ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
The people of New South Wales continue to wait for a train that could rival Queensland’s iconic, modern and impressive Tilt Train.
Unlike the aging XPTs—introduced 40 years ago and now shuffling slowly into the sunset—the Tilt Train in Queensland gleams as a symbol of punctuality, comfort, and sleek speed.
NSW’s promised XPT replacements might be shiny and new, but they have already arrived behind schedule and without the streamlined elegance or performance Queenslanders know and love. They are also extremely ugly and lack the sleeper option that makes travelling between capital cities both fun and exotic. Smuggling a box of wine, putting 60 cans of beer in your luggage, getting hammered on the XPT is a rite-of-passage for many young people in the NSW Central West, Northern Rivers and Inner-Riverina. The new R set denies this.
The Tilt Train, celebrated for its high-speed capability (hitting up to 160 km/h in 3rd gear) and state-of-the-art tilting technology that ensures a smoother ride on curves, has set an undeniable standard. Meanwhile, NSW’s “bi-mode” regional rail replacements, which switch between diesel and electric power, claim eco-friendliness but offer no tilting wizardry, no express charm. Just banal Spanish engineering and the comforting fact that every component of it was built by the lowest bidder.
Though NSW authorities boast about charging ports (who cares) and accessible seating (yawn) in their new fleet, it still doesn’t measure up to slipping and sliding your way from Roma St to some lovely destination North Queensland.
As these trains roll in, gradually and some might say painfully, NSW residents are left wondering whether their government is setting them up for yet another slow, shaky ride to mediocrity.
More to come.
