Sleeper services may return on Sydney-Melbourne route after new trains arrive, as night patronage booms

A Melbourne-bound XPT train prepares to depart Central Station in Sydney. The NSW government is keeping an open mind as to whether the existing XPT sleeper carriages could be refurbished and added to train sets after the new Spanish-built trains arrive. Photograph: Stephen Dwyer/Alamy

The permanent withdrawal of sleeper carriages on Sydney-Melbourne trains may be averted after new rolling stock enters service, thanks to the increasing popularity of intercity rail.

New Spanish-built trains ordered by the previous Coalition government were initially meant to enter service in January 2023, but are now not expected to be running before April 2026. As yet, there is no firm arrival date.