On 6 November 1998, Australia's first pair of tilting trains entered service between Brisbane and Rockhampton. Simply marketed as the "Tilt Train", the journey time was reduced from nine hours to seven hours. In July 1999, a second daily service was introduced between Brisbane and Bundaberg. As a result of the Tilt Train being introduced, the Spirit of Capricorn had its frequency reduced to one service per week on a Saturday from Brisbane to Rockhampton, with a Sunday service returning to Brisbane carrying passengers only when required. The Spirit of Capricorn service was ended in May 2003.
With a top service speed of 160km/h (100mph) and the ability to tilt five degrees in each direction, the Electric Tilt Train is one of the fastest trains in Australia. The train has a similar maximum allowed speed to the V/Line VLocity, the Transwa Prospector railcar and the New South Wales XPT, although the XPT is rarely able to achieve its maximum operating speed due to track condition and curvature. In May 1999, the train achieved a top speed of 210km/h under test conditions.[3]
Economy Class interior
The Electric Tilt Train features 2×2 Economy class seating and 1×2 Business class seating. All seats include an audio and visual entertainment system. A trolley service is provided in Business class, and an onboard cafe is available on some journeys.[4] Wi-Fi internet access was introduced in 2016.[5]
Awards
In 2009 as part of the Q150 celebrations, the Tilt Train was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as an iconic "innovation and invention".[6]
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