The Westlander Train Toowoomba to Brisbane Review - Queensland Rail

[@endoftheline774]

Hey Rory, I feel that a-lot of the information in this video isn’t exactly true. The sleepers and dining Cars were removed in 2015 due to ageing M-Class Stock. The train stock had been removed because it was nearly 60 Years old. The L class Carriages currently operate the service and They are nearly 50 Years old too. It wasn’t removed due to decreased demand. It was a popular service, especially for those who were older. There is currently a Business case to replace the carriages with brand new ones. Replacement carriages have been planned since 2015, however the Liberal Party of Queensland have constantly blocked this idea. I suspect that it the replacement goes ahead, the train will consist of Engine/Power Car, 2 Twin and Single Sleepers, 1 Club Car, and 2 Sitters. Whether this happens or not is to be decided. Additionally, there is currently a By-pass tunnel being constructed for trains underneath Toowoomba, despite being built for Freight, this tunnel will likely also carry Passengers too, this will shorten the 17 hour trip to about 15 Hours. I dont know where you got the Statistic of it taking half the time to travel that distance, it is impossible for a car to Travel 777 Kilometres in 8.5 Hours without significant rests. I have been on the westlander twice, both times i will admit that without the service its pretty bad. But please Rory, remember that these trains are not designed for an entire trip between Brisbane and Charleville. They are designed for services from Towns in between Brisbane and Charleville. Alot of customers travel from Toowoomba to Roma. Not the full trip. Your review is not wrong, however you are missing alot of info from this trip.

[@RoryDing]

Hi thank you for your comment, just one question on the popularity, the 2016 figure shows that the estimated number of passengers carried in 2016 was 3677, the train runs twice weekly from both directions, 3677/52/4= 17 passengers on each service. Did the popularity of this train grow over the last 5 years?

[@endoftheline774]

@@RoryDing The popularity of it has grown quite significantly, but nothing groundbreaking. Its mainly used for Trips inbetween towns. The government has kept the service open because its the right thing to do for people who need to travel inbetween regional towns.

[@RoryDing]

That’s interesting to know thank your so much for your information!

[@nickhiscock8948]

The demand increased greatly in 2020 as airline services were cut back to Roma and Charleville. Also there have been record tourism numbers throughout western Queensland in the last 2 years and not just grey nomads either. The westlander is essentially an overnight service to connect people living west of Roma with Toowoomba and Brisbane. Half of the customers only use it from the west to Toowoomba. The slow section is Toowoomba to Brisbane. The trip from Toowoomba to Roma is not that much slower than the bus. after Roma it is slower than the bus due to 60kph track limit and jointed rail.

[@throneking9587]

I am so happy Labor is in power in Queensland so the business case for new carriages can be advanced. F*ck the Liberal Party and their anti-rail shit. The Queensland Labor Government is working on a business case to build brand new carriages for the Westlander (and the Inlander and Spirit of Outback too). And even better - the new carriages will be manufactured in Queensland. Transport Minister Mark Bailey, 16 June 2021: “We’ve also got a $1 million for a business case to build replacement carriages for the iconic Westlander, Inlander and Spirit of the Outback long-distance services right here in Queensland.”

[@hellohello4438]

Good job on calling out the crappy service

[@michaelhall8586]

Great stuff. I always love hearing how respectful and kind you are to the staff on these services. It shouldn’t matter but it does. Always good to be nice

[@kamalsandhu07]

Love the content, best Aussie KZbinr.

[@BinkBricks]

Agree

[@jeffmcadam3370]

Absolutely

[@bradleymcdonald6273]

I'm offended...

[@RoryDing]

Thank you 😊

[@taiyomcencroe3284]

Best chill laid back videos everrr!!!!! Keep up the awesome vids 👍

[@heathertruskinger6214]

Hi Rory. When I saw a few weeks back that you were traveling on the Westlander, I was really excited. You see, in 2008, after finishing 6 months chemo, I travelled on it from Brisbane to Roma, overnight, and then back again, a week later. At the time I stayed in the sleeper cabin, and , because I had just finished my chemo, they upgraded me to single occupancy. Back then , the dining car served hot meals for dinner and breakfast. As well as snack, drinks , and alcohol. I remember it as a wonderful relaxing trip , and met many happy passengers, which help while away my evenings. I was really saddened to see what the service has been reduced too. I agree with you, that staff should be providing a bit more service, with at least the options for passengers to buy more food/drinks. Some service reduction can be understood due to covid, but such a lack of service, especially for customers doing the "longer" trip from further west, is appalling. I admit if I need to got to Toowoomba, it's faster and cheaper to drive....but if I wanted to go further west, I doubt now I would uses that train, with the lack of customer service or amenities on board. So sad really. It's such a lovely route, especially the climb up or down the range, in foggy weather. Thanks for the informative video.

