travel from melbourne to sydney by train

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Monday 16 September 2024

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Melbourne to Sydney

Melbourne to sydney train : distance, timetable & tickets.

Embark on a remarkable train journey from Melbourne to Sydney, spanning approximately 878 kilometers. The high-speed train from Melbourne to Sydney ensures a swift and comfortable travel experience, allowing you to relax and enjoy the breathtaking landscapes along the way. Explore the beauty of Australia as you seamlessly connect these iconic cities through this efficient railway route. Plan your itinerary and make the most of your travel time with the Melbourne to Sydney train service.

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• Melbourne (Southern Cross) Sydney Central Station

Melbourne (Southern Cross) to Sydney Central Station Train Timetable

Tuesday, 17 september 2024 at 7:00 am, southern cross station central station, wednesday, 18 september 2024 at 7:00 am, thursday, 19 september 2024 at 7:00 am, friday, 20 september 2024 at 7:00 am, saturday, 21 september 2024 at 7:00 am, sunday, 22 september 2024 at 7:00 am.

• Sydney Central Station Melbourne (Southern Cross) Timetable

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How to Travel From Sydney to Melbourne by Train, Bus, Car, and Plane

Sydney and Melbourne are the largest and second-largest cities in all of Australia, respectively, and both are hugely popular places to visit for locals and foreigners alike. If you're looking at a map of Australia, Sydney and Melbourne look like neighboring cities tucked away on the island's southeast corner, but there's actually 450 miles separating them. Since there are no direct highways that beeline between them, the driving distance is actually much more.

Because of the great distance, flying is by far the fastest and most convenient way to travel from Sydney to Melbourne. Thankfully, it's also the cheapest. However, Australia offers some of the most unique and breathtaking scenery in the world, and you miss out on all of it from 35,000 feet in the air. If you have the time to spare, taking the train or driving yourself are worthwhile options to experience the landscape. Buses are also available, but they're the slowest method and oftentimes the most expensive.

What Is the Cheapest Way to Get From Sydney to Melbourne?

With all of the flight options to choose from, going by plane is by far the most affordable way to get from Sydney to Melbourne. You can choose from multiple airlines and dozens of daily flights to travel on this popular route, from low-cost airlines like Jetstar and Tigerair to full-service companies such as Virgin and Qantas. Tickets start as low as $27 for a one-way flight, which is much less than you would spend on a train or bus ticket. Flights do jump up in price significantly during the high season and local school holidays—such as Australian summer break from December to January—so plan ahead if you're visiting during these times.

What Is the Fastest Way to Get From Sydney to Melbourne?

In this instance, the cheapest method of transport is also the fastest. The hour and a half flight cuts out an entire day of travel you would spend seated on a train, bus, or car, making it the transit of choice for a majority of travelers. And because the Sydney (SYD) and Melbourne (MEL) airports are both well-connected to their respective city centers, travel to and from the airport is quick and effortless. However, some flights to Melbourne fly into Avalon Airport (AVV), which is an hour outside of the city. Pay attention to your flight details when booking your reservation to be sure you are using the right airports.

How Long Does It Take to Drive?

The fastest driving route from Sydney to Melbourne is along the Hume Highway, nearly 600 miles of road that cuts through the states of Victoria and New South Wales. It takes about nine hours to complete the drive, although it can be a little longer depending on traffic while leaving Sydney or entering Melbourne. You'll pass through some small towns along the way, but there are no big cities to stop in and the route isn't particularly scenic.

Once you're in Melbourne, parking is hard to find and expensive, as with most major cities. Finding a garage that allows overnight parking is the most stress-free way to leave your car in the city, but you'll pay for the convenience. If you're driving into Melbourne and want to save money, look for parking garages outside of the city center but located near a Melbourne metro stop . Rates will be significantly cheaper and you can just ride into the city from there.

How Long Is the Train Ride?

Taking the train from Sydney to Melbourne—and around Australia in general—is slow and relatively pricey. However, the experience of train travel is well worth the extra time and cost for many travelers, and booking the overnight journey helps to balance out the expense by saving a night of accommodation. Tickets during the low season start at roughly $60 for a one-way trip, while high-season tickets are about $85 (remember the prices you see on the NSW Transport website are in Australian dollars, not U.S. dollars).

Two trains leave each day from Sydney Central Station toward Melbourne Southern Cross Station, one in the morning and one in the evening. Both stations are centrally located and easily accessible to the rest of the city by public transportation. The daytime train is the only way to catch views of the Australian landscape, but the route isn't particularly scenic and spending the night on the train may be a better use of limited vacation time.

Is There a Bus That Goes From Sydney to Melbourne?

Long-distance buses in Australia are comparable in price and time to the train, with the journey taking about 12 hours and tickets starting at roughly $65. The most popular bus companies are Greyhound Australia and Firefly, so compare schedules and prices between the two before finalizing your purchase. And don't forget to look into flights, which are normally much cheaper and will save you several hours of travel time.

