Well, it looks like the replacements won't happen until 2025-2027... www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/secret-report-reveals-1-billion-plus-cost-blowout-in-bungled-nsw-trains-project-20230203-p5chpo.html

@SYDTrainsFilms

Жыл бұрын

A reminder to all that this information has been rendered incorrect due to various changes. The chance of this happening at all is low, as the XPT fleet may just be refurbished.

@ryansofly

9 ай бұрын

@sethpettit8591 ah new livery? Looked pretty old to me hehe

@user-kc1tf7zm3b

9 ай бұрын

@@ryansofly The NSW Government are not serious with the XPT replacement program due to the high costs. This explains why the XPT has been kept in service for a staggering 40 years now. If anything, the government would like to be done away with long haul trains altogether, but, this is not politically realistic.

Thanks for sharing your travel experience on the Sydney to Melbourne XPT train. My fiance and I recently travelled from Sydney to Melbourne on the daytime XPT service only a few days ago. I remember the introduction of the XPT train in 1982. As a Train driver with New South Wales railway at the time until 1994. I had the opportunity to drive this train several times. I have also travelled on the XPT, mainly between Newcastle and Brisbane over the years. The recent travel was the first time to Melbourne. We travelled in first class. The staff were friendly and helpful. Excellent customer service. The lunch offerings was average. But acceptable for the price. The seats are comfortable. We never experienced any discomfort for the duration of the journey. (But the train is certainly not up to the latest in passenger train technology and standards as experienced in Europe). It was good to see many people on the train. It was a relaxing and enjoyable journey. I am happy to do another trip in the future.

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for your insight, always valuable to have ex-staff chime into my videos. My love for train travel is still very young and it was ignited by The Overland, really. So exploring other services like XPT was just natural progression. I recently did the Prospector in WA as well. So yeah, train travel is awesome, just not sure about doing an overnight sitting up. Think I'm not a spring chicken anymore to be travelling like that! Hahahahaha.... Here's the Prospector video, if you're interested... kzread.info/dash/bejne/hJmCj9SSk8-3qso.html Cheers Ryan

Hey Ryan 👋 Great trip report. Good price but I also can't sleep during travel. However this looks better than a sit up seat. Glad you got a nice bloke as a travel buddy.

@ryansofly

3 ай бұрын

The new trains won't have this sleeper cabin anymore. Stupid, really.

I have family in Sydney and always travel overnight from Melbourne on train in sleeper. Up and back. Just love it.

@ryansofly

3 ай бұрын

That's awesome! I believe the new trains have been delivered, I could be wrong. Enjoy the sleeper while you still can!

@suemethven2097

3 ай бұрын

@@ryansofly haven’t been for awhile as of Covid but I’m hoping to get back to it.

@janettootill4803

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for this. Have read so many negative reviews. Doing the same trip as you and also Sydney to Byron Bay return.

i loved the expression you used about why you cant and dont sleep on trains/planes etc. i too dont sleep and laughed so much it hurt. you truly express your feelings exactly how you think - which is why i love your channel. we can relate to what you tell us, and am enlightened by things we dont know about that you tell us. happy travels

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

Well thanks for your support! 🙏🙏🙏

Thanks for the video, i think personally, I'd rather drive for the experience or if in a hurry, fly

@ryansofly

21 күн бұрын

Aussie trains are embarrassingly way behind the times. I don't blame your sentiment. It was fun for a novelty factor, but I won't be doing this on a regular basis.

A great video Ryan , but ah man , I couldn’t think of anything worse than sharing a cell like sleeper with a complete stranger . I thought the overall experience as you said was “ unique “ , well I agree with that . The words” Ancient and snail paced “ spring to mind . Not for me , but apparently it is for many as extra carriages have been added to cope with recent demand . Cheers mate ,and looking forward to the Sydney food reviews .

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

Thankfully he turned out to be ok. We got along and chatted the evening away before bed time.

@tacitdionysus3220

Жыл бұрын

I used to get the sleeper to Melbourne for day business and fly back. Saves doing the 4 am start, expensive peak fare, fighting traffic into the city - instead had dinner at home, drove to Revesby 'park and ride', and got train to Central (or Campbelltown) to pick up the XPT, - Skybus back to Melbourne airport in evening, cheaper later flight, train from Sydney Airport (expensive) to Revesby (free parking). On only three occasions did I need to share a cabin. One was with a music producer, who was fascinating to chat with. The next got on in the Southern Highlands and was a 'human factors' professional (an area of work I do quite a lot in). The third was a friendly Westie who grew up in similar areas to myself. Shared some funny stories. I prefer to have the cab to myself, but have never had a problem with any co-travellers. Bad features - rough track in areas during a couple of years (courtesy of ARTC 'in place' sleeper replacement in a drought followed by lots of rain creating mud holes) - noisy bogies (less obvious in centre of carriage) which British equivalent trains don't seem to have??. Unexpected features - the view at night - first time was a full moon - sliding through gorgeous 'blue' countryside kept me up - Next time, no such luck, no moon but spectacular Milky Way (billions of stars visible). Biggest surprise - The Australian wines served and the cardboard meal trays are EXACTLY the same as on Swedish 2000 trains.

