Australian Trains
The Commonwealth of Australia is a constitutional democracy based on a federal division of

powers. The form of government used in Australia is a constitutional monarchy with a

parliamentary system of government. Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of Australia, a role

that is distinct from her position as monarch of the other Commonwealth realms. The Queen

is represented by the Governor-General at federal level and by the Governors at state level.

Although the Constitution gives extensive executive powers to the Governor-General, these

are normally exercised only on the advice of the Prime Minister. The most notable exercise

of the Governor-General's reserve powers outside the Prime Minister's direction was the

dismissal of the Whitlam Government in the constitutional crisis of 1975.[24]
Australia has six states, two major mainland territories, and other minor territories. The

states are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and

Western Australia.The two major mainland territories are the Northern Territory and the

Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

About Trains

Visitors from countries with well-developed long distance rail systems such as Europe and Japan may be surprised by the lack of high-speed, inter-city rail services in Australia. A historical lack of cooperation between the states, combined with sheer distances and a relatively small population to service, have left Australia with a national rail network that is relatively slow and used mainly for freight. As a result, travel between major cities will not only be faster by air, but often cheaper as well depending on the route you wish to travel. Train travel between cities is, however, more scenic, and tourists are likely to see more of Australia travelling by train than they would otherwise see.
The long-distance rail services that do exist are mainly used to link regional townships with the state capital, such as Bendigo to Melbourne, or Cairns to Brisbane. In Queensland, a high speed train operates between Brisbane to Rockhampton and Brisbane to Cairns. Queensland also has passenger services to inland centres including Longreach (The Spirit of the Outback), Mount Isa (The Inlander), Charleville (The Westlander) and Forsayth (The Savannahlander). There are also inter-city train services operated by Great Southern Railways on the routes Melbourne-Adelaide (The Overland), Sydney-Adelaide-Perth (Indian Pacific), Adelaide-Alice Springs-Darwin (The Ghan) however as noted above, these are not "high speed" services, so if you do not enjoy train travel as part of your holiday in its own right then this is probably not for you.
Within the capital cities, mass transit is by train or bus, and Melbourne also has a comprehensive tram network serving the inner suburbs. Sydney has an extensive rail system which includes stations within the metropolitan area. Some states also have an inter-urban train service, although it tends to be devoted to carrying people into and out of the state's capital.
Not all states have a public rail network. Tasmania, for example, discontinued passenger services more than 20 years ago, though tourist railways still exist. The Northern Territory has the rail line linking Darwin to Adelaide through Alice Springs only, and the Australian Capital Territory has only a single railway station close to the centre of Canberra.

Name of Trains Operators

• Great Southern Railways - The Ghan, The Overland and Indian Pacific
• CountryLink - Trains to and from regional cities in New South Wales; also linking Sydney to Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra.
• CityRail - Trains within the Sydney metropolitan area, linking to the regional cities of Newcastle, Maitland, Wollongong, Nowra, the Blue Mountains and Lithgow as well as the Central Coast area of New South Wales.
• V/Line Passenger - Train & coach services in Victoria, including combined Train + Bus services between Melbourne & Adelaide, Melbourne & Canberra and to places not served by railway lines
• Melbourne Public Transport - Train, Tram and Bus information and timetables in the Melbourne metropolitan area.
• TransWA - Train and coach services in Western Australia
• TransPerth - Train, bus and ferry services in the Perth metropolitan area
• Queensland Rail - Traveltrain - Long distance passenger train services in Queensland
• The Savannahlander - A unique train service that links Cairns with the outback town of Forsayth.

1.CountryLink XPT
CountryLink offers many destinations on the modern rail and coach network between Melbourne and Brisbane and throughout New South Wales. CountryLink’s fleet of XPT’s carry passengers in air conditioned comfort to their destinations in economy and first class seats, with sleeper facilities on overnight routes.
Enjoy panoramic views of the Australian landscape through large windows whilst reclining in comfortable seats with ample leg room and fold down tables. The CountryLink XPT operates main line passenger services between Sydney ↔ Melbourne, Sydney ↔ Brisbane and Sydney ↔ Surfers Paradise.
Enjoy the extensive range of hot and cold meals and tasty snacks from the buffet car. People traveling alone with small children, people with disabilities or the elderly who cannot visit the buffet can arrange to be served by the onboard crew. In addition, with 48 hours notice, we can provide for most special dietary requirements.
 Option 1: Seats

Economy Class Seats: each seat features an individual reading light, drop down table, armrests and footrests and access to the buffet car. All seats face the direction of travel, but with notice given, can be rotated to form a group of four – especially popular for groups. Economy seats offer ample leg room and recline to 28 degrees.
First Class Seats: each seat features an individual reading light, drop down table, armrests and footrests and access to the buffet car. All seats face the direction of travel, but with notice given, can be rotated to form a group of four – especially popular for groups. Economy seats offer additional leg room and recline to 40 degrees.
Option 2: Sleepers
First Class Sleepers: available on overnight services between Sydney/Melbourne/Sydney, Sydney/Brisbane/Sydney and Sydney/Surfers Paradise/Sydney. Twin share cabins offer bed linen, towels and toiletries to ensure a wonderful overnight journey. Complimentary light breakfast is included and during the day, beds convert to comfortable seating. A shower and toilet is shared between every two cabins - maximum four people.
Timetable
Route                                                Service    Frequency             Depart         Arrive           Change at
Brisbane to Sydney                        Daylight       Daily                   7.30am       9.54pm 
Brisbane to Sydney                        Overnight    Daily                   3.10pm        7.08am -   next day  Casino*
Melbourne to Sydney                      Daylight      Daily                    8.30am       7.55pm 
Melbourne to Sydney                      Overnight    Daily                   7.55pm       6.56am -    next day 
Surfers Paradise to Sydney           Daylight      Daily                   6.55am       9.54pm      Casino*
Surfers Paradise to Sydney           Overnight   Daily                   3.05pm       7.08am -   next day Casino*
Sydney to Brisbane                          Daylight     Daily                   7.15am       10.21pm    Casino*
Sydney to Brisbane                          Overnight  Daily                   4.20pm        6.30am -   next day 
Sydney to Melbourne                        Overnight  Daily                  8.40pm         7.35am -   next day 
Sydney to Melbourne                        Daylight     Daily                  7.45am        6.55pm 
Sydney to Surfers Paradise             Overnight  Daily                 4.20pm         6.43am -   next day Casino*
Sydney to Surfers Paradise             Daylight     Daily                 7.15am         9.59pm     Casino*