The North West Xplorer Train NSW takes you from Central Station in Sydney to Moree or Armidale Stations in the New England North West Region. The trip takes most of the day to reach the end of the line. There are many interesting towns and villages along the way that would love to see you for a weekend country break!
Taking a train trip is an easy and comfortable alternative to driving, with views of the countryside to watch if you are not reading a book or watching a movie on your tablet. Many people work on the train, and I have done this myself on the trip to Narrabri. The internet coverage is fairly good, with only a few drop-out zones along the line.
The seats are quite comfortable and offer a recline setting if you want to lean back a little. There is plenty of leg room between the seats, even for taller people.
Setting off on your journey
The train leaves Central at 09:30 in the morning and arrives at Werris Creek station just before 3pm. At Werris Creek the line branches into two different directions, and the train must divide. The forward half of the train continues on to Armidale Station, arriving at about 17:30. After reversing up the line a short distance, the back half of the train switches tracks and heads the other way to Moree, arriving at around 18:00. That is for the full journey from terminus to terminus. You can view the timetable here, for the estimated arrival times at other stations along the way.
Food options for the trip
There is a buffet area in the first class car, which serves a range of snacks, drinks and hot food.
They have limited gluten-free options – usually one type of snack/cake and one hot food meal option will be gluten-free. There was one vegetarian meal option from the hot food menu, and it was not gluten-free. I also note that there are no dairy-free milk options for the tea and coffee.
I found it helpful to take a few snacks/drinks with me in a cooler bag, so that I had something to suit my dietary requirements just in case there were limited choices available from the buffet car.
Helpful to know
There are toilets on board, well stocked with paper, soap, and hand sanitisers. Just remember, you must engage the lock on the door to ensure your privacy. The door shuts automatically, but it doesn’t lock automatically……
Here are some points of interest in towns you could pass through or visit on the North West Xplorer Train NSW:
From Central to Werris Creek
Maitland
The Maitland Regional Art Gallery
Singleton
Muswellbrook
Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre
Aberdeen
An overnight stay at the Segenhoe Inn – Historic Bed & Breakfast could be just the thing for a jaunt into the countryside.
The annual Aberdeen Highland Games take place on first weekend in July each year and are run in conjunction with the Scottish Australia Heritage Council’s Heritage Week.
Murrurundi
An artisan village with heritage listed buildings and several art galleries
Quirindi
Quirindi is a very pretty little town. There are several attractions around the town, including the Quirindi Cottage and Museum
Werris Creek
The Werris Creek Railway station is located at the railway junction between the Moree and the Armidale lines. It houses the Werris Creek Rail Journeys Museum, showcasing the town’s railway history.
Werris Creek to Moree
Gunnedah
Narrabri
Take the historical town walk. I also recommend a meal at the Tourist Hotel.
Moree
Check out some art, both in galleries and around the streets as murals on the walls. For a full list of the art work in the town, click here.
Werris Creek to Armidale
Tamworth
Most well-known for the Country Music Festival.
Uralla
Visit McCrossin’s Mill which is an 1870 three story flour mill that now houses a museum.
Armidale
An elegant country town in the New England High Country .
Markets in the Mall happens on the last Sunday of the month.
A visit to any of these towns by train will involve at least an overnight stay.
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Time to head home again
Once you have finished your trip, you’ll head back on the train for your return journey, which arrives back in Sydney Central station at around 16:40.
With any long journey via the rural rail system, there are possibilities of unforeseen delays. It is always wise to allow extra time at each end of your journey when booking connections.
Trainlink provides a network of services throughout all regions of NSW. The full map of regional NSW train and coach services can be viewed here.
