Amazing that it's not just a one-time experience! Cheers to them!

Sad experience, we've all been there I guess... 🤷🏻‍♂️

Screaming kids & morons walking up and down isle using speakerphone & talking loudly is what I was hoping to get away from in Economy class by using 1st class seat or 1st class sleeper. But that's ok. I will just put on a bit of SLAYER & drown the noise out. 🤘

😂

Great to hear!

Thanks a lot for your kind words! Glad you liked it! 💪

Your welcome because of your videos it inspired me to just book a flight from doha to New York during summer onboard their qsuite hopefully by that time the covid 19 would have ended

💪🙂

Well, I can really recommend this kind of travel while down under.

😁

Oath m8

😏

Thanks! 🙂

Thanks, good to know!

@@FlyingDryden Yes, it's a takeaway buffet car.

@@edmundcarew7235 Ah, I really have to explore all of the coaches next time. Hehe!

I have to try that.

Good guess. One of the passenger service dudes was telling me it was based on a British inter-city train but with lower gears (and speed) to cope with the steep and curvy Australian tracks, and much better air conditioning to cope with the heat.

Cool!

Thanks! 🥳

@@FlyingDryden welcome

Thanks! Enjoy!

@@FlyingDryden 😍

Hi John! "To travel solo in that compartment, you must pay double the fare" - the same thing in Sweden and there is also no wifi (with a few exceptions) or entertainment on "our" sleeper train here. Once there was a cinema car on the long distance trains but not anymore. But I don't know what you mean by no food service in first class? We was served breakfast one hour prior to arrival in Melbourne. :)

@@FlyingDryden The food service is only offered to sleeper car passengers. 1st class seating passengers don't have that option. The cafe car has food but it is not included in the fare. You must walk to the cafe and carry your purchase to your seat. There is no seat service. There is also no seating available at the cafe. I think the fare for the sleeping compartment on this train is far too expensive. The train from Sydney to Perth has no seating cars and the twin compartment has a ensuite. There is a dining car and all food and beverages are included in the fare. Off train excursions are included. The journey takes 72hours. The fares range from $2000 to $5000 per person depending on the class. This is The Indian Pacific. I hope I have not given you too much information. May you and your family stay safe and healthy.

There used to be a sleeping car service from Brisbane to Sydney each compartment had their own toilet but no shower. There was a buffet car where you could eat breakfast. Seems the service has got worse.

@Cletus Johnson The fact is train travel can be far superior to flying but they don’t even try on most services.

There's only 20 million of us, on the most sparsely populated continent, with extreme seasons, that's why we will never have cheap comfortable superfast trains. In summer the Sydney to Melbourne train, which normally travels at 160km/hr, has to slow down when travelling through the Riverina as the train tracks warp and buckle in the heat

Haha! Poor you! 😂

Thanks! Sorry, I don't know that but check this site. Doesn't look good. transportnsw.info/travel-info/using-public-transport/travelling-with-animals-pets

@@FlyingDryden That was useful. Thank you!

No problem! 🙂

@LW F Good to know.

No, I found out after waking up once (I regularly take Canberra to Sydney but have taken the Syd-Melb before, every damn time someone forgets to check my ticket) you can't take a dog either.

The toilet is shared between two cabins and is extremely small. No place to sit for long... ;)

Sorry, but the XPT,s were built by Comeng in Dandenong Victoria for the New South Wales government. Budd has nothing to do with the building of them. ABB Transporation in Zurich and Stockholm also built some later rolling stock for the XPT. The XPT is based on the old HST trains in England, but nowhere near as reliable as the British versions.

@@125sloth Apologies, you are correct. According to Wikipedia `New South Wales XPT' `The passenger trailer cars were based on a Budd design, with the British Rail Mark 3 trailers considered unsuitable'. As a Brit I regret to advise my impression is that the IC125 power cars weren't that great on reliability either when they were powered by Paxman `Valenta' (and possibly the later Paxman `VP185') engines but it was less noticeable in the UK since a single power car could usually complete the journey up to a top speed of 110 mph (on level tracks) whereas in Australia the gradients could mean a total failure with the train unable to make it up the hills and the remaining power car likely to fail as well due to over heating if tried (depending on the number of carriages I guess). I believe that the reliability improved substantially when the IC125 power cars were re-engineered in around 2006 including fitting state of the art low emission Diesel engines from MTU in Germany. As a welcome reversal to what usually happens in the UK (foreign companies buying up UK companies) MTU is now part of Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG. N.B. It may well be for increased reliability that the XPT is being replaced by Diesel Electric Multiple Units by CAF since I would imagine that these feature a Diesel engine per car & thus more redunancy. Also the power to weight ratio is probably better since modern DEMUs can be in the order of 750 BHP per car.

