The North Coast Line
There is a network of long-distance trains in New South Wales — operated by NSW TrainLink — that connects Sydney to the state’s regional centres and beyond. These are not high-speed services. The XPT train that runs the North Coast line from Sydney to Brisbane does the journey in around 14 hours, against an hour and a half by air. The point is not the speed. The point is what you see: the coastal hinterland north of Sydney, the Manning and Hastings rivers crossing beneath the tracks, the forests of the escarpment, the unhurried passage through towns that most travellers skip entirely. We took the train in February ’26 from Kempsey station and went South back to Sydney. It was one of the more memorable ways we have moved through eastern Australia.
The Walkthrough
We board Train 32 at Kempsey at 12:45pm. First class, assigned seats. Two tickets cost about A$135 – not terrible. The train has come from Brisbane. The carriage is pretty full. The seats recline, airline-style trays, little storage nets… but no charging ports and no Wi-Fi. There’s also no mobile network reception in the area.
The conductress checks tickets immediately. There’s a dining car but we have come prepared with sandwiches. It’s 29°C outside but the carriage is nice and cool.
First stop: Wauhope. Small town. Low roofed houses, light industry. Then its straight back to wooded hills. We crawl along. Curves everywhere. Double track appears. Red signal. We stop. Ten minutes later a northbound train glides past. We move again. Single track again.
Fields. Billabongs. Forest. Random main roads popping in and out of view.
Next: Kendall. Tiny station, barely anyone there. Then more farmland at the base of forested hills. Cows, and more cows. We brake randomly. Expect another train to pass. Nope..
Over a river and into Taree. More passengers get on. We’re about 80% full now. Warehouses, power infrastructure, neat lawns. Everything looks oddly tidy.
Then Wingham. A man and his dog wave as we leave. Cinematic honestly.
The scenery levels up – valleys, bigger hills, deep green everywhere. Train horn echoes across a ravine. We’re weaving through it all like a slow metal snake. The conductress announces food orders. Priorities.
There’s a tunnel. Rivers. Forest pressing in close. Then suddenly – reception bars appear. We’ve re-entered civilisation.
We roll into Gloucester. Apparently we’re 8 minutes behind schedule. Quick stop and off again.
Golden afternoon light hits the valley and it’s stunning. Different shades of green, long shadows, blue sky moment. We pause again to let a massive freight train thunder past.
Halfway point.
More tunnels. More farms. Grass starts looking drier now.
We stop at Dungog – another train waiting there. Then on to Maitland, which feels way bigger. Rail yards. Coal wagons. Multi-platformed.
As we move on, things shift fast – more roads, more houses, industrial buildings, graffiti walls. You can feel the city approaching.
Broadmeadow pops up and we’re basically in Newcastle territory now. Double track. Suburban trains zooming past.
Wetlands. Rivers. Coastal towns.
We stop at Wyong – coastal highway on one side, water on the other.
After Gosford the trip goes full cinematic. The train hugs the water’s edge. Golden early evening light. It genuinely should pause for the aesthetic, but no – we power on.
Tunnels. Bridges. And then the moment: crossing the Hawkesbury River. Unreal views.
Soon we hit Hornsby and North Sydney. Suburbia. We get off before the final stops at Strathfield and Sydney Central railway station
Worth it?
For anyone with the time and a preference for seeing the country rather than flying over it: yes. The North Coast line passes through landscapes that are genuinely beautiful in parts and interesting throughout. The distance from a car window or a plane window is different from train-level passage — you are close to the rivers, the forest, the paddocks. It is slow, and that is the point. Whether the specific destinations along the line — Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, the hinterland towns — are enough to draw you to a particular stop depends on your itinerary. The journey itself is worth more than the sum of its stations.
Thinking of using the North Coast line?
The routes: NSW TrainLink operates several long-distance services from Sydney Central:
North Coast XPT: Sydney to Brisbane via the coast — stops include Broadmeadow (Newcastle), Taree, Wauchope (for Port Macquarie, 15km distant), Kempsey, Coffs Harbour, Casino, and Murwillumbah. Daily service. Sydney to Coffs Harbour approximately 6.5 hours; Sydney to Brisbane approximately 14 hours.
New England XPT (inland route): Sydney to Armidale and Moree via the New England tablelands. A very different landscape — the escarpment, the plateau, the western slopes. Sydney to Armidale approximately 6.5 hours.
CountryLink services: Various regional connections from Sydney to Bathurst, Orange, Dubbo, and other inland centres.
Booking: Book at nswtrainlink.info or through the Transport for NSW app. Long-distance train fares are significantly cheaper than equivalent flights and include allocated seating. First class (reserved seating with more space and at-seat service) is available on XPT services at a modest premium. Book in advance for the best fares and to secure preferred seats — window seats on the correct side of the train are worth specifying.
Cost (approximate, 2026):
- Sydney to Coffs Harbour (economy): approximately AUD $45–70 depending on timing and advance purchase
- Sydney to Brisbane (economy): approximately AUD $65–100
- First class adds approximately AUD $20–40
Which side to sit: On the North Coast XPT heading north from Sydney, the ocean-facing side is generally the right side (east) of the train for stretches near the coast, though the line runs inland for much of its length. The Manning and Hastings river crossings are the most scenic moments — worth being by a window for.
The dining car: XPT services have a café/buffet car serving basic food and drinks. Standards are functional rather than inspired — bring your own food for a long journey if you are particular. The experience of eating lunch in a train dining car passing through the New South Wales hinterland compensates for whatever the menu lacks.
Practicalities: Long-distance trains in NSW run on time reasonably consistently but can be affected by track work and freight movements — allow flexibility at the arrival end. The stations along the North Coast line are generally pleasant, with good platform access. Luggage is stored in overhead racks and end-of-carriage racks.