The Canberra Monaro Express was a passenger train operated by the New South Wales Government Railways between Sydney, Canberra and Cooma from May 1955 until September 1988.

It was formed by two four-carriage DEB railcar sets and replaced the steam-hauled Federal City Express.

Canberra Monaro Express

After departing Sydney Central, it travelled via the Main South line to Goulburn where it branched off to Queanbeyan. There the train divided, with one set going to Canberra, and the other to Cooma.

Canberra Monaro Express

The train normally consisted of two DEB railcar sets of four carriages. In July 1973 it was cut back to a single four-carriage set serving both Canberra and Cooma, sometimes with a non air-conditioned 620/720 set attached when demand warranted. Reliability problems with the DEB sets saw locomotive hauled trains take over the service between June 1981 and August 1982. In the State Rail Authority era it was built up to seven-carriage DEB sets serving Canberra and Cooma, before the old practice of dividing the train at Queanbeyan, with three cars going to Cooma, was reverted to in March 1986. The final Canberra Monaro Express ran on 26 September 1988.

Canberra Monaro Express

References

Discontinued railway services in Australia

Named passenger trains of New South Wales

Railway services introduced in 1955

Railway services discontinued in 1988

Transport in the Australian Capital Territory

1955 establishments in Australia

1988 disestablishments in Australia