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

@@tacitdionysus3220 what a fascinating insight. Thanks for sharing!

@suave-rider

Жыл бұрын

@@tacitdionysus3220 The new rolling stock to run from Sydney to Melbourne and Brisbane will not include sleeper carriages

Would totally fly to Adelaide rn to get that kit 😂 me and my partner are such fans of your videos!! It's such a nice break from all the craziness. Keep up the great work!! ❤️❤️

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

What kind words! Thanks heaps for your support!

I really miss train rides lah. Nice video as always, Ryan. Cheers!

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

Yeah its fun... Wouldn't do it again though.

The best travel advice, keepup the good work Ryan.

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

Kind words. Thanks for popping by!

Hi Ryan we just popped in to show support. 👍👍👍

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for popping by!

Great movie again. Remember to spray and keep the seat up!! Love it

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

Hahahaha.... Indeed!

The thought of sharing a sleeper cabin with a complete stranger fills me with dread. Social anxiety sucks!

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

Despite what you see with my persona on KZread etc, I struggle with shyness and this helps me cope. I always think laughter helps me feel with the situation at hand. And of course, thankfully, the "cell mate" and I got along just fine.

@JudeAussie

Жыл бұрын

@@ryansofly you’re doing great. I love your sense of humour. Keep up the great work. 👍🙂

Last time I traveled a train sleeper was in 1987 - Liverpool to Albury / Wodonga I travels Sydney to Canberra- return .. last year & will be travelling by train - Casino to Wauchope in 2 weeks

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

Enjoy the XPT! They're fine for what they are on a day trip.

Hello Ryan - I've seen a number of videos re the XPT night train and this one has to be the best. I wish the rail companies would invest in the sort of high quality stock Austria's OEBB deploys for its Nightjets. Even better ... OEBB ordered a fleet of Next Generation Nightjets from Germany's Siemens which will enter service this year. These trains really differ from what you experienced ! Do an online search and see for yourself. By the way UK's Caledonian Sleeper now has a fleet of CAF stock (CAF is a Spanish manufacturer) and they have had teething issues.

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

Awwwwww.... Kind words! Thank you! Australia is indeed very behind with our trains. And we've been for a very long time. Our most luxurious services operated by Journey Beyond is so old and creaky. Just embarrassing that's the best we can offer. Some say we don't have the population to support a viable train service. I'm no economist, so I'll just accept that's our situation.

@alexmcwhirter6611

Жыл бұрын

@@ryansofly I would have thought Sydney-Melbourne would work for rail provided the line is improved to allow a faster journey. With the new 'green-minded' govt one would have thought it would want to offer travellers a serious alternative to air. It would also be great to have a really modern overnight train but it wouldn't make a profit so would have to be subsidised because of poor utilisation of stock, high staff to passenger ratio etc). UK's Caledonian Sleeper loses several millions a year but is subsidised because it attracts business and tourism to Scotland. (Cal Sleeper is popular with wealthy international visitors not just locals)

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

@@alexmcwhirter6611 yeah without a decent product, that's no incentive to travel by train in Australia. Mind set of the population has to change as well. My friends think I'm crazy to do train journeys here. Why waste time when you can fly? That's the normal reaction. And at $235, the sleeper isn't exactly cheap. For that price, you aren't getting something modern either. Lots of factors go against train travel down under.

@alexmcwhirter6611

Жыл бұрын

@@ryansofly I agree. There used to be a similar mindset in Europe too. But things are changing and night trains (in mainland Europe) are becoming popular again. Austria's OEBB is leading the way with its Nightjets. Several private operators want to start new night trains but they cannot obtain decent rolling stock almost all of which is owned by OEBB. Rolling stock for next generation Nightjets looks good and is designed for the modern customer ... i.e. increased number of single compartments which are less spacious but equally less expensive.

Having a random cell mate 👀 I mean cabin mate just seems funny… I’ve only ever shared rooms in a backpackers… even then it’s the same feeling of gauging the crowd and seeing what everyone is about. Overall it seems like an experience but I would want the room to Myself… I’d go crazy if I was stuck with a snorer 😆 loved the stunning sunrise b roll footage 👌 very nice!

