I got to ride the Overland Service that operates to and from Adelaide that overseen Rail Journeys and Beyond.
I shuffled in Southern Cross Station to see the Overland Shunted in the station at Platform 2 and N12 sitting at 3 B attached to a locomotive. At the time I happened to aware of Track Fault affecting the Broad Gauge at Deer Park impacting v/line at the on Friday Morning.
I check in my bags with minimal fuss and the event before boarding
- Saw some service being shuffled around as Swan Hill had being changed from another platform to Platform 1 next the Overland that morning FN9 was on this one.
- Normally that platform is for the XPT but later found out that arrived late as I saw whist pulling out
After checking myself in with their staff from Overland I settled in train.
I was sitting in “Standard Red” very nice seats but food and drink not included.
As beforehand I was put in “Premium Red” by mistake which was rectified promptly via staff.
As those seats are lovely and having done this class of seating service beforehand on my pervious rides on the Overland food and drinks excluding the alcoholic the beverages included in your fare and served to you in your seat!
Riding conditions and Events on board.
- Standard Red class the seats are in 2×2 configuration
- Premium Red Class seats are in 1×2 configuration
The passengers carriages are mostly BJ carriage a former economy carriages of VR&SAR joint stock which had refurbished inside and modified with electrical locking system from the older square key lock system in the train.
The Overland consist was 10 carriage
- 3x Standard Red Cars
- RBJ Buffet & Matilda Buffet
- 3x Premium Red Cars
- 2x Power Vans one look like PCO and one similar on the Indian Pacific and Ghan
Train left on Time 08:05 from Southern Cross
- Had a very relaxing time in the Matilda Buffet Car and shuffled through RBJ buffet Car after breakfast, very heavily modified one could say it served as lounge and buffet car.
- Matilda a Ghan Buffet Car was used formerly as catering area for the passengers in Premium Red to serve their meals on top of semi dining/lounge car for the passengers unlike RBJ.
All went well the ride was comfortable and very relaxing reached Stawell as shortly after the train was held up at a section, the crew keep us informed and advice came out:
Tampered copper wire affecting signals in area as a manual train order was arranged.
Apparently later found out via crew there was copper wire thieves hit before Horsham!
Train proceeded onwards under a “special train order”
As later I as saw out the window the track workers near the line on the way to Horsham.
The riding quality on SG on the Vic leg was I noticed more rougher than SA leg from my observation
As currently as it is if they tried to put VLocity DMU on Standard Gauge to Horsham the riding conditions would damage it....
There’s talk about restoring the public rail service to Horsham.
- 51 peg from Southern Cross down direction rough riding conditioning on Standard Gauge no doubt Broad gauge seems to affected too towards Little River, Corio and North Shore as on the Broad Gauge the old and new train get bounced there as I rode it few times beforehand!
- The Vic back way to Ararat is quite rough and shakes up the Overland in certain sections
- The older rolling stock mask it effects well considering it the ” Sleeper/Dining Rolling stock
- There are odd occasions one can hear/ feel the bogie spring working to counter the effects of rough riding track
- As currently riding on Standard Gauge track before and notice it on my pervious ride on this train
- As the VLocity DMUs rolling past my train window to and from Melbourne on Broad Gauge I could see clearly it too was being shaken up on those areas too!
A lot of the older stations the Overland train service used to stop at when is was Broad Gauge sadly now ghost towns and a number of towns and stations nearly gone seems unrecognisable!
It required a quick eye to see them whist rolling along at speed whist clocking the train progress with aid of GPS to assist the location on route when required
Whist riding the train although a bit late on arrival 19:02 due to cause beyond the operators control the 11 hr + trip was pleasant, a good range of food/drinks on board!
Next day I went early to sample Adelaide’s EMU & metro system, I went to Flinders in EMU a 3×1 train was similar to a VLocity DMU self propelled Rail motor in Vic
- The EMU’s Pantograph a marked features having Traction Motors that was powered separately via overheads external power source
- The 2 abreast fixed seats was a very welcome feature to me compared to the cramped 3×2 setting metropolitan of the EMUs X’Trap in Vic for example. some facing forward some facing backward depend on the direction of travel
The ticket Adelaide Metro card, unlike PTV in Vic the system has tap on validators that accepts various card payments to charge up your card & validate it for travel on some their trains,trams,buses & stations!
Next day at Adelaide Parklands Terminal formerly known me as “Keswick Terminal” I caught the train back home on board the Overland and noted the train was 10 cars like Friday.
- I was car C behind the RBJ After I observed the staff address a issue with the electrical lock system after rectifying it proceeded to board us in car C.
- I understand train physical structure is a excitable environment subjected to lots of vibration and heat expansion in the function of time maybe enough to mess up the electronics!
- board settled in the train for nice long trip back to Southern Cross
- On leaving the CBD behind I saw the train climbing those grade of the Adelaide Hills what sight seeing the loco pulling the train from the carriage I was sitting in
- Unforeseen events occurred later on as a Man fell over near track at Bordertown driver assisting medical attention requested
- In Vic later on Albury VLocity had issue on route and holding us up both XPT and Overland to Southern Cross Station.
- Overland Train pulls in 19:52 after staff seemed to attend a “intermittent” door lock issue with carriage C before allowing us to alight off on to Platform 2A-B due to length of the train
From my humble observations on board I am was thinking the maybe old Car C I was riding in may need a bit of TLC in the workshops soon!
I was not fussed about the late arrival as I am was riding one the finest rolling stock in the era and the beloved old train from my childhood as I really got my $$$ worth and hopefully I may get ride more interesting trains in the future!
This person knows more about passenger rail networks and performance than the government. Someone please hire him into V/Line.
Fantastic review of the Overland train. Why can’t we have a more regular service between Adelaide and Melbourne and why is it only a few times per week when I checked the timetable today?
Hi Micheal, I don’t know….
But I too would like to see more service on the The Overland be introduced too…
Night train and day train at least as frequent as the XPT to Melb – Sydney…
As 3 x time week seem ideal for starters…..since air fares are very pricey at the moment…
Sleeper trains are the new way of travelling in Europe with many new services being added. You can travel from France to Greece on sleeper services these days.
An overnight train each way for Adelaide to Melbourne would allow people from either city to take an overnight train and see a football game (finals) and return the next night?