Tip: Bus companies will occasionally host special sales, especially on overnight buses during the low season, so check prices frequently to see if you can snag a deal.

When Is the Best Time to Travel to Melbourne?

Prices for all types of transport rise significantly during the tourist high season and quarterly breaks for Australian students. The exact dates of school vacations vary from year to year, but they generally last one week in mid-April, two weeks in mid-July, one week at the end of September, and the long summer vacation throughout most of December and January. If your travel plans coincide with any of these dates, book all of your reservations as far in advance as possible.

For the most comfortable weather and fewer crowds, visit in the shoulder seasons of spring (from September to November) or fall (from March to May). Melbourne's winter lasts from June to August, and while it may be too cold to hit up the beach, temperatures are usually warm enough to enjoy being outside with some additional light layers.

What's the Most Scenic Route to Melbourne?

Travelers with a vehicle have a second driving option to get from Sydney to Melbourne. The A1 Highway, also known as the Princess Highway, winds along the coast and drives directly through several national parks. It's a significant detour since it's not only an additional 100 miles compared to the more direct Hume Highway, but the roads are curvier and the speed limit is lower. In total, expect to be on the road for about 12 hours as opposed to nine hours on the faster route. But in exchange for the additional time, the views and landscape are incomparable. If you have the time, the drive is best split up over a couple of days so you can make pitstops in beach towns or campsites to spend the night.

Can I Use Public Transportation to Travel From the Airport?

From Melbourne Airport, the Melbourne City Express Bus shuttles passengers directly from the terminal to the Southern Cross train station in the city center in just 22 minutes. The cost of the bus is about $13 for an adult passenger, but children ride free with a paying adult and there are also discounts for buying a roundtrip ticket. You can buy tickets using cash or credit card at the kiosks in the airport terminal before boarding the bus. Buses run seven days a week and depart every 15 minutes, making it one of the most convenient ways to get into Melbourne.

What Is There to Do in Melbourne?

Melbourne is one of Australia's hippest cities, known for its cool coffee culture , award-winning wines, funky street art , and trendy eateries . The Queen Victoria Market, or "Vic Market" as the locals call it, is one of the best places to get acquainted with local goods and should be one of your first stops. Explore the endless stalls of food, drinks, and souvenirs, and consider booking a food tour to hit up the most iconic spots. If you're visiting during the warmer months, you can't miss out on the nearby beaches , such as Brighton Beach and St Kilda. Australian fauna is one of the biggest draws for visiting the country, and you can visit wildlife sanctuaries just outside of the city to get up close and learn about kangaroos, wallabies, koala bears, Tasmanian devils, and other local species.

Frequently Asked Questions

The flight from Sydney to Melbourne is one hour and 15 minutes.

Sydney is 545 miles northeast of Melbourne.

If you're driving, it'll take you nine hours to get from Melbourne to Sydney.

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XPT Regional Trains

Book a seat on NSW TrainLink Regional services

Introduced to service in 1982 the XPT, short for "express passenger train", has an aerodynamic design and travels between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Dubbo, Grafton and Casino.

The XPT power car features a Paxman VP185 12-cylinder, turbo-charged diesel electric engine boasting 1492 kW or 2000 horsepower. There's a power car at each end of the train, one pulling and the other pushing.

The XPT trains can have the following carriages.

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Seating capacity: 56

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Seating capacity: 16 plus two wheelchair spaces. The accessible toilet is in this carriage.

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Seating capacity: 68

Saloon - economy class car (XFH)

Seating capacity: 44

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Melbourne to Sydney : Compare Travel Options and Prices

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There are over 2356 hotels to stay in Sydney. Prices range from $12 per night.

What is the distance between Melbourne and Sydney and what are the typical travel times by various modes of transportation?

What are the most cost-effective and time-efficient transportation options for traveling from melbourne to sydney, what are the different prices when traveling from melbourne to sydney, how can i get from melbourne to sydney without using public transportation, how do i travel from melbourne to sydney without a car, is there a direct link between melbourne and sydney, how long is the flight between melbourne and sydney and how much does it typically cost, where can i stay near sydney, will you be returning to melbourne by train.

If you are looking for the return train journey, check out trains from Sydney to Melbourne

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High-speed rail plans may finally end Australia’s 40-year wait to get on board

Honorary Principal Fellow, University of Wollongong

Disclosure statement

Philip Laird owns shares in some transport companies and has received funding from the two rail-related CRCs as well as the ARC. He is affiliated, inter alia, with the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, the Railway Technical Society of Australasia and the Rail Futures Institute. The opinions expressed are those of the author.

University of Wollongong provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.

