The Prospector | A gold class train? | Travel to Kalgoorlie

Hi my name's Adam i'm in the capital  city of Western Australia - Perth   and today i'm going to be traveling  on The Prospector to Kalgoorlie   600 kilometers east of here but first we have  to head to East Perth Station which is about 1.9   kilometres from here or three stops on the  Midland line, which you can see behind me. You might be wondering why the Prospector  doesn't begin its journey from the main   station here in Perth. The vast majority of  railways in Western Australia are narrow gauge   but the Prospector runs on standard gauge  and the standard gauge line from Kalgoorlie   ends at East Perth. The standard gauge line to  Kalgoorlie provides the major freight link between   Perth and the rest of Australia. Kalgoorlie being  the start of the trans-australian railway. This   is dual gauge track you can see the difference  between the narrow and standard gauge lines. And here's our train - the Prospector. the 650 metre platform might seem long for such  a short train but it's also used by the luxury   train the Indian Pacific to Adelaide and Sydney.  The Indian Pacific is typically 30 carriages long   in today's journey we'll travel 653 kilometres  with a journey time of 6 hours and 50 minutes.   You can see from this satellite imagery  how the landscape will become much drier   as we head towards the goldfields region. The  railcars which now operate the service were   introduced in 2004. the trains are capable of 200  kilometres per hour but are limited by track speed   to 160 kilometres per hour. Today's service is  extraordinarily busy including tour groups and   a high school group. East Perth station includes a  cafe, historic railway carriages and an example of   the first locomotive type to be built and designed  in western australia the narrow gauge s-class.   Luggage can be checked in with the staff on the  platform before departure. Let's hop aboard. I'm seated   in the front coach in a window  seat. We'll take a closer look   later. We depart east perth on schedule. The Prospector was introduced 50 years  ago in 1971, replacing an overnight train   and cutting travel time from 14 hours to 8 hours. before the standard gauge line from Perth  opened in 1968 passengers heading to the   eastern states had to change trains in  Kalgoorlie because of the break of gauge. we pass the state's premier railway history museum   which is definitely worth visiting if you're  in Perth the collection includes a bullion   car used to transport gold from Kalgoorlie and a  scale model of the original Prospector railcars.   Introduced in 1971 they were the fastest  and largest railcars in Australia at the   time but i'm glad the rail cars operating  the prospector today are far more modern. let's take a quick look around the seat.   There's overhead lockers similar  to those found on a plane.   The seats are comfortable with reasonable legroom  and an entertainment screen they are reversible so   all passengers face the direction of travel.  My seat is behind a bulkhead so has slightly   restricted legroom compared to most seats and  is also missing a footrest and at seat power.   There's a small tray table in the armrest  at most seats this is a fold down table   today's service is close to fully booked but  i got lucky and have an empty seat beside me. there are also adjustable  air vents and reading lamps. Guildford was founded in 1829 as one of the  earliest settlements of the swan river colony we stopped to pick up passengers in Midland  which is the current terminus of the Perth   electrified suburban network however the  network is being extended east to Bellevue. Here's the timetable for  today's journey most stops   are request stops meaning we'll only stop  if passengers are booked to get on or off   and with most passengers traveling all the way  to Kalgoorlie, there won't be many of those Morning ladies and gentlemen we'll shortly be  turning on the entertainment system and ask that   you watch the short video on the safety features  and general information on today's Prospector   service there are several emergency exits on  this car section we do ask that you take a few   moments to locate the one nearest to you bearing  in mind that may be in front of you or behind you we do ask that in the unlikely event  that we need to evacuate the train   passengers pay attention to the announcements  from staff at all times the buffet will open   shortly after the safety video has finished and  we have completed all safety and manifest checks we will make an announcement  when the buffet opening thank you good morning. The swan  valley is home to a number of vineyards before long we've left suburbia and  are heading into the Darling Range   along the Swan and Avon rivers this is probably  the most scenic part of the journey the best   views are from the left hand side of the train  if you're heading in the same direction as me the route becomes progressively more  windy as we head through the Swan Valley   there's a great feature on the  entertainment system called drivercam   the image isn't the best  quality and is slightly delayed   so things pass your window before they appear  on the screen but it's cool to see nonetheless. just wish to remind passengers Prospector is a  non-smoking service this applies to all areas   to train including the toilets which are fitted  with smoke alarms we're also a licensed premise   so bringing on and consumption of your