The 11-hour Sydney-Melbourne train has become so popular services are selling out – even with extra carriages added – as travellers seek alternatives to an aviation duopoly that is stronger than ever, with carriers charging $900 for one-way economy tickets.
Ridership on the Sydney-Melbourne rail corridor has exploded in recent months, with 203,000 passenger journeys between July and December. Data for the 2023-24 financial year revealed 393,000 passenger journeys, a 14% increase on the previous year and just 7,000 shy of the annual record.
While many of the passengers on the twice-daily New South Wales government-run XPT services travel only part of the trip from regional centres, Sydneysiders and Melburnians faced with significantly higher air fares on Australia’s busiest air route are increasingly turning to the train.
The popularity of the train – currently operated with decades-old stock that lacks device charging or wifi but boasts window tinting that helps block mobile reception for the entire journey – has seen Transport for NSW routinely add a sixth carriage to the service, bringing capacity up from 215 to 285.
Despite the extra carriage, services have continued to sell out. In 2023-24, an average of 277 passengers rode each service.
Beyond the lure of flat pricing on one-way tickets – $117 during peak holiday periods and $83 at other times – travellers do not need to pay to check in large suitcases or for airport transfers at both ends.
Demand for the train has remained strong over the current holiday period. Late on Friday there was not a single ticket available in any class on any of the twice-daily Sydney to Melbourne XPT train services until the evening service on Friday 17 January, with some services over the following days and weeks already sold out.
Meanwhile, Guardian Australia analysis of flights from Sydney to Melbourne over the next week – coinciding with the Australian Open – has found the average one-way fare cost $467, based on about 400 flights where economy seats were available at the time of publication.
Ticket prices are considerably lower – just $268 – to Avalon airport, south-west of metropolitan Melbourne and closer to Geelong. But just 37 of those flights were listed.
The vast majority of flights are scheduled to Melbourne’s main airport, Tullamarine, averaging more than $486 for a one-way ticket.
Thursday is by far the most expensive day of the week, where flights averaged close to $700. Prices have spiked dramatically on this route; Google’s data shows similar flights from Sydney to Melbourne usually cost between $70 and $150.
Guardian Australia analysis found it was impossible to buy a one-way flight to Tullamarine airport over the coming week for less than $200 on any carrier. A handful of Jetstar tickets for just under $200 were available late on Saturday 18 January.
While the cheapest economy ticket offered by Qantas is about $399, most of the airline’s tickets are advertised between $499 and $789 throughout the week.
Meanwhile, Virgin’s cheapest economy seats are available for about $229, rising to above $900.
The Guardian
How will the new NSW train link services (the new trains) cope with this patronage increase? Can carriages be added when they are required and what about sleeper services the popular service on the overnight train?
Could it be time Canberra took over this service and build a new plan for more services during the day? With the increased patronage in Melbourne to Sydney and Melbourne to Adelaide we need a plan to run more services and that is the role of the federal government not the states.
Despite a major increase in interstate rail passenger services, the planning for these services is going backwards. Why would the NSW Government plan for the removal of sleeper train services between Sydney and Melbourne and Sydney and Brisbane when they are highly popular?
Modern fit for purpose train services are desperately needed for the interstate services and I agree this should not be a state based issue and requires federal government operation. The routes would be Brisbane to Sydney, Sydney to Canberra, Sydney to Melbourne and Canberra too Melbourne. Adde Adelaide to Sydney and Adelaide to Melbourne.
Running of interstate passenger trains by states has not met the potential that it should have. We need a Canberra to take this over with funding and new rolling stock. Should have happened a long time ago the time to do this is now. Australia is full of dumb arse politicians who do as little as possible and this has impacted the departments. Blind freddy could see this is a major step forward in infrastructure.
Create a passenger division with ARTC. Cities should include Brisbane Sydney Canberra Melbourne and Adelaide. Possibly Perth.
The service between Sydney and Melbourne is poor thr train was cancelled again today stopped at Albury and buses to Melbourne. This is a joke.
Gee that is no good….that union dispute is mucking things up badly in NSW…..
I know Union rep got their uses for bad unsafe work practices by shoddy management…..
But this is problematic….
As people don’t take kindly being held to ransom by being unable to travel for their work commitments!
This put the good union rep who don’t exploit certain disputes to cause max disruption….I know Vic had it’s fair share of strikes but this is more widespread in NSW it seems…..