Southern Aurora

Last updated

Southern Aurora
Southern Aurora passing Wagga Wagga Railway Station.jpg
Preserved version of the Southern Aurora at Wagga Wagga station in April 2012
Overview
Service typeOvernight sleeper train
StatusCeased
First service13 April 1962
Last service2 August 1986
Successor Sydney/Melbourne Express
Former operator(s) State Rail Authority
V/Line
Route
Termini Sydney
Melbourne
Distance travelled956 kilometres
Service frequencyNightly in each direction
Train number(s)SL1/SL2
Line(s) used Main South, NSW
North East, Victoria
Technical
Rolling stock Stainless steel carriages
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)

The Southern Aurora was an overnight express passenger train that operated between Australia's two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne. First-class throughout, including the dining facilities, the Southern Aurora featured all-sleeper accommodation. The train first ran on 13 April 1962 after the opening of the North East standard gauge line from Melbourne to Albury, [1] eliminating the break-of-gauge between the capital cities. [2]

Contents

A fleet of 34 stainless steel carriages was jointly purchased by the Department of Railways New South Wales and Victorian Railways featuring fluted sides and consisted of roomette and twinette sleepers, lounge cars and diners. [3] [4] [5] A motorail service was added from July 1973 which enabled passengers to travel and take their cars. [6]

On 7 February 1969 the train was involved in the Violet Town railway disaster, when the southbound Southern Aurora collided head on with a northbound freight train, resulting in eight deaths and the destruction of two S class locomotives and seven carriages. [1] [7] [8]

With declining passenger numbers, it was decided to combine the Spirit of Progress and Southern Aurora into one train, the Sydney/Melbourne Express . The Southern Aurora ran for the last time on 2 August 1986. [1] [9]

After the demise of sleeper trains in the early 1990s, many of the carriages passed to the Australian Railway Historical Society, Canberra Railway Museum and New South Wales Rail Transport Museum (now the NSW Rail Museum) who have maintained them in operational condition. [10] [11] The latter often operates them on tours under the Southern Aurora banner. [12]

From December 2017 four NAM Twinette carriages were restored at the Lithgow State Mine Heritage Park & Railway on behalf of Vintage Rail Journeys. [13] From September 2019, two LAN Roomette carriages, one NAM Twinette carriage and one MHN Luggage were restored at the Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre (GRHC) on behalf of Vintage Rail Journeys. [14] [ needs update ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Indian Pacific</i> Passenger train service in Australia

The Indian Pacific is a weekly experiential tourism passenger train service that runs in Australia's east–west rail corridor between Sydney, on the shore of the Pacific Ocean, and Perth, on the shore of the Indian Ocean – thus, like its counterpart in the north–south corridor, The Ghan, one of the few truly transcontinental trains in the world. It first ran in 1970 after the completion of gauge conversion projects in South Australia and Western Australia, enabling for the first time a cross-continental rail journey that did not have a break of gauge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New South Wales C38 class locomotive</span> Class of Australian 4-6-2 locomotives

The C38 class was a class of steam locomotive built for the New South Wales Government Railways in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CountryLink</span> New South Wales government rail and road passenger operator

CountryLink was a passenger rail and road service brand that operated in regional areas of New South Wales, and to and from Canberra, Brisbane and Melbourne. Originally created as a business unit of the State Rail Authority of New South Wales, it later became a subsidiary of RailCorp. CountryLink operated rail services using XPT and Xplorer rolling stock, with connecting coach services operated under contract by private operators.

<i>The Overland</i> Australian passenger train between Adelaide and Melbourne

The Overland is an Australian passenger train service between the state capitals of Melbourne and Adelaide, a distance of 828 km (515 mi). It first ran in 1887 as the Adelaide Express, known by South Australians as the Melbourne Express. It was given its current name in 1936. Now operated by private company Journey Beyond, the train undertakes two return trips a week. Originally an overnight train that stopped at large intermediate stations, it now operates during the day, stopping less frequently.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3801</span> Preserved Australian C-38 class 4-6-2 locomotive

3801 is a 4-6-2 steam locomotive operated by the New South Wales Government Railways between 1943 and 1974. It is arguably Australia's most famous steam locomotive, being the only one to have visited all mainland states and territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great South Pacific Express</span> Australian train service (1999–2003)

The Great South Pacific Express was a luxury Australian train service, run in by Queensland Rail and Belmond, the operator of the Venice-Simplon Orient Express.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spirit of Progress</span> Victorian Railways express passenger train

The Spirit of Progress was the premier express passenger train on the Victorian Railways in Australia, running from Melbourne to the New South Wales border at Albury, and later through to Sydney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Main Southern railway line, New South Wales</span> Railway line in New South Wales, Australia

The Main Southern Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs from Sydney to Albury, near the Victorian border. The line passes through the Southern Highlands, Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes and Riverina regions.

