Melburnian1
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2013
- Posts
- 25,483
And it’s such a joy sitting on the train, listening to the moron/bogan in the seat in front having a conversation on speakerphone, whilst the traffic on the highway passes you by. It’s not a winner by a long shot. We don’t need ‘fast trains’, but it’s hard to believe we still can’t manage 130 or so.
The NSW TrainLink XPTs operate at a maximum speed of 130kmh in Victoria. They often sail past trucks and cars on the adjacent freeway.
Recently, V/Line began permanently running VLocity railcars also are permitted a maximum of 130kmh on the standard gauge line. (On some broad gauge tracks, depending on curvature, 160kmh). These replace the former two-class locomotive-hauled trains that were restricted to 115kmh.
In first class seats on the XPTs, I've never once had a 'bogan' have a conversation on speakerphone, but agree in economy on both operators (bearing in mind V/Line's railcars are one class, but the NSW TrainLink XPTs have first and economy), it can be a problem.
If you would like extra privacy, book the daytime XPT with its car A that is nine sleeper compartments seating up to to three for daytime travel. Each compartment has a door so you can shut yourself off from the world, but curtains are not allowed to be in use facing the corridor for day travel.