Great Southern Railway (GSR) run the Indian Pacific train once each week from Sydney to Perth via Adelaide. This train departs Sydney Central station mid afternoon (2:55pm) on Wednesdays then
travels for 24 hours via Broken Hill before arriving mid afternoon (3:05pm) the following day at Adelaide Parklands rail terminal in the suburb of Keswick. The train later continues on to Perth. This is a luxury cruise train so if you are looking for an experience of a lifetime, this is the way to travel, but if price is important to you - look at other options (below).
You can also travel from Sydney to Adelaide via Melbourne 2 days per week. This route requires a change of trains in Melbourne but it is much less expensive than the direct route on the Indian Pacific. NSW Trainlink Melbourne XPT train runs twice each day from Sydney
Central station to Melbourne Southern Cross. The journey takes about ten and a half hours. A daylight train departs Sydney in the morning and arrives Melbourne in the evening, and an overnight train departs Sydney in the evening and arrives Melbourne early the following morning. Two days a week, you then catch 'The Overland' train
from Melbourne to Adelaide. Run by Great Southern Railway (GSR), this train leaves Melbourne Southern Cross station on Monday and Friday morning, runs through the day and arrives the same evening at Adelaide Parklands rail terminal. Note: the overnight train from Sydney that arrives in Melbourne early in the morning does NOT connect with the Overland train departure for Adelaide, so you will have to stay overnight in Melbourne. The whole journey takes around 35 hours if you catch the
daylight train from Sydney on Sunday or Thursday morning.
You can also travel Sydney to Adelaide by catching NSW Trainlink's overnight XPT train from Sydney Central Station that departs every evening, travels overnight then arrives in Albury in the wee small hours of the following morning. The train carries first and economy class seating and also twin berth sleeping cabins. There is a cafe bar on board from which you can purchase meals and drinks. There is then a connecting Vline bus - called Speedlink that departs Albury for Adelaide travelling along the Murray River valley before arriving in Adelaide in the afternoon - a little less than 24 hours after your departure from Sydney. All travel on the train and the bus is reserved and must be booked in advance.
NSW Trainlink's Melbourne XPT train runs twice each day from Sydney Central station to Albury (then on to Melbourne). The journey to Albury takes a little over seven hours. There is a day train that departs Sydney in the morning and arrives Albury in the mid afternoon, and there is a night train that departs Sydney in the evening and arrives in Albury very early the following morning. You can also board these trains at Campbelltown station in Sydneys suburbs, or at one of many other
stations along the way. All travel on XPT trains must be pre-booked and you are allocated a reserved seat. The train also features an onboard cafe from which you can purchase meals and drinks.
NSW Trainlink's Northern Tablelands Xplorer train runs once each day from Sydney Central station to Armidale. The journey takes a little over eight hours. The train departs Sydney in the mid morning and arrives in Armidale that evening. You can also board the train at Strathfield or Hornsby station in Sydneys suburbs, at Broadmeadow in Newcastle or at one of many other stations along the way. Note that this train splits into two along the way at Werris Creek, the other half takes a more westerly route up to Moree - so make sure you stay in the right part of the train! All travel on XPLorer trains must be pre-booked and you are allocated a reserved seat. The train also features an onboard cafe from which you can purchase meals and drinks.
NSW Trainlink's Dubbo XPT train runs once each day from Sydney Central station to Bathurst (then on to Dubbo). The journey to Bathurst takes about three and a half hours. The train departs Sydney early in the morning and arrives Bathurst in the mid morning. You can also board this train at Strathfield, Parramatta, Blacktown or Penrith station in Sydneys suburbs. On Monday mornings NSW Trainlink also run an extra train - the Broken Hill Outback Xplorer which departs Sydney about an hour earlier than the Dubbo XPT. You can also board this train at Strathfield, Parramatta or Penrith station. All travel on XPT and XPLorer trains must be pre-booked and you are allocated a reserved seat.
NSW Trainlink run two day-return trains from Bathurst to Sydney departing Bathurst early every morning, arriving Sydney Central station mid morning. On the return the trains departs Sydney Central station in the late afternoon for the direct journey up and over the Blue Mountains for an evening arrival back in Bathurst. These trains are not pre-booked and do not have reserved seats. Just show up with your Opal card or use your credit card to touch on and off at the Opal gates to pay your fare.
