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News

Opening hours affect XPT ticket purchases in Brisbane

From 1 November 2011

Queensland Rail has announced that from 1 November 2011, the travel centre at Brisbane’s Roma Street Station will no longer open at 06:30 - it will open two hours later at 08:30.

As a result of this change, CountryLink customers who are travelling on the 07:30 Brisbane to Sydney XPT will need to collect their tickets at authorised CountryLink outlets before the day of their departure. Authorised CountryLink outlets include licensed travel agents, Australia Post outlets, Queensland Rail stations and travel centres.

Customers can avoid travelling to a CountryLink outlet by booking and paying online, printing the generated ticket and presenting it on board the XPT.

Customers who book their tickets at the last minute over the telephone will be able to collect their tickets on board the XPT service. Depending on the availability of seats, customers without tickets will be able to pay for, purchase and collect tickets on board the XPT.

The current luggage check in process for the XPT will not be affected.

Changes to CountryLink timetables - commenced 23 October

CountryLink timetableTo help make services more efficient, we've made small changes to CountryLink Western, North West and North Coast region timetables.

If you're travelling on one of the services listed below on or after 23 October, please call us on 13 22 32 to confirm your departure times or check the CountryLink timetable.

If you already have tickets on services that are departing earlier, we will contact you and advise you of the new departure time.

Sydney to Dubbo to Sydney XPT

The Dubbo XPT (427), currently departing Central (Sydney) at 07:10, now departs one to three minutes earlier from Blayney, Wellington and Geurie.
The Dubbo XPT (428), currently departing Dubbo at 14:10, now departs one to three minutes earlier from Geurie, Wellington, Stuart Town, Tarana and Rydal.
All other Dubbo XPT arrival and departure times remain unchanged.

Sydney to Lithgow to Sydney - intercity and coach connections

The CityRail Sydney to Lithgow service that departs Sydney (Central) at 17:37 on Monday to Friday no longer connects with a CountryLink coach at Lithgow.

The Sydney to Lithgow service that departs Sydney at 15:52 Monday to Friday, no longers connects with a CountryLink coach at Lithgow. The 16:24 CityRail service from Sydney (Central) - service 501, is now the connecting service to the CountryLink coach at Lithgow.

As a result of the change to the 501 service, the following connecting coach services have changed:

  • CountryLink coach CLK551 to Grenfell, previously departing Lithgow at 19:20 Sunday to Friday, departs 10 minutes later at 19:30.
  • CountryLink coach CLK543 to Gulgong, previously departing Lithgow at 19:20 Monday to Friday, departs 15 minutes later at 19:35.
  • Times on most of the other intercity services between Sydney/Lithgow/Sydney are altered by one to five minutes.

As a result of the above changes the following coach services have also been altered:

Lithgow to Orange

  • CountryLink coach CLK563, previously departing Lithgow at 11:20 Monday to Friday, departs Lithgow five minutes later, at 11:25.
  • CountryLink coach CLK565, previously departing Lithgow at 20:45 Monday to Saturday, departs Lithgow 14 minutes earlier, at 20:31.

Parkes to Lithgow

  • CountryLink coach CLK572, previously departing Parkes at 06:45 Monday to Saturday, departs Parkes 10 minutes earlier, at 06:35. It now departs 10 minutes earlier from all stops through to Orange. Departure times after Orange to Lithgow are unaltered.

Orange to Lithgow

  • CountryLink coach CLK564, previously departing Orange at 13:15 Monday to Friday, departs Orange 10 minutes later, at 13:25.

Baradine to Lithgow

  • CountryLink coach CLK574, previously departing Baradine at 09:20 on Fridays, departs Baradine five minutes earlier, at 09:15 and depart Coolah at 11:05. All other times are unaltered.

Coonabarabran to Lithgow

  • CountryLink coach CLK540, previously departing Coonabarabran at 12:35 on Mondays, departs Mendooran five minutes earlier, at 13:40. All other times are unaltered.
  • CountryLink coach CLK546, previously departing Coonabarabran at 13:00 on Tuesday to Thursday and Sundays, departs Mendooran five minutes earlier, at 14:05. All other times are unaltered.

Gulgong to Lithgow

  • CountryLink coach CLK544, previously departing Gulgong at 06:20, now operates to the same timetable Monday through to Saturday.
  • CountryLink coach CLK542, previously departing Gulgong at 06:00 on Saturdays and public holidays no longer operates.

Grenfell to Lithgow

  • CountryLink coach CLK550, previously departing Grenfell at 05:30 on Monday to Friday, now connects to CityRail service 560 from Lithgow at 09:35 on public holidays. This service no longer operates through to Mt Victoria.

Orange to Lithgow

  • CountryLink coach CLK562, previously departing Orange at 05:29 on Monday to Friday, now connects to a new CityRail service 4504 to Sydney (Central) on public holidays.

