Sydney–Melbourne Express
Former overnight rail passenger train between the cities of Melbourne and Sydney / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Sydney–Melbourne Express was an overnight intercapital passenger train service that operated between Australia's largest two cities, Sydney and Melbourne, between August 1986 and November 1993. Operated jointly by State Rail Authority and V/Line the name depended on the direction of travel, with the train nicknamed the 'Sex' or 'Mex'.[1][2]
Overview | |
---|---|
Service type | Overnight sleeper train |
Status | Ceased |
Predecessor | Southern Aurora Spirit of Progress |
First service | 3 August 1986 |
Last service | 21 November 1993 |
Successor | Unnamed XPT service |
Former operator(s) | State Rail Authority V/Line |
Route | |
Termini | Sydney Melbourne |
Distance travelled | 956 kilometres |
Service frequency | nightly in each direction |
Train number(s) | SL1/SL2 |
Line(s) used | Main South, NSW North East, Victoria |
The Sydney–Melbourne Express was formed to replace the Spirit of Progress and Southern Aurora to cut operating costs of the intercapital rail service with the first train operating on 2 August 1986. The last Melbourne Express ran on the night of 20 November 1993 ex Sydney, with the last Sydney Express running ex Melbourne on 21 November. It was replaced by an unnamed XPT service that continues today.[2]