New England Online > Geography > Transport > Railways & Trams > Explorer Connect
Explorer Connect
| Explorer Connect | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Service Information | |
| Main Stations: | Armidale Central Sydney Central |
| Other Stations: | Broadmeadow Tamworth |
| Fleet size: | 6 XT Sets |
| Corporate Information | |
| Type: | Crown Corporation |
| Founded: | 2044 |
| Location: | Armidale |
| Chairman: | Peter Rogers |
| Chief Executive: | Louise Temple |
| Industry: | Transport |
| Products: | Rail Travel |
| Turnover: |  C60 million |
| Employees: | 200 |
Explorer Connect is an international train service that connects Armidale (Armidale Central) with Sydney (Sydney Central), with services also stopping in Tamworth and Newcastle (Broadmeadow) along the way.
All services are provided by the XT Class locomotive. The journey from Armidale to Sydney takes approximatly five and a half hours. Trains average 160km/hr in New England, and about 100km/hr in Australia. Upgrades to the line should allow for a uniform average speed of 185km/hr, therby reducing the travel time to just over three hours.
- History
- Current Services
- Line Map
History
When New England broke away in 2006, the rail service to Armidale was halted as a safety measure. The authoritiers feared that sabotage to rtailway infrastruicture could impact on safety. Services to the coastal regions of New England was halted in 2008 as Militia forces extended their range.
Services were restored on the 15 November 2011. Rudimentry border controls were placed on the services to Armidale and Grafton, with a non-stop service from Newcastle to Brisbane being brought online which did not require border control. These services were halted on the 30 September 2012 and preparations were made to create an international service to Armidale and Coffs Harbour, but this was abandoned after the access disputes of 2013-14.
The restoration of rail services to Australia had been a major goal of governments on both sides since the Five Day War in 2032.
Current Services
Services between New England and Australia only run three times a week. At present, southbound services run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Northbound services run on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. There are no Sunday services.