[@andrewmckenzie2370]

Hi Rory I've only recently discovered your excellent expose of Australia railway transport and enjoyed your frank and honest assessments of each of your journeys please accept my gratitude and thanks for your great videos and commentaries of your journeys and encouragement to continue and hopefully gain more attention and following of your trips around this great country. Many thanks Andrew McKenzie

[@RoryDing]

Thank you for letting us know what the train was like before 2016. Hopefully Qld gov would invest in new rolling stocks one day!!

[@RoryDing]

Thank you Andrew ☺️☺️

[@chrissiecarr5721]

Thank You Rory for my virtual train ride, as usual a wonderful, magical trip 💞🙋🏻‍♀️

[@seany3303]

Great video! I look forward to watching your new videos. 👍🏽👍🏽

[@peterjd5689]

I really like his commentary. Informative and good analysis. The data he puts up about each city or town is helpful. The man coughing at the end was most unpleasant. The commentator is very cute.

[@grimbomaesai8311]

HI RORY YOU STILL ARE THE BEST AND GIVE US A LOOK AT THE COUNTRY YOU ARE TRAVELING THROUGH I AM 85 YEARS OLD AND HAVE LIVED IN THAILAND SINCE 2000 BUT WHEN I WAS A YOUNG BOY EVERY CHRISTMAS TIME MY FAMILY AND I USED THIS RAIL WAY TO TRAVEL TO DALBY FOR HOLIDAYS IN THOSE DAYS OF CAUSE IT WAS STEAM TRAIN BEFORE WE COME HERE TO LIVE I USED TO PICK MY DAUGHTER UP AT THE RAIL STATION WHILE WAITING FOR HER ONE DAY A DIESEL TRAIN PASSED THE STATION IT WAS ENGINE AND 2 CARRIAGES 1 WAS SEATING AND ONE FRIGHT I ASKED THE STATION MASTER AND HE SAID IT WAS THE MAIL TRAIN FRON CUNNAMULLA SO I GUESS IT IS NOW A BIGGER TRAIN WHEN GOING WEST IN TOOWOOMBA THE TRAIN USED TO GO UP THE LOOP AND REVERSE INTO THE STATION KEEP UP THE GREAT VIDEOS LOVE YOUR WORK GRAHAM

[@debramage739]

There is something about using the facilities on a train. Thanks Rory, have driven from Toowoomba to Brisbane, won't probably train it. Listening with buds, old mates cough sounds bad. (at the end) 😆 🤣 😂

[@supergran62]

Came to say the same. Old mate sounded a bit rough there. With the old Rona around it would put the wind up ya!

[@WillJamesRailways]

@@supergran62 I reckon!

[@BinkBricks]

Old mate at the end, man, idk how he even was allowed onboard.

[@MitchellBPYao]

Was probably Chinese but sounded Australian

[@RoryDing]

@@MitchellBPYao Mate how can you possibly tell someone’s nationality from his cough, don’t be racist.

[@mload45]

This is a mixture of nostalgia and sad. Travelled on this train many times as a kid with my mum and sister. Sad to see it in this state.

[@thatsme9875]

Rory, I agree with all your comments. I drive from Brisbane to Charleville and return at least three times every year, and can generally complete one way in 9 hours, with comfort stops and meals. keep up the great work, I enjoy all your videos

[@l.michelle3497]

Toowoomba is a lovely place to visit. Thank you for sharing this! I've been by bus, but next time I'll try this 😃😃

[@duffman7065]

Thanks for the review - another great review. I like the history you research and provide in your reviews. Very informative. Thank you and happy travels!

