I am writing to you from Xplorer, the regional train from Sydney to Canberra. Jik is beside me, putting stickers on her journal.
We took the Xplorer from Platform 6 Grand Central, Sydney, early this morning—early, as in super early. We left Jik’s place just after 4 AM, neglecting to consider the traffic would be way less during twilight hours. We reached Grand Central Station (one of my favourite spots in Sydney) with plenty of time before the train left at 7:16 AM.
We dragged our carry-ons, bracing Sydney morning chill, to get coffee (one of the best coffees I had in Sydney) before getting a week’s worth of snacks for a four-hour train journey — a “bad” habit we adopted during our travels and refused to give up. Then we sat in front of the platform and chit-chatted the morning away before boarding into Cart A, Xplorer train’s first-class cart, which we decided to splurge on.
First Class on Xplorer Train from Sydney to Canberra
In case you wonder, what does a First Class Xplorer ticket entail? It comes with a bigger seat and leg space, a designated but limited luggage area, and a mini canteen attached to the same cart, but you still have to pay for the food, which Jik was not at all happy about (I was more fussed about the dirty window).
Though we have to pay for it, the canteen offers a variety of food and drinks, from pies to hot meals, from tea to rose. I got myself a plate of scones (because there won’t be a time when I’d pass on scones on the menu), which the friendly waiter heated and brought to my seat. That’s the closest we got for a first-class treatment, and for $17 extra, who can complain?
When I booked the ticket, I imagined it would be akin to the train journey I took in New Zealand years back. But compared to the KiwiRail, the Xplorer train feels inferior, and so is the outdated interior. Also, the promised scenic scenery was too bushy, with fewer sheep.
Alas, I am on a long journey, inside a slow-moving Xplorer train, to a new city. I get to write, gossip and sip cold Moscato with an ever-changing scenery on my left and my best friend on the right instead of sitting at my desk starring an Excel sheet. As I said before, who can complain?
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