@TOMHBOMB1963 Yes, that's true. I didn't take a shower and just used the toilet once. It just was sooooo small! Haha!

It was very smooth! We left them at check in and bagdrop in Sydney and picked them up just when we got off the train in Melbourne, seconds after disembark. 👌

@@FlyingDryden Sounds great! I'm going to be catching this xpt soon so this has been a huge help, thanks 😊

Good luck! Hope that things hasn’t changed! Safe travels!

Yes, there is one in the first class cabin.

@@FlyingDryden thank you! I’m catching it tonight!! 😁

Oh, nice! Have a good trip! ✌️

@@RoryDing You can see the power socket at 4:01 into the movie.

@@FlyingDryden oh yeah it’s very high up on the wall! Thank you! Appreciate your reply!!

Yes, it should be onboard but I never visited it.

Yes there is food bar I been in that train a lot of times

@@muslimboy495gamer8 Thanks!

😂 It’s a great thing to learn something new everyday!

Rocky Mountains Alberta is definitely on my bucketlist! 🥳 But after all, I enjoyed my trip! The Swedish night train isn't that much better.

In what way do you mean?

@@FlyingDryden I live in Australia and that is a nicer trains then XPT near my house

@@Pat672 Aha! :)

Yes, I've heard that. :)

The Service is not retiring in 2023. that is when the XPT Railsets are being replaced with newer trains. The train service will still be running, just with newer stock.

@@Physigist newer type of train

I've heard that too. Newer train sounds great!

@@Physigist Yes but with no sleeping cars.

Haha, sorry about that. Next time. 😁

Haha! Thanks for your comment! 😁

That's nonsense if you're in the sleeping car, or even a first class seat. I always try to book the lower berth and typically have several hours' sleep: best to be in the middle of the car. The sleeping berths are an A$88 supplement. For best value buy a NSW TrainLink Discovery Pass, available for unlimited travel on its extensive network from a fortnight to an amazing six months' unlimited travel. Price for adults is $300 for a fortnight up to A$550 for six months. Sleeping berths require the supplement and are the only aspect that must be booked by calling 13 22 32 in Australia. Seats can be booked online once you've paid for the Discovery Pass.

Sad that it's impossible to book a berth online. Why is that?

@@FlyingDryden Because if you are just one adult booking, NSW TrainLink will only book another person of the same sex (who must also be an adult, of course) into the two berth cabin. The software can't recognise this.

Ah, thanks. I realize that the booking system here in Sweden is quite nice then. 😎

I know, I saw it on the news. So sad! 😔

The government railways are most probably being run down purposely, in preparation for a privatization bid.

@@ianpennack Is it going that way? Privatization?

@@FlyingDryden .... At this time they trying to privatize Sydney buses. The Melbourne express from Melbourne to Adelaide was privatized years ago. Used to run every night, now it only runs two or three times a week. Sydney to Perth, Indian Pacific is only once a week, i think. Anyway they don't want to sell cheap sit up tickets that they call "Red Seats", they only want high paying retirees. In the end the corporations want everything. Nothing will be left government owned. We will have pirate corporations running the world.

@@ianpennack Sounds like Sweden.

I've been through worse train journeys! Significantly worse. :)

Whilst I agree that the XPT trains are horrible, they are not representative of ALL interstate trains in Australia. Check out the Indian-Pacific, The Ghan and The Overlander, just to name a few.

OzStick you are right! When I wrote that I was only thinking of the XPT trains. The Indian-Pacific, etc. look wonderful. I would like to do Sydney to Perth one day.

Sigh me up on that one, I want to test Perth-Sydney as well! :)

And if you can, try a Heritage Express trip where you can ride in the Southern Aurora, that was the train that ran Sydney to Melbourne before the XPTs and has way more charm and character

Indeed!

