List of named passenger trains of Australia explained

This article contains a list of named passenger trains in Australia. It includes both historic and current train services.

Train NameOperatorTrain EndpointsOperated
Albany ProgressWestern Australian Government RailwaysPerth – Albany31 May 1961 – 1 December 1978
Albany WeekenderWestern Australian Government RailwaysPerth – Albany7 November 1964 – 1 August 1975
The AliceState Rail Authority / Australian NationalSydney Central – Alice Springs21 November 1983 – 2 November 1987
AustralindTranswaPerth – Bunbury24 November 1947–present
AvonLinkTranswaMidland – Northam24 September 1995–present
Bathurst BulletNSW TrainLinkSydney Central – Bathurst21 October 2012–present
Brisbane Express[1] New South Wales Government RailwaysSydney Central – South BrisbaneSeptember 1930–1973
Brisbane LimitedNew South Wales Government RailwaysSydney Central – South Brisbane1888 – February 1990
Bunbury BelleWestern Australian Government RailwaysPerth – Bunbury6 June 1964 – 27 July 1975
Canberra ExpressState Rail AuthoritySydney Central – Canberra31 May 1982 – January 1994
Canberra Monaro ExpressNew South Wales Government RailwaysSydney Central – Canberra / CoomaMay 1955 – September 1988
CapricornianQueensland RailBrisbane Roma Street – Rockhampton1970 – 1993
Caves Express[2] New South Wales Government RailwaysSydney Central – Mount Victoria11 November 1929 – 4 October 1942
Central West Express[3] New South Wales Government RailwaysSydney Central – Dubbo / ParkesJune 1941–present
The ChipsNSW TrainLinkSydney Central – Mount Victoria / Lithgow (originally Springwood)1958–present
Cooma MailNew South Wales Government RailwaysSydney Central – CoomaMay 1889 – May 1986
Elvis ExpressNSW TrainLinkSydney Central – ParkesJanuary 2004–present
Far West ExpressNew South Wales Government RailwaysDubbo – Bourke / Cobar / CoonambleDecember 1957 – September 1975
Federal City ExpressNew South Wales Government RailwaysSydney Central – Canberra27 September 1936 – 8 May 1955
The Fish[4] NSW TrainLinkSydney Central – Lithgow (originally Parramatta)1958–present
The GhanJourney Beyond Rail ExpeditionsAdelaide Parklands Terminal – Darwin (originally Port Augusta – Alice Springs)August 1929–present
The GippslanderVictorian RailwaysMelbourne Southern Cross – Bairnsdale1954–present
Gold Coast MotorailPublic Transport CommissionSydney Central – MurwillumbahMarch 1973 – February 1990
Grafton ExpressNew South Wales Government RailwaysSydney Central – GraftonJune 1990–present
Great South Pacific ExpressQueensland Rail, Orient-Express Hotels LtdKuranda railway station – Sydney CentralApril 1999–June 2003
Great SouthernJourney Beyond Rail ExpeditionsAdelaide Parklands Terminal – Brisbane Roma Street9 December 2019–present
The GulflanderQueensland RailNormanton – Croydon1891–present
Indian PacificJourney Beyond Rail ExpeditionsSydney Central – East Perth23 February 1970–present
InlanderQueensland RailTownsville – Mount Isa21 February 1953–present
Intercapital DaylightNew South Wales Government Railways / Victorian RailwaysSydney Central – Melbourne Spencer Street16 April 1962 – 31 August 1991
Iron Triangle LimitedAustralian NationalAdelaide Parklands Terminal – Whyalla21 April 1986 – 31 December 1990
The KalgoorlieWestern Australian Government RailwaysPerth – Kalgoorlie3 December 1962 – 28 November 1971
MerredinLinkTranswaEast Perth – MerredinJune 2004–present
The MidlanderQueensland RailwaysRockhampton – Winton1954 – November 1993
The MidlanderWestern Australian Government RailwaysPerth – Geraldton2 September 1964 – 28 July 1975
The MullewaWestern Australian Government RailwaysPerth – Mullewa30 October 1961 – 17 March 1974
Newcastle Flyer[5] New South Wales Government RailwaysSydney Central – NewcastleNovember 1929 – April 1988
North Coast Daylight ExpressNew South Wales Government RailwaysSydney Central – GraftonNovember 1951 – February 1990
North Coast MailNew South Wales Government RailwaysSydney Central – Murwillumbah???? – August 1985
North Coast Overnight ExpressState Rail AuthoritySydney Central – MurwillumbahJuly 1982–November 1998
Northern MailNew South Wales Government RailwaysSydney Central – Moree / Tenterfield~1870 – 27 November 1988
Northern Tablelands ExpressNew South Wales Government RailwaysSydney Central – Moree / Glen InnesJune 1941–1993
Outback XplorerNSW TrainLinkSydney Central – Broken HillMarch 1996–present