The railways of New South Wales, Australia, use a large variety of passenger and freight rolling stock. The first railway in Sydney was opened in 1855 between Sydney and Granville, now a suburb of Sydney but then a major agricultural centre. The railway formed the basis of the New South Wales Government Railways. Passenger and freight services were operated from the beginning. By 1880, there was a half hourly service to Homebush.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New South Wales 42 class locomotive</span>

The New South Wales 42 class was a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the New South Wales Department of Railways in 1955/56.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New South Wales XPT</span> Express passenger train in New South Wales, Australia

The New South Wales XPT is a class of diesel-powered passenger trains built by Comeng and ABB. Based on the British Rail-designed High Speed Train, each XPT set comprises two XP power cars in a push-pull configuration and, between them, between four and seven passenger carriages. The first sets entered service under the State Rail Authority in 1982 and now operate under NSW TrainLink, running on long-distance regional and interstate North Coast, Main Western and Main Southern lines throughout New South Wales and interstate into Victoria and Queensland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intercapital Daylight</span>

The Inter-Capital Daylight was a passenger train that operated between Australia's two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne from March 1956 until August 1991.

The Sydney–Melbourne rail corridor is an approximately 953-kilometre (592-mile) standard-gauge railway corridor that runs between Sydney and Melbourne (Victoria), the two largest cities in Australia. Freight and passenger services operate along the route, including the NSW TrainLink XPT passenger service.

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'.

The New South Wales stainless steel carriage stock was a type of passenger carriage operated by the New South Wales Government Railways from 1961 until 1993.

The Brisbane Limited was an Australian passenger train operated by the New South Wales Government Railways between Sydney and Brisbane from 1888 until February 1990.

This article is intended as a catalogue of sleeping carriages used by the Victorian Railways and successors.

V & SAR <i>The Overland</i> carriages Class of steel passenger cars used in Australia

The first carriages built specifically for The Overland train service operated by the Victorian and South Australian Railways (V & SAR) were introduced in 1949. By the end of 1951, eight new sleeping cars and six new sitting cars had entered service. Additions to the fleet continued until 1972; in all, 44 carriages were built. About eight were still in service in March 2020 on The Overland operated by Journey Beyond. Other carriages have been transferred to different services or sold.

The Southern Cross Express was a luxury train operator in Australia. It was launched in June 1985 as Steam Age operating out of Melbourne on the Victorian Railways broad gauge network. Services were operated by steam locomotive R766 and six South Australian Railways carriages.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Southern Aurora Is New Concept In Australian Rail Travel Luxury, inter-capital trip". Sydney Morning Herald. 14 April 1962. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  2. "Opening of the Through Standard-Gauge Passenger Services between Sydney and Melbourne" Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 302 December 1962 pp181-188
  3. Dunn, John (2008). Comeng A History of Commonwealth Engineering Vol.2 1955 - 1966. Rosenberg Publishing. pp. 234–239. ISBN   9781877058738.
  4. "New Trains for Melbourne-Sydney Through Service" Railway Gazette 29 July 1960 page 143
  5. "Luxury Trains for Sydney-Melbourne Service" Railway Gazette 21 October 1960 page 143
  6. Vincent Adams Winter (1990). VR and VicRail: 1962 - 1983. p. 205. ISBN   0-9592069-3-0.
  7. "Melbourne/Sydney Express Cars" Railway Digest November 1986 page 353
  8. "20 Years Ago" Railway Digest December 1990 page 454
  9. "Farewell to an Ideal" Railway Digest October 1986 Page 204
  10. "New South Wales Rail Transport Museum". 150 years of NSW Railways. RailCorp. Archived from the original on 17 June 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
  11. "Australian Railway Historical Society (ACT): Rollingstock index". arhsact.org.au. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
  12. Awake in a New World Heritage Express
  13. Lithgow Railway Workshop to give new ‘aura’ to the Southern Aurora Lithgow Mercury 5 December 2017
  14. Thrower, Louise (5 December 2019). "Southern Aurora restoration 'recaptures the magic'". Goulburn Post. Retrieved 13 December 2020.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Southern Aurora at Wikimedia Commons