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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Passenger train |
| Status | Operational |
| First service | August 1954 |
| Current operator(s) | Queensland Rail |
| Route | |
| Termini | Brisbane Charleville |
| Distance travelled | 740 km (460 mi) |
| Average journey time | 17 hours |
| Service frequency | 2 × per week |
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The Westlander is an Australian passenger train operated by Queensland Rail on the Main and Western lines between Brisbane and the outback town of Charleville.
In the 1888 timetable the train from Brisbane to Roma was officially called the Western Mail, with some runs extended through to Morven. With the opening of the line from Morven to Charleville on the 1st March 1888 the train was again extended. [1]
Victorian Railways introduced air-conditioned trains in 1935, and Queensland Rail decided to follow suit in the late 1940s. Steel carriages were designed to travel to all parts of the system, meaning a maximum axle load of 9 tons, which was a challenge for the dining cars. New features included showers in the sleeping cars, roomettes in first class and head end power cars, especially necessary where trains may be delayed by floods or other events, as was often the case.
The Westlander was introduced in August 1954, replacing the Western Mail and its wooden carriages with the present Commonwealth Engineering, Rocklea steel air-conditioned carriages. The route from Brisbane to Cunnamulla was 973 kilometres (605 mi), with a connecting service to Quilpie from Charleville, 777 kilometres (483 mi) from Brisbane. [2] Initially the Quilpie connecting train was not air-conditioned, so in 1967 a generator was fitted to an insulated van to provide power for an air-conditioned sitting car and mechanical refrigeration for the van to provide this comfort on the Quilpie service.
Later the Westlander was divided at Charleville, the service to Quilpie (3Q02) being nicknamed the Flying Flea and consisted of two passenger carriages, a guards van and power van. The remainder of the train (3V02) headed to Cunnamulla via Westgate and Wyandra. In 1970 the Flea had the honour of being the fastest train in Queensland, with an average speed of 49 kilometres per hour (30 mph)
In August 1994 the service was cut back to Charleville. [3]
The return service (3907) departed Cunnamulla at 09:00 arriving in Brisbane at lunchtime the next day. Even with the line speed from Cunnamulla being 30 km/h (19 mph), the train was still preferred by many due to the lack of quality roads at the time. [2] By 1957 freight wagons were also attached to the train, including louvred steel QRX and QLX-T wagons, and MPR refrigerated wagons. Up to 16 vehicles could make up the train. [2] Passenger services beyond Charleville to Cunnamulla (3V02) and Quilpie (3Q02) were withdrawn in 1994. [1]
As at October 2020, the train runs twice weekly to Charleville with a journey time of 17 hours. Connecting coach services operate to Cunnamulla and Quilpie. [4]
The westbound service (3S86) departs from Platform 10 at Roma Street Railway Station at 7:15pm on Tuesdays and at 6:55pm on Thursdays and arrives at Charleville Railway Station at 11:45am on Wednesdays and Fridays. [5]
The eastbound service (3987) departs from Charleville Railway Station at 6:15pm on Wednesdays and Fridays and arrives at Platform 10 at Roma Street Railway Station at 11:40am on Thursdays and 11:25am on Saturdays. [5]
Crews for the Westlander are based at Toowoomba, Chinchilla and Roma.
The train currently consists of:
the QPB Power-Baggage Car was only enabled to run on this service because of the tunnel clearance-enabling works which were undertaken by Queensland Rail in early 2020.
The dining and sleeping (M series) cars were withdrawn from 1 January 2015, with catering now provided by at seat snack packs delivered at mealtimes. [6] [7]
On the 16 June 2021, a $1M Business case was announced by the Queensland State Government to investigate replacement of The Westlander, Spirit of the Outback and Inlander Services. [8]
In 2016, the service was estimated to have carried 3,677 people in the previous financial year, with the effective subsidy paid by the Queensland State Government for each passenger amounting to an estimated $4,007 (total subsidy $14.7m) [9]
In 2021, the service carried 2,999 people in previous financial year, with the effective subsidy paid by the Queensland Government for each passenger at $4,928.90. [10]
Charleville is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Murweh, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Charleville had a population of 2,992 people.