[@OldFellaDave]

Did this trip on the Westlander once, back in 1992 when the old man put us on it at Charleville to get back home to Brisbane - worse day of my life LOL!! I was 19 and had my 3 younger brothers with me and it was a frikken nightmare rattling and bumping away back in the cheapest economy seats, and yes I remember how painfully, mind-numbingly boring that part from Toowoomba to Brisbane was. It's probably what turned me off ever getting on a train again - but for some reason, now that I'm nearly 49, I've been binge-watching your train videos the past 3 days LOL!! Now trying to decide how to convince the missus we should do one of these trips (not the bloody Westlander though!!)

[@florianbooneiam]

Yay, finally. Great review, Rory!

[@bigman4225]

a new video Glad to see you're back after your one week break :)

[@michelle10261]

That train goes past my house I can see is some early mornings. Thank you it's great to know the history about the train.

[@LEMMYLEMON]

I remember I went to Toowoomba last year, was a very nice place

[@bent444]

That was Great Rory. Look forward to more.

[@richardchan446]

I will be visiting Toowoomba soon. Initially I was excited thinking I could ride this train to Brisbane. I now need a bit of convincing. Perhaps I will just take the coach. Anyway, thanks Rory for this review. Hopefully in time to come they will put in updated and newer train cars.

[@RoryDing]

Hi Richard! I think coach is cheaper and definitely better value 😊

[@mrdbooks7285]

I love the fact that you kept the person coughing in the background in the video a minute from the end, to let us know what you thought about this experience. That sound alone would make me not want to use the service.

[@RoryDing]

He actually did cough for that long a minute before the train arrived 😅

[@Foolish_Paul_Australia]

A nice comprehensive coverage, as per usual. 🙂 It can't have been exactly fun having that person cough up a lung in your carriage. 🤮

[@andrewparoz8753]

I live along with route, so I can definitely shed some more light on why the rail is like this these days. The tunnels between Laidley and Grandchester (Little Liverpool Range) are all single track with no way to upgrade them to more lanes. At the moment this is a major bottleneck in the rail system, those tunnels are the originals, and trains have to stop either side to let each other through. Considering this is the only route west, it’s pretty bad. As traffic on the line as increased, goods have moved to road instead because of this. These tunnels are also why electric trains stop at Rosewood, before electrification, the trains would run all the way through to Helidon and Toowoomba. A “Railbus” still runs between Rosewood and Helidon today following the old route by road. To solve this, the new Inland Rail Project will replace this entire line over the next decade, providing a rail route from Brisbane to Toowoomba with a significantly better grade and a gauge that will let trains travel all the way to Melbourne. Almost none of the original line will be reused, taking a route much closer to the Warrego Highway and the new Toowoomba bypass you mentioned. However the current Inland rail has no plans to allow a passenger service (freight only), so unless something changes, it will most likely mean the death of this service if it still exists then. It’s sad to see, but it’s no surprise this service is dying a slow death. There are several private bus lines the run between Toowoomba and Brisbane, straight from Roma Street station and stopping along the highway at towns. It’s faster, more regular and stops more often than the train. There is also the problem that once you get out west, unless you have a car, there is nowhere to go. If you are in the hurry, you can also fly out of Toowoomba fairly easily these days as well.

[@BigBlueMan118]

What I would suggest: -terminate the Charleville service at Toowoomba running daily -return the Sleeper Cars and a better restaurant to the Westlander vehicle -run a twice daily (9am and 7pm) faster battery electric train from Toowoomba down to Brisbane and back -timetable the services from Charleville to reach Toowoomba 30mins before the Toowoomba-Brisbane interurban departs. Users of the services in the west will be upset about having to change trains to complete their journey, but they would still be saving about 2 hours from Toowoomba and get a daily service, plus Toowoomba probably has more people than the entire rest of the western corridor combined, and I think you can run a more effective efficient service doing this anyway.

[@Kayenne54]

Damned with faint praise...Qld Rail should really try to make this a better experience, if they want more backsides on seats.

[@grimbomaesai8311]

JUST SENT THIS BLOG TO YOU AND THEN SEE WHERE I SENT THE SAME ONE TO YOU 3 YEARS AGO HA HA ONCE AGAIN LOVE YOUR VIDEOS GRAHAM

[@jalbu8330]

Loved the video keep them coming. 😊

[@TMOC1977]

New video!!! So exciting!!! Also, first!