We paid around €150.

If you draw a line between the cities, it is 710 km. If you drive, it is about 900 km.

@@FlyingDryden 960km by rail, as the railway was built before the road, and goes through Cootamundra and Wagga Wagga, and then south of Broadmeadows (Vic) this standard gauge line heads across to Sunshine (Vic) and then into Southern Cross station, Melbourne. Hume Freeway/Highway (road) is 880km. Air is c.706km.

@@edmundcarew7235 Thanks for input! :)

Thanks for your comment! :)

So, the NSW XPT was built based on the Class 43 modified to our conditions here - there are videos on KZfaq (XPT By Comeng, Parts one, two and three) which cover the construction process. It's an interesting piece of history.

@@s3_gunzel Thanks, good point! I'll link it here: 1: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qMmJa6Zyu5eziqM.html 2: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/m7eBatJhzsy0inU.html 3: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pbWKp5ifvrioXX0.html

You saw exactly right. I shared a compartment with a person unknown to me. We only booked three days before and then there were no possibilities for our own compartment or even that my partner and I could sleep in the same compartment. I honestly don't know if it is possible to book your own compartment. Maybe another viewer knows?

It is possible but you must pay for 2 first class tickets

Hi! In 1st class sleeper: Power outlet yes (one), USB-port no.

@@FlyingDryden Are you able to charge a laptop/phone on it?

Yes, that would probably work but I didn't test it. It looked like a regular power outlet.

Yeah, there is a power outlet. designed for shavers, but it charges quite OK. No wifi. These trains are about 40 years old, so well before that. I understand their replacements will have it.

And the replacement are about to happen in 2023 if I remember correctly?

😁

Haha, I've never tried it in Austria. 😁

@@FlyingDryden Austria took over the German sleeper train business and they do a pretty good job. Look for "EuroNight" or "Nightjet", some Videos on YT about these trains.

If you want serious first class trains in Australia you go on the Great Southern Railway trains (GSR, or whatever they're calling themselves now), like the Indian Pacific or the Ghan. They're seriously good, but you pay a full cost fare. They're not 'transport' though, but 'tourist experience' trains. The XPT is just a remnant of the old interstate express services (Spirit of Progress and the Souther Aurora) that ran before airlines became common and cheap. The full paying passengers will be rural folk, getting on or off deep in the country. Many of the others will be people on pensioner fares or similar.

I've seen those train in Australia on KZfaq. Looks amazing in that kind of slow travel way. A bit far away at the moment but the European trains sounds interesting. I'll give it a search. Thanks! ✌️

@@tacitdionysus3220 These now privately owned trains you speak of are a total rip off. Mainly for people with too much money and time on their hands. ( not being nasty here, that was a poor attempt at comedy). Privatising famous trains in Australia was a huge mistake. Yes, as you say cheap air fares ruined many country trains. but the railways could have seen that cming and put plans in place and targeted the rural people. Trains are still the safest form of land travel by far, and slowly governments are seeing this and promoting country travel more. But look how many decades it took for them to wake up.

We have cornflakes in Sweden!

@@FlyingDryden WHAT!

True story!

@@ArchiezAviation Reporting on behalf of all Poles - we have cornflakes, too! :D

😂

We paid AU$ 234 (US$ 170) per person.

@@FlyingDryden thanks

@@kingofthejungle3833 No worries, as they say down under.

@@FlyingDryden Was that a return ticket? Thanks so much for making the video!

@@daniellelearnsstuff Hi! No, it was a one-way-trip from Sydney to Melbourne. And thanks! :)

True! We made a late booking just a couple of days before departure so there was really not any alternatives in this case. I shared my cabin with a male and my girlfriend with a female, in the same car. That was a better solution than traveling in 2nd class. 🙂

Correct.

Well, that's what they call it. First Class in Sweden has own toilet and shower.

The former Sydney-Melbourne train, “Southern Aurora”, was far superior to this crap with a proper dining car. Not surprising most people prefer to fly even though an over night train service is very practical but not at this low standard.

I chose between taking a flight and an extra night somewhere but wanted to test the night train and sleep at the same time. Still glad I tested. :)

40 years and still going strong. 😁

Just like that! And we combined accommodation and travel at the same time.