NSW Trainlink also offer a bus service to Bathurst connecting at Lithgow with Sydney Trains electric intercity trains from Sydney. Electric trains depart Sydney Central station for Lithgow every hour or two, and between two and six times daily (depending on the day of the week),
Countrylink buses destined for Parkes, Orange, Grenfell or Nyngan connect at Lithgow and stop at Bathurst on the way. The Sydney to Bathurst journey takes about four hours - the bus trip is only one hour long. Travel on Sydney Trains electric trains is covered by Opal card fares, and NSW Trainlink buses must be pre-booked.
NSW Trainlink's Brisbane XPT train runs once each day from Sydney Central station to Brisbane Roma Street station. The train departs Sydney each afternoon, travels overnight then arrives in Brisbane very early the following morning. The journey takes about fourteen hours. You can also board this train at Strathfield or Hornsby station in Sydney's suburbs, at Broadmeadow in Newcastle or at one of many other stations along the way. The train carries economy and first class seating passengers and also has twin-berth sleeping compartments. All travel is in reserved seats (or berths) and must be pre-booked in advance. The train also features an onboard cafe from which you can purchase meals and drinks.
You can also travel to Brisbane in daylight by catching NSW Trainlink's Casino XPT train from Sydney Central station to Casino, then changing to a connecting bus, also operated by NSW Trainlink. The bus takes you from Casino via the Gold Coast to Brisbane Roma Street station. The whole journey takes fifteen and a half hours - of which only the final three hours are on the bus. The train departs Sydney Central station early every morning, and the connecting bus arrives at Brisbane Roma Street station late that same evening. You can also board the train at Strathfield or Hornsby station in Sydney's suburbs, at Broadmeadow in
Newcastle or at one of many other stations along the way. The train carries economy and first class seating passengers. All travel on the train and on the connecting bus is in reserved seats and must be pre-booked in advance.
Once each week, on Monday mornings, NSW Trainlink run a train called the Broken Hill Outback Xplorer. This train departs Sydney Central station early in the morning and travels through the day before arriving in Broken Hill that evening after a thirteen and a half hour long journey. You can also board this train in Sydneys suburbs at Strathfield, Parramatta or Penrith station. The train carries economy and first class seating passengers and all travel is in reserved seats that must be pre-booked in advance. The train also features an onboard cafe from which you can purchase meals and drinks.
You can travel to Broken Hill from Sydney every day of the week by catching NSW Trainlink's Dubbo XPT train from Sydney to Dubbo, then changing to a connecting NSW Trainlink bus for the journey to Broken Hill. The Dubbo XPT departs Sydney Central station early every morning and arrives in Dubbo early in the afternoon, then after a short break, the bus travels through the afternoon arriving in Broken Hill late that evening. The whole journey from Sydney takes about sixteen hours. All travel on the train and on the connecting bus is in reserved seats and must be pre-booked in advance. The train also features an onboard cafe from which you can purchase meals and drinks.
NSW Trainlink's Brisbane XPT train runs once each day from Sydney Central station to Brisbane Roma Street station. The train departs Sydney each afternoon, travels overnight then arrives in Brisbane very early the following morning. The journey takes about fourteen hours. You can also board this train at Strathfield or Hornsby station in Sydney's suburbs, at Broadmeadow in Newcastle or at one of many other stations along the way. The train carries economy and first class seating passengers and also has twin-berth sleeping compartments. All travel is in reserved seats (or berths) and must be pre-booked in advance. Once you are in Brisbane, you then change to one of Queensland Railways (QR) trains up the coast to Cairns. After spending the morning in Brisbane, you can board the the modern Spirit of Queensland train which departs Brisbane Roma Street Station for Cairns five days per week in the mid afternoon (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday). It travels northwards through the evening, overnight and through the next day before arriving at Cairns station late the following afternoon. This is arguably Australia's most modern and technologically advanced passenger train, however its sleeping accommodation is in the form of lie-flat rail-beds rather than sleeping compartments that more traditional overnight trains have. The whole journey from Brisbane to Cairns takes a little more than 24 hours. Tickets must be pre-booked in advance.
NSW Trainlink's Canberra Xplorer train runs three times each day from Sydney Central station to Canberra station. The journey takes a little over four hours. The first train departs Sydney early each morning and arrives Canberra railway station (Kingston) late morning. The second train departs Sydney Central just after midday and arrives Canberra station late afternoon. The third train departs Sydney Central in
the late afternoon and arrives Canberra in the late evening. You can also board these trains at Campbelltown station in Sydney's suburbs, or at one of a few other stations along the way. The whole journey from Sydney takes about four hours. All travel on the train is in reserved seats (economy class or first class) which must be pre-booked in advance. The train also features an onboard cafe from which you can purchase meals and drinks.