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Australia has debated and studied high-speed rail for four decades. The High Speed Rail Authority has begun work on a project that could finally deliver some high-speed rail in the 2030s.

The Albanese government set up the authority in 2022. It also committed A$500 million to plan and protect a high-speed rail corridor between Sydney and Newcastle. This corridor was prioritised due to significant capacity constraints on the existing line, among other reasons.

The ultimate plan is for a high-speed rail network to connect Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and regional communities across the east coast. The network would help Australia in its urgent task to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport. These continue to increase even as emissions from other sectors fall.

The authority has now publicly outlined plans for the first stage of this east coast network. After a history of failed proposals dating back to 1984, the new plans provide some cause for optimism that Australia could have some high-speed rail by 2037.

What is high-speed rail and why do we need it?

The International Rail Union of Railways defines high-speed rail as new lines designed for speeds of 250km/h or more and upgraded lines for speeds of at least 200km/h.

High-speed rail could greatly reduce transport emissions by replacing air travel in particular .

For example, the 7.92 million passengers flying between Melbourne and Sydney in 2023-24 produced about 1.5 million tonnes of emissions. Including travel to and from airports and other flight routes along the corridor (Sydney or Melbourne to Canberra, Albury etc), this adds up to about 2% of annual domestic transport emissions .

A Sydney–Melbourne high-speed rail link could cut emissions to a fraction of those from air and road transport. If Australia is to achieve net zero by 2050 , a shift to rail will be essential .

High-speed city-to-city rail services will be needed to become an attractive alternative to air travel.

What is the authority working on?

Early this year the High Speed Rail Authority gained a new CEO, Tim Parker, with extensive experience in delivering mega-projects. In late August, the authority outlined its plans at an industry briefing in Newcastle.

The authority has commissioned eight studies, including a business case for a Sydney–Newcastle line. Significantly, it will include the cost of future highway upgrades if high-speed rail does not proceed. This study, along with a report on how high-speed rail will proceed along Australia’s east coast, is due by the end of this year.

Also under way is a geotechnical study that includes drilling 27 boreholes. It will help determine the proposed depths of two long rail tunnels and guide decisions on crossing the Hawkesbury River and the route to the Central Coast and on to Newcastle.

All going well, including land acquisition and agreements with the New South Wales government (which could include funding), work could start in 2027 and be completed by 2037 .

Many questions remain

Given the time and money required to deliver a Sydney–Newcastle line, bipartisan support will be needed. However, the federal opposition is yet to make a clear commitment to high-speed rail.

There are other uncertainties too. Will the trains be operated by the public or private sector? The latter was the intention for projects that were scrapped decades ago, such as the CSIRO-proposed Very Fast Train ( VFT ) linking Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, and the Sydney–Canberra Speedrail .

And how will the engineering projects be delivered? The new authority must learn from the project management problems in delivering the Inland Rail freight line. The project is running late and costs have blown out.

Some major federally funded government projects have worked well. These include upgrades of the national highway system (by state road authorities and contractors) and the new Western Sydney International Airport , which is nearing completion.

And what about a full Sydney–Melbourne line?

The big question is when work will start on a Sydney–Melbourne high-speed rail service. In 2019, International High-Speed Rail Association chairman Masafumi Shukuri estimated building this line could take 20 years.

The present line is 60km longer than it should be as the route dates back to the steam age. It also has far too many tight curves. This means train travel on this line is slower than cars and trucks.

As former NSW State Rail chief Len Harper said in 1995, this railway was already “inadequate for current and future needs” even back then.

When the VFT was proposed in 1984, questions were raised as to whether our population was big enough for such a project. Now, more than 15.5 million people live in NSW, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory. Melbourne–Sydney is the world’s fifth-busiest flight route .

Advocacy group Fastrack Australia has called for a Sydney–Melbourne track built to high-speed standards and able to carry freight. The estimated travel time is four hours.

This group and the Rail Futures Institute propose the line be built in stages, with priority given to the section from near Macarthur to Mittagong in NSW. This would reduce the current line’s length by about 18km and allow for better Sydney–Canberra train services.

Urgent action is needed to protect the rail corridor from encroaching urban development.

Australia needs to catch up

In June 2023, when the new authority started work, I observed that Australia must surely hold the world record for studies into high-speed rail with no construction.

In stark contrast, this October marks the 60th anniversary of the world’s first dedicated high-speed rail line, the Tokaido Shinkansen in Japan linking Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. The network has since grown in stages to about 3,000km of lines.

Today, high-speed rail operates in 21 countries over about 60,000km of lines – China has about 40,000km. Indonesia’s high-speed rail service between Jakarta and Bandung started running last year. India and Thailand are in the advanced stages of delivering high-speed rail. It’s also under construction in another 11 countries.

Australia could finally join them in the next few years if it starts building the Sydney–Newcastle line.

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