[@learningcubanspanish]

That's a great bit of history and review, Rory. I have just finished booking train trips from Melbourne and Brisbane, then a return train from Brisbane to Charleville. I lived in Charleville as a child in the early 60s. Train travel was a big deal then. I have indelible memories of greeting family and friends arriving by train and seeing them off. When we saw people off the thing to do was to run back to our car and drive along side the train as far as we could, everyone waving like crazy. Ostensibly it was done for us kids, but really the adults were right into it. My mother, sister and I used to travel to Brisbane for school holidays and stay with family there. We usually had a sleeper with three bunks. (It was usually half full with our excess luggage including my mother's hat box. I remember she was "furious" when a conductor commented that we had a lot of luggage for three people). The fittings were beautiful - upholstered in a kind of green. There was a wash basin that you would pull down out of the wall - this, and the other openings and closings fitted so beautifully. So I see from your video that my train trip to Charleville isn't going to fully satisfy my childish nostalgia, but I am looking forward to it. I am going to relive the sleeper experience in my Sydney to Brisbane trip. And a little bit more: The train coming up to Brisbane used to stop in Toowoomba for lunch. (It must have left later, or the trip was even longer in those days). The passengers would get off and have lunch in the station dining room. I understood the reason for this was to remove and leave the dining car which would be cleaned and replenished for the return train. And a question. The carriage seemed to have hardly anyone in it. Is that right? I am going to watch your other videos now. Good on you.

[@aribob2012]

Love your work mate, your production is very entertaining and your knowledge is well studied, excellent job mate, from brissy, 👍

[@letsseeif]

Thanks for your insightful video Rory. I agree with all your comments on the video. Interestingly, Helidon (more or less at the bottom of the Toowoomba Range, and the far west end of the flattish land to the West of Brisbane,) gets extremely hot especially in Summer. For a laugh, road drivers often call Helidon, "Hell with the Lid On" for obvious heat & humidity reasons.

[@inky3]

Yay, another train vid!

[@traintrekqld]

I was waiting for this I knew this was coming

[@sallymay24]

Great review loved the bit about the tunnels That cough though 😷😷

[@OllieWasHere]

Loving the video!

[@iamlukedawson]

Thank you for a great review and video! 🙂👍 you certainly do a great job!

[@pppxtc]

Well done Rory

[@yukiefromoz2573]

Geez, it seems the staff have it pretty easy lol. I couldn't go 17hrs without being horizontal. Did 10.5hrs sitting upright from Syd to Mel (return) which was bad enough.

[@brentsummers7377]

Wonderful views from the train but the speed is the main problem. In 17 hours you can go from Perth to London on a Qantas B787. As for the cleaning issues on the train, if the toilets are clean but the tray tables and carriage floor dirty, it probably means that hard working cleaners are not being given enough hours to clean thoroughly so they prioritise.

[@shreychanchad2325]

Awaited, train video😍😍

[@neilraymond6001]

Thanks

[@dennishall6098]

Nicely Done, I have been beyond Rosewood several times by Steam Trains, But I have also done the Westlander to Charleville and Return!

[@NicholassTrainChannel]

Another great review Rory and an honest review to.

[@superplatypus]

Its sad they removed the sleeping car would be nice to travel to Charleville. Lovely review as always.

[@Aprilsraven629]

Thanks for sharing, Australia is missing a money making goldmine by not having decent train services in rural areas , we lack behind other countries even smaller and less affluent than ours and that's embarrassing...this service would benefit from going back to sleepers & the buffet car plus a very deep clean and staff who are passionate about there job, looking at this video it showed a serious lack of enthusiasm and being way too long on the same job it was cringe worthy how filthy it was...bring back the good old days of rail travel

[@ruthjanszen5519]

I spent many years as a child on this train line visiting my grandparents in Forrest Hill. My favorite was going through the tunnels. Thankyou for the updates I now know why trains have not flourished in the region. Hopefully they will reroute the bottle neck area soon.

