Railways and Tramways of Australia
9 April
Australian National locomotives AN9 and GM38 on a Perth-bound freight train in the Avon Valley in Western Australia, 4 March 1996. This was an express freight service, similar to The Westliner and The Eastliner. Photo: J Joyce, Rail Heritage WA, P18634.
Express to the west
An express freight train called The Westliner commenced running on 9 April 1983.
Numerous named passenger trains have operated in Australia. A name was usually an indicator of the train’s prestige. Some named passenger trains that continue to operate are The Ghan¸ the Indian Pacific and The Overland.
Named freight trains were quite unusual and mostly unknown to the general public. The Westliner was an express freight train operated by Australian National. It was introduced to provide a premium service between Adelaide and Perth for piggyback trailers and container traffic. The train was described as ‘the fastest of its kind over such a long haul.’
The Westliner’s inaugural run departed Dry Creek in Adelaide at 12.00 noon on Saturday 9 April 1983 and arrived at Kewdale in Perth at 5.00 am on Monday 11 April. Two crews worked in relay so that lengthy stoppages were minimised.
A return service from Perth to Adelaide was also introduced. This train was initially also called The Westliner but soon became The Eastliner.
Demand for the new service was strong and in September 1983 a second weekly service was introduced. Australian National said that its success was put down to speed and reliability. By July 1989 there were five weekly services from Adelaide to Perth and by October 1991 there were nine services each week.
Motive power was initially GM12 Class diesels, but later other locomotives were also used. Freight wagons were mostly flat wagons and well wagons.
Australian National’s interstate freight business was taken over by National Rail in late 1994. Although National Rail continued to operate express freight services between Adelaide and Perth, the names Westliner and Eastliner soon disappeared.
The names have gone but express freight trains still run to the west.
Bibliography
B Marshall, ‘The Westliner’, Australian Railways Illustrated, no. 17, December 2012, pp 28–43.
‘New high speed service to Perth’, Catch Point, no. 35, May 1983, p 4.
Eastbound freight train hauled by Australian National locomotives, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, 18 January 1992.
