Countrylink

I've used their web booking system to book a trip and that was really great, they send the itinary to your email and things are just easy to do/use. Maybe if they use current technologies to improve thing it would be better. I haven't tried riding one of their trains for a long distance trip but hope to do so sometime. oh and the trip i booked i later cancelled because I couldn't go for some reason.

CountryLink or should it be called CountryStink, is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, with services through to Brisbane and Melbourne. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity. I tell you all this for a reason as its the back story to my review.

CountryLink operates rail services using two types of rollingstock - the XPT and the Xplorer. CountryLink was formed as a business unit of the State Rail Authority in 1989 to operate all non-metropolitan long distance passenger services. It inherited, yes inherited a fleet of XPT and locomotive hauled passenger trains. They were all mostly built between 1981 and 1984, and the design was based on a British train,designed in 1976. During the Greiner State Government in 1988, the publication of the Booz Allen Hamilton report into NSW rail services recommended closing all country passenger services as they were considered economically unviable, however this was politically not feasible. So no Goverment in 30 years has had the vision, inspiration or desire to replace, renew or build NSW rail.

So in the last year I have taken CountryLink Services to Melbourne and Brisbane ( WOMO Receipts available) I generally love train travel and especially enjoy taking trains around Europe, as it's easier than going out to airports, as stations are generally central, faster than checkin and waiting, as you arrive and board, and relax to the end destination. Usually when you take a train like the European ones it's nicer, faster and more relaxing, and allot more comfortable than flying.

Back to my CountryLink journeys, the words Horrendous, appalling and disgraceful, are a few that come to mind. This is not about the staff they are fabulous and serve very well, they certainly have allot of time to look after you as rail and rolling stock age and disrepair mean the trains rarely get over 80 klms an hour. No high speed here, no luxury seating or tray service as you walk through four cars to get to the canteen.

The rail needs a big vision and 900 million in infrastructure investment. Could you imagine arriving 15 mins before departure at Central station Sydney and getting on an ICE or Thalys style train speeding of on time and getting up to speeds of 350 klms an hour while served a meal tray, the National Pollies get off and board at the Canberra stop and two hours later you arrive in the heart of Melbourne, not 35 klms out or even more if you fly into Avalon. Maybe it's because of the airlines that the rail has been neglected and run down.

What happens now is at times terrifying, when you know that much of the rail is sinking and that sleepers are falling away due to poor placement and subsidence. The rail cars are clunky and shaky, they have been redressed but they are over 30 years old, planes and cars all are retired before this age. It's embarrassing the Governments have kept the trains busy mostly filled with Pensioners on their free travel quota, which I don't have a problem with at all. What I have a problem with is putting these dear old souls on sub standard old trains. Give them a real experince and don't make them sleep in seats, but get them to Brisbane, or Melbourne in around 4 hours, it's all so possible.

I suppose my review is saying that it's time, for a State Government to put new high speed dual carriage modern trains between Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane. To utilize public Private partnerships, get Someone like Richard Branson on board he also owns railroads. It's Time.

IT'S TIME!

I have used this service twice, once to Brisbane and also to Griffiths. What a pity I cannot describe it as a great train journey. Unfortunately the trains are showing their age and what should be a super fast service is very slow. They do provide food on board and afternoon tea at reasonable prices. Some of the staff really do try to do a good job. On both journeys it was necessary to leave the train and complete the journey by coach. The driver on the coach to Brisbane was one of the rudest I have ever met - not what you want to encountered after a tiring day spent on a train.
Countrylink suffers from lack of funds which results in the train (and the track) being out of date. The booking service is easy.

Never knew about countrylink and have been travelling between Newcastle and Sydney a bit lately. Love the fact you can book your own seat and grab some lunch on the train if you need to. Will be trying economy next time as 1st class is about $7 more per ticket and you don't really get more than extra leg room and a bigger seat. Loving this service, it's about half an hour quicker than the normal train.

I've only used them twice and the second time it was delayed 20 mins due to track work.

We thought we'd take advantage of the summer special and do something different to travel Melbourne to Sydney. Big mistake. After racing around to get there on time, the train was 2 hours late arriving, so 2 hours late leaving. They kept announcing a 10 or 15 minute delay. Not long enough to go anywhere. How could they not know it would be 2 hours late? They blamed track work detours.
First class was a joke. It wasn't as good as 3rd class in other countries. There was certainly no service. How was it different to economy? The train rattled and bumped so sleeping was difficult. Morning tea (scones) was quite good and unexpected so that was nice. With the delay, it would have been a nice gesture to give something to customers, but an apology was better than nothing.

Travelled between Brisbane and Sydney. Went to the QR shop at Roma Street to organise a seat to suit us and were told we would have plenty of leg space. This ended up not being the case as the QR person we arranged the booking through was apparently not aware that all the seats turn backwards to face the other way - we were right at the back rather than the front of the carriage. Keep this in mind.

Travelled down on economy and back on first class. On the way down, sleeping was an impossibility due to what I guess was a dodgy wheel that kept screeching every time it breaked, turned or made any change to its movements. That being said, the workers were pleasant and friendly and made the best of a bad situation and the train was clean.

On the way back, in first class, it was revolting. I could not believe I'd paid to travel in such squalor. I would have prefered to have slept overnight in a QR train and that's certainly saying something. The toilets were filthy and smelt sooo bad I couldn't even let the bottom of my jeans touch the floor when I was getting changed. The carpet outside was stained, threadbare and there was food scattered throughout the compartment and in my seat - I gather they hadn't been cleaned. The first class section was full of pensioners making broad judgements - if you're not a pensioner, save yourself the money and mental anguish and either go economy or just bypass Countrylink all together.

Bring your own food too - the people I spoke to were not impressed with the soggy 'fish and chips' available for $9. Hot water is free if you use your own cup/mug. I think it's $1 if you want it in a cup.