[@wayneeschbank2895]

Hi Rory I'm lead to believe that the 2/1 seating configuration carriage where 1st class on the Sunlander and put into the Westlander, Inlander and Spirit of the Outback when the sleepers where taken off 2 of these trains Love watching your travels and look forward to more soon

[@robertbarnier45]

Interesting. Thanks Rory

[@james7149]

Well done and a fair objective review of this train. Given the overall logistics I don’t understand why the train continues and hasn’t been replaced by buses. I know at one point there were plans to electrify from Rosewood to Toowoomba and introduce fast commuter services to Brisbane, which figures with Brisbane’s western development corridor. As for the current service and travel conditions, I think that man’s long and guttural cough as you arrive in Central, says it all!

[@nickhiscock8948]

There are already two daily bus services between Brisbane and Charleville. however buses and westlander carry similar numbers but the buses service the areas between Roma and Brisbane better due to daylight or early evening running times. unlike the train where its early hours of the morning

[@endoftheline774]

They haven’t suspended the service, because its the right thing to do for those who live in rural communities.

[@91Caesar]

Legacy services like the Westlander are basically Government outreach. When you look into studies on replacing these sort of services with coaches, typically the societal benefits are found to completely fall off as a result. So while it is cheaper to run, the whole purpose of running it at all suffers greatly. This makes a seemingly obvious cost cutting decision much more complicated. Remember that Government's aren't businesses trying to make money, they're role is to provide optimised societal outcomes based on society's collective values. As long as QLD society believes in spending state funds to support the disadvantaged, fully removing services like the Westlander becomes a very messy proposition.

[@johnpro2847]

3:18 Have you got a ticket ? Are all passengers asked this question prior to boarding ? Or does he think you are the town's lay- about trying to sneak on board ? Just seemed a rather rude way to welcome the very few passengers they have left on this service.

[@RoryDing]

I have to say the staff on this service were definitely not the best I’ve met many friendlier and more passionate Queensland rail staff

[@Agent44996]

Thank you for this! That train appeared to be in a neglected state, very dirty and staff weren't good. It's a shame to see this service dying. Oh well, at least you made the most of it! Btw, that person's coughing at the end didn't sound too healthy.

[@askara_755]

I think ol' mate who was coughing, has COPD.

[@BinkBricks]

The coughing guy definitely had something wrong with them. I can't believe they let them on the train.

[@MitchellBPYao]

I bet the whole train was staring, was he front or back

[@ghoststoriesthatcometolife7833]

Loved the video

[@kerilockwood7819]

Great video Rory

[@arnohag1]

Thank you for the coverage. I have enjoyed watching it as I only travel by car and would like to do what you do by taking the train.👍

[@Shermos]

It's not fun taking this train all the way to Charleville sitting up. It used to have a sleeping car, but QR withdrew it because the carriage was getting too old, and the government couldn't be bothered to pay for a new one to be built.

[@endoftheline774]

That’s completely false. The government has been wanting to build new carriages for this train for years, however Politicians (Mainly Liberal) have blocked it time and time again. There is currently a business case to replace them, likely due to be handed down this year or next.

[@nickhiscock8948]

I have done it end to end at least 4 times. if you are prepared its not too bad but you must bring additional food and drinks for the trip and comfort things like a proper pillow to get some "sleep". Also try to request a seat in the middle of the car as its darker and try to get in car B as you get more space. However the train needs upgrading not cancelling.

[@Jon.Morimoto]

@@endoftheline774 When you attack "Liberal" politicians can you name them for the record? The Queensland Liberal and National parties merged into the LNP in 2008. Are you writing about pre-2008 politicians, or are you unaware of the name of the opposition party in the Queensland Parliament? And how can a party that has been out of power since February 2015 be responsible for the QR Westlander's current condition? Having a go against politicians may be fun, but in fairness Annastacia Palaszczuk is the person responsible for Queensland Rail today.

[@endoftheline774]

@@Jon.Morimoto I am fully aware that they merged. As to how this exactly is relevant is beyond me. All I'm saying is that the "lander" trains were dismantled by the previous government and not replaced. Admittedly, labour could have already built them, but the business case is still more effort that the lnp did

[@Jon.Morimoto]

@@endoftheline774 Words matter, or at least they should. You posted the phrase "mainly Liberal." So I thought "Oh, that means not old Jeff Seeney, the ex-National. Good for him." But of course you're conflating LNP and Liberal for state politicians, which is sloppy and therefore cheapens your credibility. See my other post for why the new carriages will not likely eventuate. Until Labor discovers a magic money tree, hard decisions have to be made and they'll favour urban and suburban areas where Labor has a chance to win.