@@FlyingDryden oh okay... cool👍

Thanks! it was a good trip! :)

FlyingDryden I’m sure it was

Hi Thomas

METRO

We paid ~ AUD 240 (€ 150) per person for this one way trip.

@@FlyingDryden Oh I see Thanks so much for answering 😊

No problem! 👌

Departed Sydney at 20:42 and arrived Melbourne at 07:30. Almost 11 h.

@@FlyingDryden My friend travelled sometime in 2016. His journey got done in10h15mins. 20.35 pm to 06.50 am

hmmm you do realise that it varies, signalling, delays, conditions etc..

€150 per person.

AUD how much return?

@@gloriakwok1 Did not travel return but a single €150 would make a return €300.

Oh yes it was. At least in September. 😁

Nope, Sweden! 🇸🇪

Was there no sleeping car at all?

@@FlyingDryden I was 12 at the time and I'm thinking it was the cost we did get one

Ah, that might explain it. 😁 I guess most of the experience is quite the same in 2020.

I don't know. But I've read somewhere that the hst goes a bit faster than this XPT?

Sort of, but de-rated

​@@spdfatomicstructure Ah, good to know!

It’s called an XPT designed of the hst

Ah!

Help me out, what is HST? :)

FlyingDryden if you’ve heard of intercity 125, that’s what it is

Never heard until now. 😂 But I will Google it!

@trainfan320303 , Ah, good to know. Thanks! :)

It pretty much is a HST/125. Built off the same plans around 1983

Thanks for your nice comment! I have not tested many night trains and in a larger context, these can certainly stand quite far down the list. I want and will test more and get a little bigger perspective. :) But for me, good service and hospitality also means a lot. Not just "hardware".

@@FlyingDryden Excellent point. Yes hardware is not the be all end all of a trip. Sometimes it's fun to even break down..if you are not in a hurry to get to the other end that is. Good service is a must as you say. As an ex railway person I am always inclined to look at reliability and prices and value for money, and the reliability of the rolling stock of course!.. It must be always parked in my brain!! haha. But keep up the good work. It is always interesting to read the real passengers views on any given train. As for the XPT ityself, it is such a shame that Trainlink, (still owned by the NSW government), do not take the pride in their fleets as they did when the XPT was introduced decades ago. Altough back then there were no sleepers on the XPT. That came later.

Aha! Well, I agree! It's really fun to read everyone's comments here. Some are quite harsh in their reviews, but for me who came from Sweden, it was definitely worth the test with this trip. This was the first time I rode a night train outside Sweden.

@@FlyingDryden Well you survived the trip and to be fair, it is a real experience. Even when it breaks down, or one locomotive fails and the one that does go has to complete the trip, at a much slower pace. Mind you, the XPT is designed to only work with one loco if one fails, it just runs slower.

😂 Oh yes, sounds like a real experience as well. Next time... 😁

That's too easy! Think lady think!

The train became cheaper and smoother than an extra hotel night plus flying (with checked luggage). We were two traveling together here and also wanted to test the night train. It was smooth, you should try it yourself. ;)

Not everyone wants to, or can, fly.

Hi1 No, that's the man I shared the sleeping compartment with.

@@FlyingDryden two rooms to a compartment

Sounds like we made a good choice with the sleeper. 😁

FlyingDryden yep I was on overnight economy (don’t do that)

@@HazptMedia Haha, will try to not do that.

I thought of a economy first but since I ran the Sydney marathon I preferred the sleeper in the end. Good choice. :)

