question about xpt service

[justanotheruser]

can anyone tell me why the xpt when heading south starts at murwillimbah even though it goes all the way through to roma street when heading north?

[Derwan]

I believe there are two services a day.  One goes to/from Brisbane, the other to/from Casino.

[beauyboy]

Mate you are reading the timetable wrong, you are also reading an old timetable eg pre 2005

[mufreight]

There has been no XPT services for quite a number of years and with the line having been closed and mothballed now for almost as long the prospects of trains of any sort ever again operating to Murwullumbah arevery remote.

[justanotheruser]

Mate you are reading the timetable wrong, you are also reading an old timetable eg pre 2005

wasn't actually reading a timetable at all. As pointed out there is a service from casino. So please readjust the question to read why does it leave from casino instead of brisbane?

[curator49]

There is currently an XPT service which arrives in Brisbane at 5:00 am (Daylight Saving Time) and departs for Sydney (from Brisbane) at 7:00 am. This operates on a daily basis.

There used to be an XPT service to and from Muwillumbah (and Sydney) which travelled to Sydney overnight. The one ex Brisbane, travels in daylight. The Murwillumbah branch has been closed/mothballed for some time so that service now starts at Casino.

Curator49

[mufreight]

There is no practical reason why the current XPT service that terminates at Casino could not be extended through to Brisbane thus providing a second service to Brisbane, one daylight and one overnight in each direction, the improved levels of service would attract more passengers rather than the present arrangement that tends to deter passenger use.

[stephenk]

There is no practical reason why the current XPT service that terminates at Casino could not be extended through to Brisbane thus providing a second service to Brisbane

Unless it conflicts with Gold Coast or freight services on the dual gauge track between Yerongpilly and Dutton Park.

[justanotheruser]

There is no practical reason why the current XPT service that terminates at Casino could not be extended through to Brisbane thus providing a second service to Brisbane

Unless it conflicts with Gold Coast or freight services on the dual gauge track between Yerongpilly and Dutton Park.

freight services are not set schedules. I have lived on the caboolture, ipswich and clevland lines. noot on a single one do frieght services seem to be at the same time each week or day. living as close as i do to the railway line (visible out the window) i feel qualified to comment. the morning xpt is also just as likely to interfere with gold coast services as well. the only reaso my parents will do the trip is because the nsw leg is free making it cost next to nothing.

Another direct service would increase patronage in my opinion

[mufreight]

On most railway systems all services both freight and pasenger have alloted timetabled paths set out in a working timetable.
This does not mean that all services operate to those timetables and extra movements can be and frequently are scheduled to operate where train paths are avaliable.
Frequently when one train is delayed Train Control has to amend a train path to minimise delays to other movements, most noticable where single line operation takes place.
Most freight movements north out of Brisbane for instance would depart on time while trains southbound into Brisbane could have been delayed and missed their scheduled path and Train Control then has to fit the movement in between services so as not to delay them, particularly trying to avoid delays to passenger services in the metroplolitan area,
The same situation occours on the Standard Gauge line into Brisbane with potential problems compounded by the operation of NG passenger and freight services over the Dual gauge line between Salisbury and Roma Street as there is no provision through that section for a crossing movement for standard gauge operations, either pasenger or freight

[somebody]

There is no practical reason why the current XPT service that terminates at Casino could not be extended through to Brisbane thus providing a second service to Brisbane

Unless it conflicts with Gold Coast or freight services on the dual gauge track between Yerongpilly and Dutton Park.

Wouldn't have nearly the impact of the current service.  In fact, reversing the services seems pretty attractive, so that the northbound daytime XPT arrives in Brisbane at something like 8pm and leaves southbound at 9pm, while the northbound nighttime XPT arrives at Casino in the morning and leaves.  Would require some juggling on the Sydney side.

Of course, the main problem with double daily Brisbane XPTs is bucks.  No-one wants to pay for it.

[Otto]

There is currently an XPT service which arrives in Brisbane at 5:00 am (Daylight Saving Time) and departs for Sydney (from Brisbane) at 7:00 am. This operates on a daily basis.

There used to be an XPT service to and from Muwillumbah (and Sydney) which travelled to Sydney overnight. The one ex Brisbane, travels in daylight. The Murwillumbah branch has been closed/mothballed for some time so that service now starts at Casino.

Curator49

There is no practical reason why the current XPT service that terminates at Casino could not be extended through to Brisbane thus providing a second service to Brisbane

Unless it conflicts with Gold Coast or freight services on the dual gauge track between Yerongpilly and Dutton Park.

My observations have seen that it is not unusual for the Brisbane XPT (CountryLink) departure to be 60 - 90 minutes late.. Have seen it leaving as late as 8:30am.

[ghostryder]

As much as the idea has merit the costs involved operational logistics lack of rollingstock and lack of political will will hamper this happening. Maybe in the future this may be reversed but for now its a a non event.

scott