[@jasonfoster7403]

Hey Rory, Great vid mate. I think it is a joke that there are only 2 services weekly from Toowoomba to Brisbane. That really makes no sense. Looking forward to watching more of your vids.

[@RoryDing]

Well the train takes way longer than the coaches (greyhound Murray’s) therefore most people chooses to catch the coach. I was the only one getting on at Toowoomba 😅

[@stevenjohannesen88]

Love your commentary, good work, cheers, ❤️🦘🦘🦘

[@aussiejohn5835]

Hi Rory, what an amazing review of a most pathetic train. This train is an embarrassment and there is no excuse for the lack of cleanliness especially during these days of Covid. I would think a day train would be interesting on that service so passengers can appreciate the countryside. I love train travel but this service would be a stretch even for me. Thanks Rory and I hope you are safe at home and editing more content for us.

[@pburger1860]

I agree, Aussie John. Without sleeper cars, it's not attractive to travel end-to-end. I would still like to get up there into QLD ands try some of these train services, nonetheless at least for part jouneys

[@jarednewman4926]

This doesn’t look like a very pleasant journey. But as always, you did a nice job showing everything.

[@paulkennedy8701]

20:45 "Shortly this service will be arriving at Roma Street platform 10...on the right-hand side." Ironically, platform 10 had already been on the right-hand side back at 20:07. We could see another long-distance train in the platform as we drove past. After that the train drove right round the Exhibition loop, through the Hole in the Wall at Mayne, past platform 4 at Bowen Hills in the wrong direction and back to Roma Street via Fortitude Valley and Central. It probably took about 12 minutes extra to do that.

[@RoryDing]

Yeah. The train arrived Roma street 30mins early. It did the loop to wait for that train on platform 10 to depart.

[@pepitaridgeway2740]

That was a great review. Thank you!

[@dominopicamation5836]

Thanks for the review. I was thinking of taking a train from Ipswich to Toowoomba for the the flower festival, since it’s usually pretty busy on the road during that time. But it looks like this train service isn’t that great. :(

[@lindavainomae3489]

Thanks for another great review Rory. I agree that this service seems to be in a death spiral and not long for this world. That will be a shame, but given the low population density I guess even a flashy new set of carriages would not be enough to save it. How sad for such a historic and gracious station like that in Toowoomba to only see 2 trains a week....and soon it will probably be none :(

[@WaveFlightSimulations]

awesome video mate

[@nswqldExplores]

You gave me lots of confidence to make train blogs Keep up the good work 😀

[@francoiss6911]

Meanwhile in Victoria I can get from Bendigo to Melbourne, a greater distance in less than half the time. Wow. What a disappointing derive. Great video as usual though! Thanks Rory!

[@colinandpeter]

We just did the Westlander from Charleville to Toowoomba and had a few days there then Toowoomba to Brisbane Everyone in the Outback town kept saying they were sad when the Sleepers / Restaurant cars were taken away have been on the Spirit of the Outback I can appreciate why. But, the seats are large, they are well space so heaps of leg room, and the little fold down foot rest for us shorter folk are a help. It would have been nice for some USB ports. Luckily we had a power bank battery and had already download videos so had entertainment sorted, noise cancelling ear buds worked well for me as there was a small child who was enjoying the trip and very restless. Once the lights were turned off around 9:00 pm the cabin settled. Surprisingly comfortable. The shower and toilets were clean. Food was brought around by the staff and it was adequate, I'd suggest holding onto the apple as it was a good breath freshener in the morning. The trip from Toowoomba to Roma Street was blissful and the sights going down the Toowoomba Range made it very enjoyable. We got to see stuff you'd never see in a car or bus. It was ANZAC so a public holiday, we had almost and express trip no stops, which meant we arrived early into Brisbane only to be forced to wait for inner city train traffic to clear which put us back on schedule into Roma Street. Thanks for the tip about the back door, the view was fabulous, unfortunately I couldn't time the tunnels but it was great to go through them.

[@CarlBurtons]

I loved the guy having some kind of chest cough / troubles at the end. I hope he was wearing a mask? Oh and yes one day we might choose to fly in a plane vs a space craft around the globe yet being slower!