@@FlyingDryden what's the fare for sleeper

I've used it many times from Sydney to Melbourne for business travel. It avoids the evening flight and overnight stop in Melbourne, or the (very) early morning start through traffic into Sydney airport, then Melbourne peak hour traffic to get to a city venue. It terminates within walking distance of my meeting. It leaves at 2040, so plenty of time to have dinner then drive to Revesby station (on the Airport Line) where I would park for free overnight. It's about a 30 minute run to Central station by suburban train to board the XPT. It was always clean, the shower was great and the food (breakfast included in fare) was fine. Staff were always outstanding. The sleeper berth was quite adequate. Had no trouble sleeping except for one full moon night where I spent several hours mesmerised by the beautiful blue lit countryside passing. Arrives in Melbourne about 730. It's certainly old and slow, but quite comfy and the difference between economy (backpackers) and first class (normal people) fares is not great (certainly nothing like the difference in airlines). In the evening I would get a meal in Melbourne, Skybus to the airport for a shoulder peak later (cheaper) flight, then suburban train (station under Sydney airport) to Revesby and a short drive home. Far better than my old manic 'fly both ways' routine. Of the 20 or so times I've travelled, I only had to share the cabin on three occasions. First time it was with a friendly person similar to myself in age. Second time it was with a psychologist who boarded well south of Sydney and happened to be an authority in human factors (in accidents etc.) which I also use in my work. Third time it was wth a music producer with a fear of flying. He had produced music for major talent in Australia and the UK and was a delight to chat with. I guess I must be lucky. But if you want to guarantee a room to yourself, just pay for two berths. The total cost (when you take into account airfares and transfers, often at peak times, is about 10 to 20% cheaper than flying in total.

What a great reply! I had no problems with my roommate, and old man going to an event in Melbourne. And as you, me and my girlfriend took the train instead of flying and thanks to that we saved ourselfs an extra overnight in Sydney or Melbourne. And we also wanted to try the train as well (even if I also wanted to try Qantas for the first time 😁). And the staff, agree. They were super friendly and one of them also had a connection to Sweden. It really is a small world. ✌️

Obviously you've never travelled in a European railways' couchette car where you may be sharing with five others.

Hej hej! 🇸🇪

I really have to try the Indian-Pacific someday. I've heard a lot about it. :) In Sweden, the X2000 is currently being upgraded with new interiors and new technology. It will be exciting to see what they offer then. However, it is only day trains.

😎

Haha! Well, it really sounds like I have to test the new trains as soon as they are in place!

Well its half way through 2023 and no signs of XPT replacement....which will have no sleepers and probably those arse numbing foam seats You are talking about.....the Xplorers and Endeavors bogies squeek like crazy....but to be Honest i have never heard much squeeking at all on the XPT....Quite smooth actually even in economy Class...

@@jamieharmer5654 I blame the submarine purchase, we can't afford trains now

@@foxdavion6865 ....by the time we get those submarines the might be obselete lol.....

Hard words!

FlyingDryden I would know

Traveled a lot with them?

FlyingDryden I drive freight trains, sometimes we hitch a ride on that thing for a return journey. Everything about it is awful 🤢🤮

Well, you should know then, yes. :) What's the worst part in your opinion?

Thanks! But these trains will be replaced in a couple of years?

Nice report. I thought Amtrak here in the U.S. was not good, that is really an underwhelming first class.

I’ve never been on a train in the US (well, Penn Station to Newark doesn’t count, does it?) but I want to, despite your comment. 😎

Well, I've been in worse places... ;)

its extremely uncommon to travel by rail in australia for inter-cioty journeys. the train is a complete afterthought. as the OP stated in the video, you could take an 11 hour train journey mel syd, or a 50 minute flight. in fact, the mel syd route is usually around the 3rd busiest in the world, meaning there is a lot of competition and flights are quite cheap; cheaoper than the train. though i love (good) trains for travel around europe and japan, high speed rail just isnt a thing here given the vast distances and low number of people willing to go the slow way instead of flying 🤷

well said. Lets get out of the 80s and move forward 40 years...population is moving to the country too

Valenta?

@@FlyingDryden It’s the type of engine that the XPT uses.

@@deanl4575 Ah, thanks for info!

@@deanl4575 The Valentas were replaced by VP185s over 20 years ago.

Yes Paxman Valenta until 2000 then changed out to Paxman VP185 offering great improvements in oil control and black smoke emissions. Also improvement in fuel economy and about 1 Tonne lighter per engine if I remember correctly. Paxman aquired by MAN in 2000.

What would you like to see more of? Eight hours of sleep?

I worked these trains for 10 years sarcastic arse a lot more happens believe me !