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

Yeah you'll be surprised how popular the sleeper service is especially between Sydney and Melbourne. The bunk above me was the LAST seat to be taken, according to my "cell mate".

@LukeCrisp

Жыл бұрын

@@ryansofly If you can book it for two people.. then it’s not so bad. At least you were still able to film.

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

@@LukeCrisp theoretically speaking, yes. But do you really wanna pay $470 to ride in the XPT? Lol... I just told my cabin mate that I'll be filming to get the awkwardness of the camera out of the way. That worked. He even became my Instagram follower and subscriber! 🤣

@LukeCrisp

Жыл бұрын

@@ryansofly sorry, I meant if you were traveling as a couple… but it sounds like you can obviously.

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

@@LukeCrisp yes yes if booking as a couple , they'd seat you guys together.

1982?! I wasn't even born yet 🤣

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

🤣🤣🤣

Booked sleeper train January 2024 Sydney to Benalla

@ryansofly

6 ай бұрын

Awesome! Do it while you still can! Can't believe Australia cannot even get our act together to have a decent sleeper train. Enjoy!

Was your cabinmate snoring? Lol

@ryansofly

27 күн бұрын

Haha... Nah

@IndianSuperman-gy4ps

27 күн бұрын

@@ryansofly Ah thank goodness

Did the overnight sleeper cabin r weeks ago to Brisbane got absolutely no sleep what so ever

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

You and I are probably not made to sleep in a moving anything. There are some people who can sleep through a jack hammer going off at full volume! Hahaha...

Ryan I love curry too

I took the overnight xtp from gosford to roma..... first class was not a first class experience I wish I flew or taken the sleeper

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

Yeah first class looks better in daylight. At night, that harsh fluorescent light is just... Harsh. Hahaha ...

@Martindyna

7 ай бұрын

@@ryansofly They do turn the lights off in the carriages at night and help you off the train using torches so as not to disturb others at Station stops.

Nice video as always with your personal touch 😊 the scenery reminds me of the time I used to work in albury wodonga, never got the chance to take the XPT but took the Vline several times. Let me know if I qualify for the amenity kit giveaway - I might be leaving Australia for awhile so it would be a nice memoir for me to keep 🙂 @jonnysiow

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

Ha thanks for your support! Yes you'll definitely go into the draw for the giveaway.

Was that ACME toothpaste?..... and no for XPT sleeper......... Ryan have you done or would you do an interstate bus trip?

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

Interstate bus trip yes, day trip yes, overnight no. Aussie buses are sad, unlike the luxury long distance buses we have in other countries.

@JudeAussie

Жыл бұрын

@@ryansofly we had to catch a coach from Casino to Gosford. The XPT had been cancelled due to floods. Surprisingly I really enjoyed the coach trip. Plenty of rest stops, very comfy seat and mobile phone reception the whole way home (unlike the train) which meant I had lots of entertainment to watch and music to listen to keep me entertained. 👍

Wow the xpt is our British high speed train but the hst has never operated a overnight sleeper service in 47 years of service must be a great trip on the icon of British/Australian rail travel the awesome hst /xpt 🚆

@ryansofly

11 ай бұрын

Very sharp eyes... Yes they were there British trains from the 80s. Australia isn't ready to move on yet so here we are. Haha... Thanks for watching.!

@user-kc1tf7zm3b

9 ай бұрын

For an English perspective of the NSW XPT. kzread.info/dash/bejne/gnarpLCRYNnfltY.htmlsi=0UmIet9xmhtALO69

What do you mean by “smell like 1982”? 😅

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

Lol just imagine it .. yep 😏

It isn't '866 kilometres' - by rail, it's 960. You call them sleeping 'cabins' - the correct term is sleeping compartments. Albury is not 'the halfway point' - it's 645km from Sydney and 315km from Melbourne's Southern Cross.

Another way to put that perspective. News coverage m.kzread.info/dash/bejne/Y3aFyNeLnMjYcdY.html Oh and the intercity trains also still running after just as long. Oh and our ferries are also 40 years old........ I suppose the rest of the world just laughs at us (NSW).

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

Port Pirie to Alice Springs?! Geez... Don't think Port Pirie station exists anymore. Gosh they even spoke so differently back then. 😂

Well, it looks like the replacements won't happen until 2025-2027... www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/secret-report-reveals-1-billion-plus-cost-blowout-in-bungled-nsw-trains-project-20230203-p5chpo.html

The concrete jungle we all love to hate? Sorry Ryan… I much prefer my home town of Sydney rather then Adelaide.