[@realjohnboxall]

The Westie is a by product of a different era in a different state to the rest of Australia. Queensland was pretty much an agrarian-socialist place until the late 20th century, and the railways served as movements of people and freight to the busier centres. The roads were terrible back then, so the train took people, mail and freight to and from the big smoke (Brisbane). Now the train isn't to take people from Toowoomba down the range, it's just there to get mobility-challenged (no car) folks from their small place near the line to a larger town or city. People in those tiny places vote which also helps keep what's left of the train in service. It still runs pretty much the same timetable as the steam-era version.

[@graham2954]

That's mad. $4000 subsidy per passenger.

[@erroleabrown4317]

Thanks so much for your video, it’s weird if the country has more people that the trains have so few passengers because not everyone has a car, anyway nice video and I really like how much information you give.

[@AnonyDave]

It really is so unfortunate that they've let the service go like that. There does need to be a bit of a push for convincing people to take the trains rather than drive, which is made much more attractive with the sleepers (in my opinion). Just being that we're at such a point with destroying the environment there needs to be more work done on getting people to go back to more efficient (ie. steel on steel) pooled transport. Oh, I'm going off on a rant, aren't I? Seems like it's getting to be a forgotten route, but that view did look amazing! For the anecdote about that line, I have family from up that way. Apparently back in the 50's when they used to have to travel Brisbane to Toowoomba, they'd get off the train at the bottom of the range and take a bus up as it was faster than staying on the train 😆

[@RoryDing]

😂😂 yeah Well even if they did improve the track condition the train will still take a lot longer than driving unfortunately. It takes the train almost an hour to get from Roma street to Ipswich!

[@zanelindsay1267]

I was interested to see this trip. 17 hours to travel 777km ! It's surprising that rail passenger service has lasted that long on this route when it is seriously disadvantaged by an old alignment with many curves and speed restrictions, and patronage appears very light.

[@ObsessedWithPIanes]

Rory will you review the project sunrise from Sydney to JFK when it starts

[@bent444]

Waiting for the Hotel Review.....I need something to watch Hurrryyyyy 😁😁

[@coover65]

This is a wonderful review, even if I though trying to hide the identity of staff was a bit unnecessary. I was planning to take a train ride to Charleville from Brisbane, but after watching this I think that trip is something you'd do out of necessity rather than as an adventure. The "First Class" facilities with the exception of the dining car and food on the Spirit of the Outback was bad enough.

[@rileycummaudo8612]

Great video

[@CityGunzals]

I love that at 20:00 The Train passes right by Roma Street then does a Full Loop around the Suburbs just to Arrive back at Roma Street.

[@stevepashley795]

Hi Rory, great video. I get the impression they're trying to close it down, if they improved the service, they might get more custom

[@Jules-zi5qf]

IT's note fair. you get to travel to most places us Aussies dream of, and eating all that gorgeous food. Someone's lucky.

[@braggabouttravel862]

Great video Rory, looks like the bus is the best option other than driving for Brisbane to Toowoomba and vv

[@WillJamesRailways]

Nice one mate! Looks like a trip to maybe avoid unless they bring back the sleepers!

[@rostallar4243]

Been on this train from Toowoomba (my hometown) to Brisbane, slow trip because of the incline of the range, it was 5hrs back then, hopefully it’s quicker now. This train used to be the the Queenslander, from Brisbane to Cairns, which is now the Spirit of Queensland, as the original Westlander was decommissioned due to its age. So I travelled on this train when it was the Queenslander travelling to Mackay.they made a huge mistake taking away the sleepers & the dining car.

[@marknolan5182]

Great video, couple of minor errors.... pre 2015 there was a food car or griddle car not a dining car. This consisted of a smallish kitchen and serving area with some tables and benches. The rest of the car was sitting. Pre 1994 this was first class sitting. Also the speed between Harlaxton and Murphy's Creek is either 30 or 40 km/hr in both directions.