Lithgow to Orange

  • CountryLink coach CLK567, previously departing Lithgow at 20:35 on Saturdays and public holidays no longer operates and has been replaced by service 565 departing at 20:31.

Sydney to Grafton XPT

  • The Grafton XPT (35), previously departing Sydney (Central) at 11:35, now arrives at Grafton 15 minutes earlier, at 21:55. All other times on that service remain unaltered.

Taree to Newcastle to Sydney coach

CountryLink coach CLK138 that departs from Tuncurry now departs as CLK130 from Taree at 07:00 and departs 30 minutes later from Tuncurry at 7:30. This service now also stops at Broadmeadow to connect with a CityRail train to Sydney.

Sydney to Armidale to Sydney XPL

The Armidale Xplorer (223), previously departing Central (Sydney) at 10:05, now arrives at and departs earlier from Tamworth, Kootingal, Walcha Road, Uralla and Armidale.
The Armidale Xplorer (224), previously departing Armidale at 8:50, now departs 10 minutes later at 9:00. This service now also departs later from all locations between Armidale and Tamworth.
All other Armidale Xplorer arrival and departure times remain unchanged.

Connecting coaches

As a result of changes to Armidale Xplorer departure times, timetables for connecting coaches have also changed.

Armidale to Tenterfield and Inverell

  • CountryLink coach CLK327 (Armidale to Tenterfield), previously departing Armidale at 18:30 now departs 10 minutes earlier from all locations.
  • CountryLink coach CLK337 (Armidale to Inverell), previously departing Armidale at 18:30 now departs 10 minutes earlier from all locations.

Tenterfield and Inverell to Armidale

  • CountryLink coach CLK328 (Tenterfield to Armidale), previously departing Tenterfield at 05:50 now departs later from all locations.
  • CountryLink coach CLK338 (Inverell to Armidale), previously departing Inverell at 06:30 now departs later from all locations.

Sydney to Moree to Sydney

  • The Moree Xplorer (243), previously departing Central (Sydney) at 10:05, now arrives and departs earlier from Bellata and Moree.
  • The Moree Xplorer (244), previously departing Moree at 08:07 now departs later at 8:25. This service also departs later from all locations between Moree and Gunnedah.
  • All other Moree Xplorer arrival and departure times after Gunnedah remain unchanged.

More information

Improvements to Lismore coach services

From 13 February 2011

Macadamia plantation at Lismore. Image: Tourism NSWMacadamia plantation at Lismore. Image: Tourism NSW

From Sunday 13 February, CountryLink coaches travelling to and from Lismore will make an additional stop in the town centre (shown in timetables as Lismore Town).

Coaches will pick up and set down at the Transit Centre on Molesworth Street as well as at Lismore Station on Union Street.

In addition, the daily Casino–Gold Coast service, departing Casino at 04:10, will now stop at both Lismore and Lismore Town. This means that Lismore residents can now travel to the Gold Coast and back in a single day with CountryLink.

The changes were recommended following last year's CountryLinkUp review, in which hundreds of our customers from across the state suggested ways we can improve our services.

Please note that as a result of the changes:

  • coach services from Brisbane to Casino will depart up to 10 minutes earlier than currently timetabled
  • coach services from other locations to Casino will depart up to five minutes earlier than currently timetabled
  • coach services from Casino will depart from locations north of Lismore up to five minutes later than currently timetabled.

More information

Delivering on your CountryLinkUp recommendations

20 January 2011

CountryLink is already hard at work implementing many of the improvements suggested by our customers during last year’s CountryLinkUp consultation.

More than 330 people attended CountryLinkUp forums across New South Wales, with a further 400 providing feedback by post and online.

Of the 62 recommendations to come out of CountryLinkUp, 49 have been accepted in full – with a further two accepted in principle and 10 under consideration.

We’d like to thank everyone who took part in CountryLinkUp. We plan to undertake further consultations annually – and of course you can provide feedback any time using our web form or by calling the CountryLink Reservation Centre on 13 22 32.

Initiatives already underway

  • A trial of free children’s activity bags.
  • Improved food and drink options for travellers with better-quality coffee and tea on all train services.
  • From February, a morning coach service from Lismore to the Gold Coast.
  • From February, an additional stop for all CountryLink coach services going through Lismore.

We’re also investigating options for installing entertainment units similar to those found on aircraft, as well as battery-charging facilities and wireless internet access.

More information

New online booking systemNew online booking system

2 December 2010

CountryLink has made it even easier to book train and coach travel online. Our redesigned online booking system allows you to:

  • complete your online booking in four easy steps - search, select, pay and print
  • compare fares for different route and class options at a glance
  • view forward and return journeys in a single search
  • quickly check route options for the previous and next day
  • easily keep track of multiple journeys in a single booking.

Online booking is a great way to check fares, plan travel and avoid the queues when booking - plus it's available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
 
Check out CountryLink online booking. If you require any assistance please call us on 13 22 32 or use our contact form.