Roma Street railway station is a commuter and long-distance passenger train station located in the central business district of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is the junction station for the North Coast, Main, Gold Coast and NSW North Coast lines. The station is one of four inner city stations that form a core corridor through the centre of Brisbane.
Corinda railway station is located on the Main line in Queensland, Australia. It serves the Brisbane suburb of Corinda.
The Spirit of the Outback is a long-distance passenger rail service in Queensland, Australia, operated by Queensland Rail's Traveltrain division.
Morven is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Murweh, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Morven had a population of 184 people.
Rosewood railway station is located on the Main line railway in Queensland, Australia. It serves the town of Rosewood.
The Inlander is a passenger train that operates between Townsville and Mount Isa on the Great Northern railway line in Queensland, Australia. It was introduced by Queensland Rail on 12 February 1953 using new steel air-conditioned carriages built by Commonwealth Engineering, Rocklea.
South West Queensland is a remote region in the Australian state of Queensland which covers 319,808 km2 (123,479 sq mi). The region lies to the south of Central West Queensland and west of the Darling Downs and includes the Maranoa district and parts of the Channel Country. The area is noted for its cattle grazing, cotton farming, opal mining and oil and gas deposits.
Cairns railway station is a railway station in the Cairns CBD in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia, serving the city of Cairns. The station is the terminus of the North Coast railway line from Brisbane and the terminus for the Tablelands railway line to the Atherton Tableland. Two tourist railway services operate from here: the Kuranda Scenic Railway and the Savannahlander. The station has two platforms. It is integrated with the Cairns Central Shopping Centre, with the platforms being built underneath parking areas.
Townsville railway station is located on the North Coast line in Queensland, Australia. It serves the city of Townsville. The station has one platform. Opposite the platform lies a passing loop. It is also the starting point for the Great Northern line to Mount Isa.
Gatton railway station is located on the Main line in Queensland, Australia. It serves the town of Gatton in the Lockyer Valley Region. The station has two side platforms, opening in 1866.
Toowoomba railway station is a heritage-listed railway station on the Western line at Russell Street, Toowoomba, Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. It serves the city of Toowoomba, which is the junction for the Western, Main and Southern lines. The station has one platform with a passing loop, opening in 1867. It was designed by FDG Stanley and built in 1873 by R. Godsall. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
Miles railway station is located on the Western line in Queensland, Australia. It serves the town of Miles. The station has one platform, opening in 1878. it is situated 408 kilometres from the Westlander's western terminus, Charleville and 334 kilometres from the Westlander's eastern terminus, Roma Street.
Yuleba railway station is located on the Western line in Queensland, Australia. It serves the town of Yuleba. The original station had one platform, opening in 1879.
Roma railway station is located on the Western line in Queensland, Australia. It serves the town of Roma. The station has one platform, opening in 1880.
Mitchell railway station is located on the Western line in the Maranoa Region, Queensland, Australia. It serves the town of Mitchell. The station has one platform, opening in 1885. The station has a number of heritage-listed buildings, including the passenger station in Oxford Street, the goods shed in Alice Street, and the station master's house in Sheffield Street. The buildings were added to Queensland Heritage Register on 8 September 2005.
Morven railway station is located on the Western line in Queensland, Australia. It serves the town of Morven. The station has one platform. the present structure was built in 2008 with the original building being repurposed by the Murweh Shire Council and Morven Progress Association as the Morven Library in 2015.
Charleville railway station is a heritage-listed railway station on the Western line at King Street, Charleville, Shire of Murweh, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1888 to 1957. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 12 July 2005.
The Western railway line is a narrow gauge railway, connecting the south-east and south-west regions of Queensland, Australia. It commences at Toowoomba, at the end of the Main Line railway from Brisbane, and extends west 810 km to Cunnamulla, passing through the major towns of Dalby, Roma and Charleville, although services on the 184 km section from Westgate to Cunnamulla have been suspended since 2011. The Queensland Government was the first railway operator in the world to adopt narrow gauge for a main line, and this remains the system-wide gauge.
The Queensland Railways ordered two different types of steel bodied air-conditioned carriage stock, both built by Commonwealth Engineering at their Rocklea plant. Over the years these carriages have been used on many different long distance Queensland Rail services.
