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XPT to Adelaide (was: Re: High Speed Trains in Australia)



Maurie Daly (mauried@commslab.gov.au) wrote:
>It may in some places travel fast, but from the current timetable it takes 18 
>1/2 hours to get from Sydney to Broken Hill, dist 1100 kms which equates to an 
>average speed of 60 km/h, certainly not in the league of fast trains,and lets
>face it , its not marketed as a fast train , its an adventure,but that 
>doesnt mean that we cant have a fast train service as well.
>Even Countrylinks once per week Special from Orange will get you from Sydney 
>to Broken Hill in approx 13 hours, even allowing for the change at Orange.This 
>equals an average speed of 84 km/h which is a lot better.
>An XPT should be able to manage 90- 95 km/h average easily.
>Lets face it , even in  Victoria,the XPT averages 106 km/h between 
>Melb to Albury where it isnt allowed to run at its full speed.
>A service like this could get you from Sydney to Adelaide in about 18 
>hours,which is not much longer than the current Sydney - Brisbane 
>Service.
>Sufficiently innovative timetabling could see the train  come back via 
>Melb to form next days Melb - Sydney XPT.
>Im sure that David B could come up with a suitable schedule.

I can't resist a challenge. This includes a twice daily XPT from Melbourne
to Adelaide formed by through working from Sydney. There is also a twice
weekly XPT from Sydney to Adelaide via Broken Hill. This would require
three new 2+7 sets, plus whatever spares are desired. The only problem is
that one set will have to spend 12 hours idle in Adelaide on Tuesday and
Friday. If WT2 was to depart Adelaide at around 8am, it would be arriving
in Sydney after midnight. It may be possible to squeeze in a day return to
somewhere like Whyalla during the idle time. 

                     WT1
                    Mo,Th
Sydney         dep  11.55
Strathfield         12.06u
Parramatta          12.18u
Penrith             12.40u
Katoomba            13.36u
Lithgow             14.16
Bathurst            15.15
Blayney             16.08
Orange              16.20
Parkes              18.10
Condoblin           19.05
Eubalong West       18.30
Ivanhoe             21.20
Darnick             22.05
Menindee            23.10
Broken Hill    arr  23.55 (CST)
                    Tu,Fr
               dep   0.05
Peterborough         2.50
Gladstone            3.30
Adelaide       arr   6.30

                     AM10     AM8
                    Daily    Daily
Adelaide       dep   8.00    20.00
Murray Bridge        9.50    21.50
Tailem Bend         10.10    22.10
Coonalpyn           10.40    22.40
Tintinara           10.55    22.55
Keith               11.10    23.10
Bordertown          11.30    23.30
Wolseley       arr  11.50    23.50 (CST)
               dep  12.25     0.25 (EST)
Kaniva              12.40     0.40
Nhill               13.00     1.00
Dimboola            13.25     1.25
Horsham             13.50     1.50
Murtoa              14.10     4.10
Stawell             14.35     2.35
Ararat              14.55     2.55
North Shore         17.40d    5.40d
Melbourne      arr  18.45     6.45
   Forms             ST2      ST4

                     MA10     MA8
   Formed by         ST1      ST3
Melbourne      dep   9.00    21.00
North Shore         10.10u   22.20u
Ararat              13.25     1.25
Stawell             13.45     1.45
Murtoa              14.00     2.00
Horsham             14.20     2.20
Dimboola            14.30     2.30
Nhill               15.00     3.00
Kaniva              15.25     3.25
Wolseley       arr  15.40     3.40
               dep  15.15     3.15
Bordertown          15.25     3.25
Keith               15.45     3.45
Tintinara           16.00     4.00
Coonalpyn           16.10     4.10
Tailem Bend         16.50     4.50
Murray Bridge       17.05     5.05
Adelaide       arr  18.45     6.45

                     WT2
                    Tu,Fr
Adelaide      dep   20.00
Gladstone           22.30
Paterborough        23.10
                    We,Sa
Broken Hill   arr    2.10    13.40
              dep    2.20 (CST)
Menindee             3.25 (EST)
Darnick              4.30
Ivanhoe              5.05
Eubalong West        6.00
Parkes               6.50
Orange               7.55
Blayney              8.20
Bathurst             9.05
Lithgow             10.05
Katoomba            10.45d
Penrith             11.41d
Parramatta          12.01d
Strathfield         12.12d
Sydney         arr  12.35

Cheers
David