Tamworth Countrylink Explorer train
Tamworth CountryLink Trains
Note: This timetable began on 7th September 2019 and is still current for January 2022.


Train Timetable - Sydney to Tamworth then Armidale

Daily Service  Time
Central 9:30 am depart
Gosford 10:44 am
Broadmeadow 11:45 am
Maitland 12:10 pm
Scone 1:37 pm
Werris Creek 2:57 pm
Tamworth 3:37 pm arrive
Armidale 5:35 pm


Train Timetable - Armidale then Tamworth to Sydney

Daily Service  Time
Armidale 8:40 am
Tamworth 10:27 am depart
Werris Creek 11:07 am
Scone 12:28 pm
Maitland 1:55 pm
Broadmeadow 2:18 pm
Gosford 3:20 pm
Central Arrive 4:39 pm, 4:38 pm on weekends

Notes and Information

Timetable: These times are from the latest NSW TrainLink / CountryLink timetable dated 7th September 2019 and they are correct at 8th December 2021.

Fares: Tamworth-Sydney fares are roughly $61 second class and $86 first class, close to the day of travel and at times peak times. Lower "saver" fares apply for travelling outside the peak times or booking in advance, say $51 second class and $72 first class. Good discounts apply for Children, Students, Seniors and Pensioners, sometimes 50% off. For short holidays, the return fare is usually double the single fare. The on-line booking system takes time but it does all the combinations correctly. Given all the discounts, there is no exact fare, so try booking and see what fare is offered.

Notes: Basically there is a train every day and the trip takes a little over six hours. On hot days there may be speed restrictions and the train will gradually run later than the timetable.

There are more intermediate stops which are not shown above. There are connecting bus services from Tamworth out to Narrabri and from Armidale up to Guyra, Glen Innes, Tenterfield and Inverell.

At roughly 1:00 pm the daily trains Sydney-Tamworth and Tamworth-Sydney pass each other, about halfway between Muswellbrook and Singleton.

Werris Creek Railway Station is heritage listed and is a surprisingly large building. The Werris Creek Railway Refreshment Rooms from earlier times are now a museum about railway travel.

The train services to Tamworth are called Xplorer trains. Usually each train has 4 cars with a diesel engine under each car, but extra carriages are added at peak times.

The new name for CountryLink is Transport NSW TrainLink. A jolly good effort by recent marketing graduates around their conference table, neatly throwing away 30 years of branding and reputation. Soon they might even revert to the original name - New South Wales Government Railways - NSWGR.

This page was last updated on Thursday 9th December, 2021.

NSW TrainLink / Countrylink Timetables page

NSW TrainLink / CountryLink - Travel Alerts - Trackwork Page for Trains
For trackwork and delays to services check this link on the day before travelling. Be warned that buses may replace trains when troubles occur.

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