NSW Trainlink run three XPT trains every day from Sydney Central station to Coffs Harbour. The Casino XPT departs Sydney early each morning, and arrives Coffs Harbour mid afternoon. The Grafton XPT departs Sydney just before noon and arrives Coffs Harbour in the evening, and the Brisbane XPT departs Sydney in the late afternoon and arrives in Coffs Harbour just after midnight. The journey on each of
these trains takes eight and a half to nine hours. You can also board any of these trains at Strathfield or Hornsby station in Sydneys suburbs, at Broadmeadow in Newcastle or at one of many other stations along the way. These trains carry first and economy and first class seating passengers and all travel is in reserved seats that must be pre-booked in advance. They also feature a cafe bar from which you can purchase meals and drinks.
Travelling Sydney to Darwin by rail is a wonderful experience, but don't expect to find an inexpensive alternative to driving or flying. This is a luxury journey that is more like a land cruise. Great Southern Railway (GSR) run the Indian Pacific train once each week from Sydney to Adelaide. This train departs Sydney Central station mid afternoon on
Wednesdays and travels for 24 hours before arriving mid afternoon the following day at Adelaide Keswick rail terminal. In Adelaide, you leave the Indian Pacific behind and change trains into The Ghan for the journey northward through the heart of Australia to Darwin. The Ghan leaves Adelaide for Darwin generally once each week on Sundays, travels overnight to Alice Springs where it arrives late the next day. You have some time in Alice Springs before the train heads north again overnight to Katherine where another stop is scheduled and finally, The Ghan departs Katherine around noon and heads to Darwin arriving there late in the afternoon of each Tuesday. All travel on the Indian pacific and The Ghan is in sleeping berths, there are no sitting cars attached. Meals and refreshments are included in the fare, and trains are often booked out well in advance, so book early!
NSW Trainlink's Dubbo XPT train runs once each day from Sydney Central station to Dubbo. The journey to Dubbo takes about six and a half hours. The train departs Sydney early in the morning and arrives Dubbo in the early afternoon. You can also board this train at Strathfield, Parramatta, Blacktown or Penrith station in Sydney's western suburbs. All travel on the train is in reserved seats (economy class or first class) which must be pre-booked in advance. The train also features an onboard cafe from which you can purchase meals and drinks.
NSW Trainlink's Casino XPT train departs Sydney Central station early
each morning and runs through the day before arriving at Casino station in the evening. At Casino you change to a connecting NSW Trainlink bus that runs to Brisbane via the Gold Coast (and stops at Surfers Paradise). The whole journey from Sydney takes about fifteen hours - of which only the final two and a half hours is on the bus. You can also board the train at Strathfield or Hornsby station in Sydneys suburbs, at Broadmeadow in Newcastle or at one of many other stations
along the way. All travel on the train and the connecting bus is in reserved seats (economy class or first class) which must be pre-booked in advance. The train also features an onboard cafe from which you can purchase meals and drinks.
You can also travel from Sydney to the Gold Coast via Brisbane by catching NSW Trainlink's Brisbane XPT train which runs once each day from Sydney Central station to Brisbane's Roma Street station. The train departs Sydney in the afternoon, travels overnight then arrives in Brisbane early the following morning. All travel on the train and the bus is in reserved seats (economy class or first class) or sleeping berths which must be pre-booked in advance. The train also features an onboard cafe from which you can purchase meals and drinks. From Brisbane Roma Street station you can then catch a Gold Coast bound QR citytrain to Helensvale station (there are two trains every hour - and you can use a Go Card or buy a ticket at Brisbane Roma Street - no reservations necessary). At Helensvale you then change to Gold Coast Light Rail which will take you to the very heart of Surfers Paradise. Light Rail services are covered by your Go Card. This whole journey from Sydney takes about sixteen hours.
Twice each week, NSW Trainlink run a train direct from Sydney to Griffith. Departing Sydney Central station early each Saturday morning, and around midday each Wednesday, the train travels through the day
before arriving Griffith late Saturday afternoon or Wednesday evening. All travel on the train is in reserved seats (economy class or first class) which must be pre-booked in advance. The train also features an onboard cafe from which you can purchase meals and drinks.
You can travel to Griffith any day of the week by catching the NSW Trainlink XPT train to Cootamundra and changing there to a connecting bus from Cootamundra to Griffith. The train departs Sydney early every morning and arrives Cootamundra early afternoon. After a break (during which you can get lunch), you board the Mildura bound bus which will drop you at Griffith late in the afternoon. All travel on the train and the bus is in reserved seats (economy class or first class) which must be pre-booked in advance. The train also features an onboard cafe from which you can purchase meals and drinks.