own alcohol  is strictly prohibited and as we are a licensed   premise we ask the pastors where appropriate  footwear all the time when walking through the   train and this includes young children the buffet  is now opening in a situation in the leading car there is a copy of the buffet menu  in the tv monitor in front of you   under the help and information section buffet  does accept both cash and EFTPOS as forms of   payment should you have any further questions  or require any further information please do not   hesitate to ask one of the staff in the meantime  sit back relax and enjoy the journey thank you   good morning. The rail line is duplicated for  much of the journey through the Avon Valley   the entertainment system also features a moving  map, a range of tv shows, movies and music   there's no wi-fi or usb charging points however  wi-fi is being installed in a trial for 2022. we averaged 90 kilometres  per hour through this area   we're now approaching the town of  Toodyay which used to be called   Newcastle but its name was changed after confusion  with the city of the same name in new south wales   the front car has an accessible toilet so  it's quite large and has a baby change table it was kept relatively  clean throughout the journey after Northam we leave the Avon Valley  and the environment gradually becomes   drier Northam also marks the end of the dual  gauge line so it's standard gauge only from here   we're now passing Meckering which is famous  for a 6.5 magnitude earthquake in 1968   lasting 40 seconds and which was  felt up to 700 kilometres away   the quake badly damaged the town injured dozens  of people and twisted and buckled the rail line time for a mid-morning snack can I  please get a fruit salad and a latte the fruit salad and coffee cost me 7.90   the salad should really be named a watermelon  salad based on the quantity of that fruit   here's a look at the buffet menu which  i'll also link to in the description below our speed increases to 120 kilometres per  hour that is until we stop at a red signal   the staff tell us it's faulty we get a  green light after a wait of about 10 minutes let's have a little tour of the train so this  is coach one which also features the buffet there's chilled drinking water  available in the vestibule Car two is made up almost entirely of an organised  tour group and i chose not to film in the rear car   because it's filled with a state school sporting  team on their way to compete in Kalgoorlie   so we'll quickly head back through  car 2 towards my seat in the front car   at the start of the trip the staff handed  out headphones for passengers to use   with the in-seat entertainment  but you can also use your own the buffet proved quite  popular throughout the journey The buffet is now temporarily closed   the Kalgoorlie crew have reboarded the  train and resumed the onward journey   thank you. There's a mad dash to the buffet when  the staff announce it will be closing ahead of   the staff changeover at our next stop Merredin.  Morning ladies and gentlemen, now arriving into   Merredin station. passengers leaving the train at  this stop please gather all personal belongings   collect any luggage you have and exit through  the centre doors of the buffet car. For remaining   passengers travelling onward to Kalgoorlie  and intermediate stations it will be a short   opportunity for you to leave the train stretch  your legs however this will be a brief stop and   we do ask passengers to remain alongside the  train on the platform do not wander off down   the lower platform into the car park across the  shops across the far side of the railway line the   prospector will leave in short notice and you run  the risk of being left behind at Merredin station.   Kalgoorlie crew do not check for any missing  passengers prior to leaving Merredin.   there are no toilet facilities on the platform  in Merredin. passengers should use facilities   onboard the prospector we do ask all passengers  to report the train as quickly as possible   when asked to do so by the Kalgoorlie crew  once again i stress the Kalgoorlie crew do   not check for any missing passengers prior to  leaving Merredin station. We do ask passengers   take care when making your way through to the  centre doors while the train is in motion as we do   cross railway line on our approach into Merredin  platform please use the hand rails providers   on behalf of your Perth crew wendy martin  and karen we'll be leaving you here i   hope you enjoy the remainder of your journey  through to Kalgoorlie thank you good morning Merredin is located in the central wheat belt  roughly halfway between perth and Kalgoorlie.   