@@MrMatt747 I look forward to a private guided tour next time I take the night train! 🎉

@@MrMatt747 I agree. It's just one long video of his mess everywhere. About as interesting as looking at dust

You have to decide. Is it too long or not? Either it seems too short for a ten hour train journey or it's like watching dust. Or both? I have taken the most important things from the journey as I experienced it. I could have put a GoPro on the wall that films the whole trip, but would it have been a better film? I don't think so. Many others make similar films that are 30-40 minutes long. Who even manages to look at them, especially when it is dark outside and there are no beautiful landscapes to show off? 🥱 Yep, I missed the restaurant and also 2nd class. Shit happens. Hope you have a nice weekend anyway! And absolutely don't watch my latest movie about 1 class with MTRX, it is only five minutes long... ✌️😎 Kind regards Daniel, a.k.a Sarcastic Arse

Well, I think it was a perfectly okay train experience after all. But no, they are no better than the Swedish night trains. :)

@@FlyingDryden I've used the XPT a lot and have also travelled by train in Sweden. The X2000 (??) looked like a more modern XPT and I was surprised to find things like their meal trays were exactly the same as on the XPT and the wines served on both were Australian. Go figure!

@@tacitdionysus3220 I like the X2000 and they are also being renovated now (but my favorite train in Sweden is the SJ3000 (X55). However, the X2000 is just a day train. Our Swedish night trains are of a little (!) different kind. Unfortunately I forgot to visit the restaurant carriage on this night train from Sydney. :) And thanks a lot for your comment!

FlyingDryden three cars from a X2000 were trialled between two XPT power cars for a few months back in the ‘90s, with a view to speeding up XPT services. Nothing ever came of it. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bcdgeqV43rzMkmQ.html

@@Crosshead1 Haha, how cool! I've never heard about that before. Even the SJ logo is there! Thanks for sharing! :)

Well, the sleeper trains in Sweden are also from the 80's and not much have happen with them for the last decades. I have heard about the sleeper trains in Finland though, so that's my travel plan for the future. 😁

The XPT has been upgraded since the 80's and also new rolling stock introduced....BUT....The Swedish trains are way more reliable than the crapboxes still offered in NSW. I have travelled in many parts of the world by train and even some third world countries have better and more reliable trains than the over rated XPT. It has broken down, (or one power car at one end has), more than what is acceptable for a modern day train. The upside, (if there is one), is that if the power car on either end fails, the train is designed to continue with one. But it takes way longer to do the trip, but at least you get there. The trains way back in the day that the XPT replaced, (especially on the Sydney to Melbourne and vice versa runs), were way more reliable, even though slower. The main advantage of the XPT is that it could run at higher speeds on existing tracks, and with it's pull /push from both front and rear, it could climb hilly sections much quicker. All well and good if the stupid thing did not constantly break down, and the word constantly is no exaggeration. The old Spirit of Progress and Intercapital Daylight in the 70's were far more reliable trains, and had excellent on time running records, as did the Southern Auroroa. Sure, things did happen occasionally to make them late, but it was nothing like the unreliability of the XPT.

@@125sloth Thanks for the comment! As a tourist, I have a hard time commenting on how stably the trains run on the railways in Australia, but our train network in Sweden is also quite reviled. Slow lines, delays (although they statistically keep to the schedule) and so on. And as usual, it is those who whine the most who make room in the media and news. I would like to try more long train journeys and it is on my bucket list as soon as the world opens up again. :)

@@FlyingDryden Indeed. I, like you want to get out and about overseas again, I do want to revisit Sweden as we were not there that long last time. I did find the public transport very good though, compared to Brisbane in Australia. To be fair to New south wales, i find most of their trains OK and the suburban and intercity services very good. Victoria has improved a lot in recent years also and have new country trains coming on line shortly if not already. I also found the Netherlands has a brilliant rail system, as does most of Europe really. The history of Swedish railways is also very interesting. I do like the older Y1 railcars.

@@125sloth Yes, we are many who want to travel more trains! I also want to go to Europe and test the train network. Have heard a lot about train travel in France, the Netherlands but also the night train in Finland which is apparently supposed to be really good! That is why we chose the train in front of the flight when we were to take between Sydney and Melbourne. It was a nice experience anyway, even if the carriages were not of the latest kind. I should also add that the Swedish train operator SJ is now launching its newly renovated X2000 trains during the year. It will be really exciting to test! Welcome here and try! :)

What do you mean?

If thats first class , thats shameful .

Well, that's first class. 😁

It is! ✌️