane and the other to Casino is not new - this was in fact what you had when you had a Brisbane Ltd and a separate North Coast Daylight Express (which ended in Casino). In addition there was a North Coast mail to Grafton.

If you need to get in touch, drop a comment at the Transport Textbook or on my blog.

Oldfart · Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 9:30 pm

TheLoadedDog · Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 11:29 pm

Oldfart · Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 7:46 am

All depends on how you sell it.

Establish Mel-Syd as a premium service by GSR or similar (marketed as 'the most exciting improvement' in decades, even if only 3 times a week) and then re-establish the Syd-Alb run with XPTs under the guise of "Countrylink - now solely for the country people of NSW".

Agree it won't happen in the near future and it probably won't be done by Labor. But by then, so many will have used airline travel for so long for Syd-Mel that not that many will care and it wil be made look good for the rural community.

He remembered he was doubly irritated because he had forgotten and because he had remembered he had reminded himself twice not to forget (James Joyce).

Riccardo · Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 9:28 am

TLD™ and Oldfart

I definitely agree - changing at Albury is retrograde and would make us a laughing stock country.

But the reality is, those trains shouldn't be being used for journeys over 4 hours.

They are not that comfortable, not particularly fast and aviation is a better alternative for these longer journeys.

I agree with Oldfart, you could make a virtue by focusing journey times and departures/arrivals with the needs of country people

If you need to get in touch, drop a comment at the Transport Textbook or on my blog.

TheLoadedDog · Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 9:47 am

Despite being a fiscal conservative, I'm of the opinion that Australia (or any given country) simply needs certain things, regardless of economics, in order to be taken seriously in the world as... well.... grown-ups.

We need a modern, large-ish jet liner to carry the Prime Minister, rather than having him fly Qantas. We need grand General Post Office buildings in our big cities, rather than the GPO sold off to the Mac Bank for a hotel for yuppies and the postal services in a tiny shop front down the street. We also need grand, interstate trains.

These things might not pay for themselves on paper, but in the longer term, they pay for themselves in other ways.

The only way to solve the problem of inter-capital rail services versus local ones is, frankly, to have BOTH. Try telling a foreign tourist that they can't catch a luxurious train non-stop between our two biggest cities, and they'd laugh you down. And non-stop or otherwise, neither the XPT nor the Vlocity is up to the task. It should be a GSR/Aurora type train. Loco-hauled, a dining car, and a touch of romance. Maybe a step below GSR service would be fine, as it's a "liner" rather than a "cruise", but nothing below that. Certainly not Countrylink cardboard eat-at-your-seat reheated 7/11 food, etc.

The above is not posted as a foaming gunzel trying to claw back the "Old Days".

Humphrey! We're leaving!