at Merredin we await the train heading  towards perth the crew swap over so the   Perth crew return to perth and the Kalgoorlie  crew can take our train to Kalgoorlie. Here's the two-car prospector  arriving from Kalgoorlie. you might have heard the guard's warning not  to leave the platform here in Merredin well one   passenger decided to dash over to the bakery and  was promptly told off by the guard on her return. we depart Merredin about  20 minutes behind schedule We're delighted to be your hosts   for the remainder of the journey into Kalgoorlie  today just to reaffirm that this is a non-smoking   service and the consumption of your personal  alcohol is prohibited as we are a licensed premise   the buffet is now open cash and EFTPOS is  available again but if you are paying by   card please have a physical card and not  a phone on your mobile phone for payment   we are scheduled arriving to Kalgoorlie at  2pm we do have passenger drop off along the   way for this reason we ask that you remain in  the allocated seat if you need any assistance   please don't hesitate to ask otherwise sit  back relax and enjoy the journey thank you although Carrabin has a population  of zero based on the 2016 census   the station serves the wider agricultural  and mining community who live in the area the buffet is licensed and a lot of  people order drinks after Merredin   with or without food. Four X beer and white  wine seem to be the most popular choices   it's time for lunch other than pies and sausage  rolls there is a hot meal option today it's   ravioli it takes about 6 minutes to heat i also  order sparkling wine and the total price comes   to 18.50 i know other Australians like to  poke fun at Adelaide but the wine on this   train which goes down a treat is from the Barossa  Valley just north of Adelaide the pasta is okay   but a bit overcooked and hard in parts it tastes  like it's been cooked too long in the microwave we pass a number of salt lakes roughly three quarters of freight  between the eastern states and Perth   goes by rail these freight trains  can be up to 1.8 kilometres long the staff come through the train  periodically to collect rubbish   but there doesn't appear to be any recycling  options on board which is disappointing given   cardboard drink holders wine bottles and cans  are sold on the train. We reach 130 kilometres   per hour on the approach to Koolyanobbing. Koolyanobbing is the only stop we  make between Merredin and Kalgoorlie   with one passenger alighting this siding serves an iron ore mine the scenery becomes more  arid as we head further east.   The entertainment screens  can also be a bit unreliable the buffet closes just after 1:30 with passengers  invited to make any last-minute purchases   if we were on time this would be  about 25 minutes before our arrival   but we're running almost 30 minutes late please place in the bag with all your rubbish as  the Prospector is on a quick turnaround once it   gets back to Kalgoorlie station this afternoon  we kindly ask that you place your tray table,   seat, and footrest in the upright position and  open up any curtains at the window thank you.   As we're on the approach to Kalgoorlie,  let me give you my thoughts on this journey   the Prospector is a modern train with comfortable  seats and is a very enjoyable way to head to   the goldfields although speed restrictions  and signalling issues delayed our journey   and the pasta lunch wasn't the best i still  love this train overall and would recommend it   the staff were very friendly and the  buffet prices were very reasonable   so how much is a ticket the adult fare  from Perth to Kalgoorlie is $93.65   which i think is a very reasonable price to  travel 650 kilometres in air-conditioned comfort ladies and gentlemen the prospector is now  making its way into Kalgoorlie station where   this service will terminate please remain seated  until the train has come to a complete stop also   take care when accessing luggage from overhead  lockers and remember to check around your seats   for all personal belongings and hand luggage  before exiting the train if you require any   assistance exiting the train please remain seated  once all other passengers have been disembarked   one of our crew members will gladly assist  you all unaccompanied children must remain   with a staff member until collected by a parent or  guardian on behalf of TransWA, the driver and the   crew we'd like to thank you for traveling with  us today and we welcome you all to Kalgoorlie. the Prospector runs daily in each direction   on mondays and fridays there are two trains each  way one in the morning and one in the afternoon   as it's a monday our train will  return to Perth in about 30 minutes here's a final look at the seats  and the interior of the train Kalgoorlie has one of the longest platforms  in Western Australia at 527 metres until   1968 passengers wishing to travel across to the  eastern states had to change here from a narrow   gauge train to a standard gauge train called the  Trans Australian which made the journey from here   to Port Augusta in South Australia. Nowadays the  Indian Pacific travels through here once a week   in each direction although it's currently  suspended because of state border restrictions.   If you spend any time in Kalgoorlie you'll see  plenty of freight trains such as this cement train   and this Pacific National steel train heading  across the Nullarbor to Adelaide and Melbourne. Kalgoorlie station opened in 1896 and is  within walking distance of the town centre.   Kalgoorlie is famous for gold mining and  is home to Australia's second largest   open cup gold mine the Super Pit. I got these shots on my flight back to Perth. From one yellow train to another,  next we're heading to Queensland   to catch the electric tilt train from Brisbane  to Rockhampton. Make sure to subscribe   so you don't miss it and if you enjoyed this  video please leave a like - hope to see you then.

Channel: From the Window Seat

Views: 45,634

Keywords: trip report, train travel, train video, travel by train, train review, diesel railcar, standard gauge, the prospector, kalgoorlie train, fastest train, Transwa Prospector

Id: 2GB6GncOjZM

Length: 29min 10sec (1750 seconds)

Published: Wed Dec 22 2021