NSW Trainlink's Melbourne XPT train runs twice each day from Sydney Central station to Melbourne Southern Cross station. The journey takes about ten and a half hours. There is a day train that departs Sydney early each morning and arrives Melbourne in the late afternoon, and there is also a night train that departs Sydney each evening and arrives in Melbourne early the following morning. You can also board these trains at Campbelltown station in Sydney's suburbs, or at one of many other stations along the way. All travel on the train is in reserved seats (economy class or first class) or twin bunk sleeping beths which must be pre-booked in advance. The train also features an onboard cafe from which you can purchase meals and drinks. From Melbourne Southern Cross, catch a no 109 tram in Collins Street for the 15 minute trip to Port Melbourne Beacon Cove. Then the Spirit of Tasmania ferry (just a short walk from the tram) for the 10 hour journey to East Devonport. The Spirit of Tasmania departs every evening and arrives East Devonport the next morning. At peak times, extra trips operate departing early morning and arrive East Devonport late afternoon. From East Devonport, catch the connecting Tassielink or Redline bus for the 4 hour journey to Hobart. If you leave Sydney on the overnight train, you spend a day in Melbourne and a second night on the ferry.
NSW Trainlink operate frequent electric inter-city trains from Sydney Central station to the Blue Mountains. To get to Katoomba, you can catch any NSW Trainlink train destined for Katoomba, Mount Victoria or Lithgow. These trains normally pick up passengers at Strathfield, Parramatta, Penrith and other stations along the way. This very scenic journey will take about two hours, and is an ideal day-trip from Sydney. Seats are not reserved, you just use your Opal card or touch on with your credit card to pay your fare. The trip to Katoomba normally takes about 2 hours. You are dropped of in the heart of the historic town from where you can get regular buses, taxis or tourist buses to all the tourist attractions around town.
NSW Trainlink operate frequent electric inter-city trains from Sydney Central station to Newcastle interchange. This journey includes the very pleasant trip over the Hawkesbury River
and along Mullet Creek that can only be made by rail. Get off the train at Hamilton
station, and board a local train headed for Telarah, Dungog, Scone or Muswellbrook
then get off at Maitland station. The whole journey should take a little over three
hours.
NSW Trainlink run three XPT trains and one Xplorer train every day from Sydney Central station to Maitland. The Casino XPT departs Sydney very early each morning, and arrives Mailtland mid morning. The Armidale and Moree Xplorer departs Sydney mid morning and arrives Maitland just after noon. The Grafton XPT departs
Sydney just before noon and arrives Maitland in the early afternoon, and the Brisbane XPT departs Sydney in the late afternoon and arrives in Maitland in the early evening. The journey on each of these trains takes about two and three-quarter hours. You can also board any of these trains at Strathfield or Hornsby station in Sydneys suburbs. These trains, which offer first and economy class seating, are fully reserved and must be booked in advance. Note that these trains are intended predominantly for longer distance travellers travelling to and from destinations north of Maitland, so bookings are not available between Sydney and Maitland until about a week prior to travel so that longer distance travellers get first chance. Fares are somewhat higher than those charged on local trains, and you cannot use your Opal card to travel on these trains.
NSW Trainlink's Melbourne XPT train runs twice each day from Sydney Central station to Melbourne Southern Cross station. The journey takes about ten and a half hours. There is a day train that departs Sydney early each morning and arrives Melbourne in the late afternoon, and there is also a night train that departs Sydney each evening and arrives in Melbourne early the following morning. You can also board these trains at Campbelltown station in Sydney's suburbs, or at one of many other stations along the way. All travel on the train is in reserved seats (economy class or first class) or twin bunk sleeping beths which must be pre-booked in advance. The train also features an onboard cafe from which you can purchase meals and drinks.
NSW Trainlink's Northern Tablelands Xplorer train runs once each day from Sydney Central station to Moree. The journey takes about nine hours. The train departs Sydney mid morning and arrives in Moree late in the evening. You can also board the train at Strathfield or Hornsby station in Sydneys suburbs, at Broadmeadow in Newcastle or at one of many other stations along the way. Note that this train splits
into two along the way at Werris Creek, the other half takes a more easterly route up to Tamworth and Armidale - so make sure you stay in the right part of the train! All travel on the train is in reserved seats (economy class or first class) which must be pre-booked in advance. The train also features an onboard cafe from which you can purchase meals and drinks.