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

Ah bisssh... I guess I deserve that 😅😅

Truth be told, nearly all Sydneysiders do not even consider the XPT at all due to the extreme travel time of 12 hours, old 1980s XPT rolling stock, mediocre food and rough train ride. On many days there is only the sole XPT service, yet there will always be 150 flights to Melbourne. The inter-capital XPT service to Melbourne or Brisbane is only for mugs. Suggesting to someone from the affluent areas of Sydney that they ought to take the XPT to Melbourne will be met with scorn and derision.

@ryansofly

9 ай бұрын

Agree totally.... Our train situation is over very woeful.

@user-kc1tf7zm3b

9 ай бұрын

@@ryansofly High speed rail for the Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane eastern seaboard corridor will _never_ happen due to extreme project costs of up to $300 billion, high carbon emissions during construction where net carbon reductions will take 30 years to achieve, the lack of population within the corridor, long travel times of at least 5 hours between the capitals, and that most Australians will just not directly benefit from the HSR especially if they live away from the state capitals. The HSR tragics just cannot accept the simple economic fact that if the HSR was truly viable, it would have been built decades ago. The eastern seaboard distance of 1800km is just too vast, and unlike Japan, there are no substantial regional cities between the capitals which would provide a meaningful population base which the HSR would serve. If anything, existing regional centres would have to be bypassed altogether by a bespoke HSR line in order to minimise inter-capital travel times, which ironically detracts from the political appeal of the HSR. Even in Japan, most Tokyoites would not consider taking the shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to beyond Hiroshima, as this trip already takes 4 hours. A traveller is better off just taking the 2 hour flight to reach Fukuoka. kzread.info/dash/bejne/Y6B20ZuupJzFqJc.htmlsi=sKooTtQdwj56aZv1

@ryansofly

9 ай бұрын

@@user-kc1tf7zm3b also.... Trying to get an inter-state project going is never going to happen. If COVID taught us anything, is that this federation arrangement to get states to cooperate with each other is wishful thinking.

@user-kc1tf7zm3b

9 ай бұрын

@@ryansofly Economics. This explains why no politician, from either side of parliament, at the state or federal levels, has ever seriously proposed high speed rail for the eastern seaboard. $300 billion just to construct the HSR is a biblical and insane amount of money to spend for no real benefit to the Australian population as a whole. The British has been tying themselves in knots with their own contrived HS2 network, where the original 6 phase/link proposal has been drastically reduced to the first phase, the London to Birmingham link, which measures only a measly 225km. Up until a few months ago, the previous HS2 incarnation had a projected cost of a staggering $192 billion (£100b). With the recent rationalisations, the cost has been pared down to $86b (£45b), which again will yield 225km of HSR track, which equates to an obscene $382 million (£199m) per km. There is some speculation that the entire HS2 project may be scrapped altogether. For these obvious ruinous cost reasons, Canada has never seriously entertained a proposal to cover their expansive North American landmass. Just like Australia. A few months ago I had a debate with a young proponent of the Australian HSR. He travelled on the Tokaido shinkanen from Tokyo to Hiroshima back in 2019. He was not enamoured with the experience, as with the unreserved economy class, he was forced to stand for 4 long hours with his luggage for the entire trip. The alternative plane flight and the coach connection to Hiroshima city would have saved him 45 minutes, plus he is naturally guaranteed a seat for the journey.

If our bland diet doesn't suit nobody's stopping you from going back to whence you came! You sound like a Darren! Pot calling kettle black much claiming you're escaping them at the airport! Australia's one of the most diverse, multicultural countries in the world and you're living proof of that! So I don't know why you can't find food to your liking. Perhaps Adelaide is underperforming because Sydney never disappoints in that area! Oh and I've never heard Sydney refered to as "the concrete jungle everyone loves to hate." You shouldn't speak for other people. Sounds more like a personal opinion! Sydney is a place many people love to visit and many more around the world would love and be lucky to call home! NYC is notoriously known as the 'concrete jungle', (where I'm thinking you got that term) but doesn't mean you can just slap that name on every major city! 🙄

@ryansofly

10 ай бұрын

I'm having you at the next house party because you sound like so much fun.

@JudeAussie

8 ай бұрын

@@ryansofly😂😂

The Ghan it is not.

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

No, it sure isn't. 🤣🤣🤣

@maxrebo8455

Жыл бұрын

I sincerely hope the NSW govt does a 180 on sleeper carriages, even if they need to be retrofitted here in Aus. There’s been so much bungling and delays.

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

@@maxrebo8455 not to mention the budget blow out.

Nice train ride buddy! I would love to try that if I travel to OZ, anyway hope it will still be on before the new trains arrive. . . Visit Philippines soon, We would love to show you around and do add me on FB if possible. Ciao!

@ryansofly

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for popping by!p