CountryLink

CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and from New South Wales into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity. CountryLink operates rail services using two types of rollingstock - the XPT and the Xplorer, and contracts out connecting bus services to private operators. CountyLink was formed as a business unit of the Sta... more

CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and from New South Wales into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity. CountryLink operates rail services using two types of rollingstock - the XPT and the Xplorer, and contracts out connecting bus services to private operators. CountyLink was formed as a business unit of the State Rail Authority in 1989 to operate all non-metropolitan long distance passenger services. It inherited a fleet of XPT and locomotive hauled passenger trains. This was following the election of the Greiner State Government in 1988 and the publication of the Booz- Allen Hamilton report into NSW rail services. This report recommended closing all country passenger services as they were considered economically unviable, however this was politically not feasible. The reports fall-back position was that NSW move to an all XPT fleet, a move which... less