NSW Trainlink operate frequent electric inter-city trains from Sydney Central station to Newcastle Interchange station at the western end of downtown Newcastle. The journey up from Sydney is a very pleasant trip over the Hawkesbury River and along Mullet Creek that can only be made by rail, and is definitely an experience in itself (Make sure you sit on the right hand side of the train to get the best views). After 2 and a half to three hours you will arrive at Newcastle Interchange station, you can change to the Newcastle Light rail service for the last couple of km into downtown Newcastle. The entire journey from Sydney to Newcastle on the train and on the light rail is covered by the Opal fare system, and you can use your Opal card or touch on and off with your credit card to pay your fare. Reservations are not available - simply show up, touch on and grab a seat.
Travelling Sydney to Perth by rail is a wonderful experience, but don't expect to find an inexpensive alternative to driving or flying. This is a luxury journey that is more like a land cruise. Great Southern Railway (GSR) run the Indian Pacific train once each week from Sydney to Perth via Adelaide. This train departs Sydney Central station mid afternoon on
Wednesdays and travels for three days before arriving at East Perth rail terminal. The train stops in Adelaide for side trips and at other locations for shorter periods en-route. All travel on the Indian pacific is in sleeping berths, there are no sitting cars attached. Gourmet meals and refreshments are included in the fare, and trains are often booked out well in advance, so book early!
Sydney Trains operate frequent electric trains between Sydney Central station, City Circle stations and Sydney Airport. There are two stations at Sydney Airport: one beneath the domestic terminal and the other beneath the international terminal. Simply catch any T8 line train( East Hills, Campbelltown or Macarthur) from Sydney Central, Town Hall, Wynyard, Circular Quary, St James or Museum station in downtown Sydney. The journey takes between 10 and 15 minutes, and trains run every 15 minutes or more frequently. You can use your Opal card or simply touch on and off with your credit card. Note that there is a premium airport fare payable by all passengers who board or alight at either of the airport stations.
NSW Trainlink's Northern Tablelands Xplorer train runs once each day from Sydney Central station to Armidale. The journey takes a little over eight hours. The train departs Sydney in the mid morning and arrives in Tamworth in the afternoon before continuing on to Armidale. You can also board the train at Strathfield or Hornsby station in Sydney's suburbs, at Broadmeadow in Newcastle or at one of many other stations along the way. Note that this train splits into two along the way at Werris Creek, the other half takes a more westerly route up to Moree - so make sure you stay in the right part of the train! All travel on XPLorer trains must be pre-booked and you are allocated a reserved seat. The train also features an onboard cafe from which you can purchase meals and drinks.
NSW Trainlink's Melbourne XPT train runs twice each day from Sydney Central station to Wagga Wagga (then on to Melbourne). The journey to Wagga Wagga takes six hours. There is a day train that departs Sydney early each morning and arrives Wagga Wagga in the early afternoon, and there is a night train that departs Sydney each evening and arrives in Wagga Wagga in the wee small hours of the morning. You can also board these trains at Campbelltown station in Sydney's suburbs, or at one of many other stations along the way. All travel on XPLorer trains must be pre-booked and you are allocated a reserved seat. The train also features an onboard cafe from which you can purchase meals and drinks.
You can also travel to Wagga Wagga by taking the train to Canberra and connecting at Canberra with a bus that takes you to Wagga Wagga. The Canberra train departs Sydney Central station at around midday and takes about four hours to reach Canberra station. At Canberra station you change to a connecting bus that about half an hour after the train arrives departs for Wagga Wagga arriving there late evening. All travel on the train and the bus is in reserved seats (economy class or first class) which must be pre-booked in advance. The train also features an onboard cafe from which you can purchase meals and drinks.
NSW Trainlink operate frequent electric inter-city trains from Sydney Central station to Wollongong. Most trains are destined for Port Kembla or Kiama and stop at Wollongong en-route. The journey includes the spectacular section along the Illawarra escarpment where the railway travels high above the Pacific Ocean (make sure you sit on the left hand side to get the best views). The journey to Wollongong will take about one and a half hours, and is an ideal day-trip from Sydney. The entire journey from Sydney to Wollongone is covered by the Opal fare system, and you can use your Opal card or touch on and off with your credit card to pay your fare. Reservations are not available - simply show up, touch on and grab a seat.
Check out our list of train journeys from major Australian Cities. Each page has links to timetables and online ticket booking for journeys to country and interstate destinations.
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