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SRA to offer XPT service
and faster, cheaper trips
SYDNEY: State Rail in NSW
I hopes to lure bus passengers back to
its north-coast trains with a cheaper
and faster service from Sydney to
Murwillumbah and Brisbane.
CountryLink general manager
Faye Powell said that from Febru
ary 11 fares for the new XPT service
on the run would be cut by 30 per
cent and journey times cut by three
hours.
One-way economy fares from
Sydney to Murwillumbah will cost
$52, to Surfers Paradise $58, and
$60 to Brisbane.
"Passengers travelling north or
south will have the choice of a day
or night train," Mrs Powell said.
State Rail hopes to regain the 20
per cent drop in passengers since the
deregulation of coach services by
the State Government 18 months
ago.
"Our market research found trav
ellers were not happy v/ith the price
or the journey times — they were
leaving in droves," Mrs Powell said.
"The XPT will give State Rail's
CountryLink the opportunity to
strongly compete against coach op
erators who, up to now, have had
the advantage of speed and price."
Mrs Powell said the Kempscy
and Grafton bus crashes in which 55
people were killed late last year had
led to a short-term increase in rail
passengers but in the long term
would not be a factor.
The NSW Opposition's spokes
man on transport, Brian Langton,
said the new rail service would cut
800 scats each day and could result
in 7000 more coach journeys a year
on the Pacific Highway.
Mrs Powell described this criti
cism as "nonsense", saying the cur
rent Sydney to Grafton route was
running at about 50 percent capaci
ty with the Murwillumbah and Bris
bane legs running at 80 per cent.
Sleeper carriages and the motor
rail service will be removed in the
new service.
Mrs Powell said price was the
major factor for travellers deciding
on which service to use and sleeper
and motor-rail services had been
under-utilised.
Under the new timetable trains
will leave Sydney at 7.15am and
arrive in Murwillumbah at 8.30pm.
The overnight journey will leave
Murwillumbah at 9.15pm and ar
rive in Sydney at 10.35am.
Trains will leave Sydney at
4.15pm and arrive in Brisbane at
6.15am and the return service will
leave Brisbane at 7.40am and arrive
in Sydney at 9.40pm.
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