A sneak peek at the new NSW “R Set” trains

The new trains being manufactured for long distance rail services hubbed from Sydney Central railway Station are referred to as the “R Sets”.

The R sets are a class of bi-mode multiple units being built by as part of the Regional Rail Project to replace NSW TrainLink‘s Endeavour, Xplorer and XPT fleets for long-distance services.

The trains are being manufactured by CAF in Spain.

The replacement trains will also run the interstate services between Sydney and Brisbane and Sydney and Melbourne. On first view leg room between the seats looks fine and there are tray tables in the seat backs. it is impossible to tell what the seat comfort level may be.

The above images I assume are for economy seats, we would all been keen to see what first class seats might look like and the configuration.

Alarmingly the XPT replacement version (the interstate and long haul trains) are only 6 cars in a configuration and do not include a sleeper service. The dropping of the sleeper services for Brisbane and Melbourne services due much criticism from the travelling public to the point here the NSW Government announced it is open to providing sleeper carriages. Almost 1/3 of passengers between Melbourne and Sydney are booking sleeper services and that number of growing fast.

Demand on the Sydney-Melbourne route has been so high that the state operator has frequently been adding extra carriages to the twice-daily run.

Patronage on the trip – which costs $78 for an adult economy ticket if booked five days in advance outside holiday periods, and $234 for sleeper berths – grew 47% in 2023, and is now higher than before the pandemic.

What additional carriages are planned for the new R Sets? Will there be additional carriages avaikable to add with the rise in patronage?

Sleeper services are a major growth area of rail travel in Europe even to the point where specialist overnight train operators are investing in new rolling stock and new routes.

Queensland Rail operate popular sleeper services on various regional routes across the state.

Without providing sleeper services on the Sydney to Melbourne and Sydney to Brisbane services the NSW Government risks reducing the popularity of the service at a time where the public is embracing rail travel more and more.