The Westlander: Difference between revisions
Rescuing 4 sources and tagging 0 as dead.) #IABot (v2.0.8.2 |
→Today: updated consist information |
||
| Line 91: | Line 91: | ||
Crews for the Westlander are based at Toowoomba, Chinchilla and Roma. |
Crews for the Westlander are based at Toowoomba, Chinchilla and Roma. |
||
The train currently consists of 3 [[Queensland Railways steel carriage stock|L series]] cars. |
|||
| ⚫ | The dining and sleeping cars were withdrawn from 1 January 2015, with catering now provided by at seat snack packs delivered at meal times.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au/RailServices/Documents/the-westlander/Westlander%20Fact%20Sheet_JAN14-15.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220010109/http://www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au/RailServices/Documents/the-westlander/Westlander%20Fact%20Sheet_JAN14-15.pdf|archive-date=20 February 2015|url-status=dead|title=The Westlander Factsheet|publisher=[[Queensland Rail]]|date=3 January 2015}}</ref><ref>"Westlander and Inlander to lose sleeping and dining cars this month" ''Railway Digest'' January 2015 page 16</ref> |
||
| ⚫ | The dining and sleeping ([[Queensland Railways steel carriage stock|M series)]] cars were withdrawn from 1 January 2015, with catering now provided by at seat snack packs delivered at meal times.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au/RailServices/Documents/the-westlander/Westlander%20Fact%20Sheet_JAN14-15.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220010109/http://www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au/RailServices/Documents/the-westlander/Westlander%20Fact%20Sheet_JAN14-15.pdf|archive-date=20 February 2015|url-status=dead|title=The Westlander Factsheet|publisher=[[Queensland Rail]]|date=3 January 2015}}</ref><ref>"Westlander and Inlander to lose sleeping and dining cars this month" ''Railway Digest'' January 2015 page 16</ref> |
||
On the 16 June 2021, a $1M Business case was announced by the [[Queensland Government|Queensland State Government]] to investigate replacement of The Westlander, [[Spirit of the Outback]] and [[The Inlander (Queensland Rail)|Inlander]] Services.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Three train manufacturers shortlisted for Queensland train building program|url=https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/92416|access-date=2021-08-14|website=Ministerial Media Statements|language=en|archive-date=14 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814125858/https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/92416|url-status=live}}</ref> |
On the 16 June 2021, a $1M Business case was announced by the [[Queensland Government|Queensland State Government]] to investigate replacement of The Westlander, [[Spirit of the Outback]] and [[The Inlander (Queensland Rail)|Inlander]] Services.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Three train manufacturers shortlisted for Queensland train building program|url=https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/92416|access-date=2021-08-14|website=Ministerial Media Statements|language=en|archive-date=14 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814125858/https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/92416|url-status=live}}</ref> |
||
Revision as of 07:11, 4 January 2022
 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Passenger train |
| Status | Operational |
| First service | August 1954 |
| Current operator(s) | Queensland Rail |
| Route | |
| Termini | Brisbane Charleville |
| Distance travelled | 740 km (460 mi) |
| Average journey time | 17 hours |
| Service frequency | 2 × per week |
The Westlander | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Westlander is an Australian passenger train operated by Queensland Rail on the Main and Western lines between Brisbane and the outback town of Charleville.
Background
In the 1888 timetable the train from Brisbane to Roma was officially called the Western Mail, with some runs extended through to Morven. With the opening of the line from Morven to Charleville on 1 March 1888 the train was again extended.[1]
Victorian Railways introduced air-conditioned trains in 1935, and Queensland Rail decided to follow suit in the late 1940s. Steel carriages were designed to travel to all parts of the system, meaning a maximum axle load of 9 tons, which was a challenge for the dining cars. New features included showers in the sleeping cars, roomettes in first class and head end power cars, especially necessary where trains may be delayed by floods or other events, as was often the case.
History
The Westlander was introduced in August 1954, replacing the Western Mail and its wooden carriages with the present Commonwealth Engineering, Rocklea steel air-conditioned carriages. The route from Brisbane to Cunnamulla was 973 kilometres (605 mi), with a connecting service to Quilpie from Charleville, 777 kilometres (483 mi) from Brisbane.[2] Initially the Quilpie connecting train was not air-conditioned, so in 1967 a generator was fitted to an insulated van to provide power for an air-conditioned sitting car and mechanical refrigeration for the van to provide this comfort on the Quilpie service.
Later the Westlander was divided at Charleville, the service to Quilpie being nicknamed the Flying Flea and consisted of two passenger carriages, a guards van and power van. In August 1994 the service was cut back to Charleville.[3]
The return service departed Cunnamulla at 09:00 arriving in Brisbane at lunchtime the next day. Even with the line speed from Cunnamulla being 30 km/h (19 mph), the train was still preferred by many due to the lack of quality roads at the time.[2] By 1957 freight wagons were also attached to the train, including louvred steel QRX and QLX-T wagons, and MPR refrigerated wagons. Up to 16 vehicles could make up the train.[2] Passenger services beyond Charleville to Cunnamulla and Quilpie were withdrawn in 1994.[1]
Today
As at October 2020, the train runs twice weekly to Charleville with a journey time of 17 hours. Connecting coach services operate to Cunnamulla and Quilpie.[4]
The westbound service (3S86) departs from Platform 10 at Roma Street Railway Station on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:15pm and arrives at Charleville Railway Station at 11:45am on Wednesdays and Fridays.[5]
The eastbound service (3987) departs from Charleville Railway Station at 6:15pm on Wednesdays and Fridays and arrives at Platform 10 at Roma Street Railway Station at 11:25am on Thursdays and Saturdays.[5]
Crews for the Westlander are based at Toowoomba, Chinchilla and Roma.
The train currently consists of 3 L series cars.
The dining and sleeping (M series) cars were withdrawn from 1 January 2015, with catering now provided by at seat snack packs delivered at meal times.[6][7]
On the 16 June 2021, a $1M Business case was announced by the Queensland State Government to investigate replacement of The Westlander, Spirit of the Outback and Inlander Services.[8]
Subsidy levels
In 2016, the service was estimated to have carried 3,677 people in the previous financial year, with the effective subsidy paid by the Queensland State Government for each passenger amounting to an estimated $4,007 (total subsidy $14.7m)[9]
In 2021, the service carried 2,999 people in previous financial year, with the effective subsidy paid by the Queensland Government for each passenger at $4,928.90. [10]
References
- ^ a b "About Traveltrain - History". www.traveltrain.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^ a b c Robin Bromby (2004). The Railway Age in Australia. Lothian Press. p. 97. ISBN 0-7344-0715-7.
- ^ "QR's Westlander Service Truncated" Railway Digest September 1994 page 14
- ^ "Westlander & Inlander timetable" (PDF). Queensland Rail Travel. 19 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Timetable". www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
- ^ "The Westlander Factsheet" (PDF). Queensland Rail. 3 January 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 February 2015.
- ^ "Westlander and Inlander to lose sleeping and dining cars this month" Railway Digest January 2015 page 16
- ^ "Three train manufacturers shortlisted for Queensland train building program". Ministerial Media Statements. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ Rural rail subsidised by up to $4,000 a trip, prompting overhaul call Archived 1 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine ABC News 28 July 2016
- ^ "Annual patronage and government subsidy per passenger trip for direct operating costs: Parliamentary Question on Notice" (PDF). Queensland Parliament. 13 October 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.