[@RoryDing]

Thank you for the corrections. 😊

[@Hemux0]

Someone just posted this vid on Reddit but after commenting I felt like... maybe OP is not you? so just in case I post my comment here also: That was very cool and cute to watch :) good job man. Had no idea something so weird was still working here (admittedly I know nothing about the area I just arrived in Australia recently). I met SO many train enthusiasts like you when I lived in Japan. Have you been there? You would LOVE it. Do you play OpenTTD?! Maybe Im projecting haha. Damn I wish I could live in Toowoomba… Anyway cheers!

[@rickthelian2215]

Rory was a little confused about sleeping arrangements okay staff need a break or drivers but it’s only a 4 hour trip, you did say 17 hours without a sleeping carriage, I believe you where thinking of your Mount Isa Trip-being a 17 hour trip from Brisbane. Most people would drive as it’s quicker, but it’s not about speed but huge subsidies by Queensland Government, maybe one day soon it will be replaced by a Bus Service.

[@RoryDing]

Hi Rick, this train originated in Charleville, i got on in Toowoomba, the whole trip is 17hrs Mount Isa to Townsville is 21hrs Both trains are exactly the same and both don’t have sleeping carriage for passengers but the staff do.

[@rickthelian2215]

@@RoryDing sorry Rory I just figured it out

[@RoryDing]

That’s all good, thank you for watching 😊

[@mikevale3620]

Thanks Rory, hopefully the Queensland government will allocate the funding to upgrrade these three trains. The bloke coughing at the end sounds like he had COVID...he may not be with us any more.

[@TOTN17]

We need commuter services between Toowoomba and Brisbane considering Toowoomba will be hosting events at the 2032 Olympics but the Great Dividing Range makes that expensive

[@dakingsyt]

Where is this hotel review Rory? 0:25 0:27

[@craigeaton5619]

“You have a ticket and that” - what that are you doing there with a bag???

[@bright0nsounds]

Great video as always, thank you for making it! I'll leave a more detailed comment later if I've got the energy for it, but I've been binging your videos while sick so it's unlikely. Slightly stupid question to anyone who can answer - what's with the inverse stop order coming into Brisbane? From my knowledge, the Ipswich line comes into Roma St, THEN does Central-Fortitude-Bowen. Did it come back around the Exhibition line diversion to Bowen Hills to then roll into Roma St from the north? If so, why? It's not a huge question, it just threw me a little.

[@endoftheline774]

It comes from the Ipswich Line, and Skips Through Roma Street station, around exhibition then Past Bowen Hills, Fortitude Valley, Central Before finally arriving into Roma Street. It does this because there is no direct entrance to Platform 10 from The Ipswich line. Why Not use Other Platforms? Platform 4-9 Are suburban Trains only, And Platform 2-3 Face Central station. It cant do this because It goes to the Washing facility after the service. The washing facility is on the Exhibition line.

[@nxthanj]

if Sydney’s central-lithgow *regular service* line exists, why doesn’t toowoomba to Brisbane have a far more regular service even today? it’d be nice to see some sort of regular service come with the inland rail as well as a more defined, promoted and proper public transport system in toowoomba itself to facilitate brisbane commuters (buses or even a tram line through ruthven street) could promote growth and business opportunities in toowoomba, as well as the towns along the existing line (helidon, gatton, laidle/plainland). as someone from Toowoomba, it feels like we are neglected as a city in comparison to the rest of SE QLD, with not-so great public transportation and lacking entertainment, theres not much to do here unless its september (carnival of flowers). hopefully by the time the olympics come around things will be different and better. great video also, loved your explanations

[@starseedtravel8902]

Those 50yo old seats are so much more comfortable than the tilt train in my opinion 😂

[@julianlee4803]

Yay another video :)

[@boblolet1825]

18:22 that's where Queensland dose mantanice on the NGR trains that serve SEQ network

[@karagordo1991]

I live in Toowoomba and I catch the west lander out to Roma But I haven’t stayed in the overnight carriage yet

[@bradmack8953]

Thanks for another great review Rory. Interestingly, the inland rail once complete will make such a difference to the track between Toowoomba and Brisbane and with Brisbane getting the 2032 Olympics there is talk of a fast train service between Toowoomba and the capital.

[@audreybangcock]

there are 2 power points in each passenger carriage, they are found under the seat in the middle of the carriage and in the last row behind the seat

[@haydenyoung6588]

Decent down the range for the coal trains is roughly 4 hours between Toowoomba and Helidon