The OverlandJourney Beyond Rail ExpeditionsAdelaide Parklands Terminal – Melbourne Southern Cross (originally Adelaide – Melbourne Spencer Street)19 January 1887–present
ProspectorTranswaEast Perth – Kalgoorlie29 November 1971–present
Riverina ExpressNew South Wales Government RailwaysSydney Central – Albury / GriffithSeptember 1949 – December 1964
SavannahlanderCairns Kuranda SteamCairns – Forsayth3 April 1995–present
The ShopperWestern Australian Government RailwaysPerth – Bunbury1 June 1964 – 31 July 1975
Silver City CometNew South Wales Government RailwaysOrange – Broken Hill27 September 1937 – 3 November 1989
Silver City LimitedAustralian NationalAdelaide Parklands Terminal – Broken Hill14 December 1986 – 31 December 1990
South Coast Daylight ExpressNew South Wales Government RailwaysSydney Central – Bomaderry1933 – January 1991
Southern AuroraNew South Wales Government Railways / Victorian RailwaysMelbourne Spencer Street – Sydney Central16 April 1962 – 2 August 1986
Southern Highlands ExpressNew South Wales Government RailwaysSydney Central – Goulburn???? – 199?
Tea and Sugar TrainCommonwealth Railways, Australian NationalPort Augusta – Kalgoorlie1917 – 30 August 1996
The Southern SpiritGreat Southern RailVarious routes9 January 2010 – February 2012
South MailNew South Wales Government RailwaysSydney Central – Albury???? – May 1985
Spirit of CapricornQueensland RailBrisbane Roma Street – Rockhampton1988 – 24 May 2003
Spirit of Progress[6] Victorian RailwaysMelbourne Spencer Street – Albury (to Sydney Central from 16 April 1962)17 November 1937 – 2 August 1986
Spirit of QueenslandQueensland RailBrisbane Roma Street – Cairns28 October 2013–present
Spirit of the OutbackQueensland RailBrisbane Roma Street – LongreachNovember 1993–present
Spirit of the TropicsQueensland RailBrisbane Roma Street – Townsville1994–2005
Spirit of the WestSouth Spur Rail ServicesEast Perth – Leighton / West ToodyayOctober 2002–May 2008
The SunlanderQueensland RailBrisbane Roma Street – Cairns4 June 1953 – 31 December 2014
Sydney ExpressNew South Wales Government Railways / Victorian RailwaysMelbourne Spencer Street – Sydney Central1883 – 1937
Sydney/Melbourne ExpressState Rail Authority / V/LineMelbourne Spencer Street – Sydney Central3 August 1986 – 20 November 1991
Tasman Limited[7] Tasmanian Government RailwaysHobart – WynyardApril 1954 – 28 July 1978
Trans AustralianCommonwealth Railways / Australian National / Western Australian Government RailwaysPerth / Kalgoorlie – Port Augusta / Adelaide Keswick1917 – 27 June 1991
The VinelanderVictorian RailwaysMelbourne Spencer Street – Mildura9 August 1972 – 12 September 1993
Western MailPublic Transport Commission / State Rail AuthoritySydney Central – Dubbo / Forbes1973 – 27 November 1988
The Westland[8] Western Australian Government RailwaysPerth – Kalgoorlie4 June 1938 – 15 June 1969
The WestlanderQueensland RailBrisbane Roma Street – CharlevilleAugust 1954–present
The West CoasterEmu Bay RailwayBurnie – Rosebery17 October 1960 – 2 January 1964

Australia is the only continent to offer both east–west and north–south transcontinental trains: The Indian Pacific from Sydney on the Pacific to Perth on the Indian Oceans, and The Ghan from Adelaide on the southern shores of the continent to Darwin on the northern shore.[9]

See also

Notes and References

  1. The Last Years of the Brisbane Limited and Brisbane Express Milne, Rod, Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, February 1998 pp43-53
  2. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, Nov/Dec 1942 pp58-59;73–74
  3. The New South Wales Western Day Train Beckhaus, John Australian Railway History, October 2007 pp371-391
  4. The Fish Covell, Charles M. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, February 1994 pp27-38
  5. A Short History of the Newcastle Flyers Calf, H.R. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, November 1969 pp246-269
  6. The Blue Brady, Ian Australian Railway History, November 2007 pp409-448
  7. The Rise and Fall of the Tasman Limited Stokes, H.J.W. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, November 1978 pp237-244
  8. News: "Westland" enters service. 18 March 2015. The West Australian. 4 June 1938. Perth, WA.
  9. Web site: TrainReview - the world's largest collection of train travel content.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "List of named passenger trains of Australia".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.