The dynamic range was a little bit too much for the Olympus pocket E-P1 on this one. I was of course trying to contrast the destination indicator of "Empty Train" with the train that is sitting alongside the platform. All in all, it just didn't work. It's a photo. It was taken on the day. It therefore qualifies as a PAD but beyond that, nothing to see here folks, move along.
-----
Edit April 2025: I must have been so disappointed with the shot that I neglected to describe the train. That is very not-me. Allow me to rectify the omission.

This is an XPT (a contraction of eXPress Train). British trainspotters and model train enthusiasts probably feel a twinge of familiarity here. That's right, it's modelled on the British Rail High Speed Train, alias the InterCity 125 from the 1970s.

Yes, that's how far back they go. Specifically the state government in 1976 decided that long distance train travel was overdue for an upgrade. Local company Comeng (the one-time Commonwealth Engineering, which no longer exists) was the principal contractor, building the XPTs between 1981 and 1993 with the first service on 8 April 1982. Thus what you're looking at here is 20 to 30 years old. 19 (diesel engined) power cars and 60 trailers were built, of which 2 have been scrapped. Refurbishments were done in 1992-1993 and 2005-2008, including the introduction of sleeping cars for the longest routes such as Sydney to Melbourne in the first refit.

When first launched the XPT was much faster than existing trains, but that ain't saying much; the travel time to Melbourne was cut by over {gasp!} two hours!

Yyyyeah. Um, just one thing... The scheduled time to get to Melbourne by train is still 10 hours and 48 minutes.

Flying takes 1 hour 35 though I grant you that there is all the performance art BS that you have to go through at security, and then you have to get from Tullamarine into the city whereas the train does deposit you in the city. (At Southern Cross, specifically.)

But hey, you can book one of the sleepers, right? Eeeeeh... The price isn't too bad; $83.35 for an economy seat, $117.30 for a first class seat and $234.65 for a sleeper. Which you cannot book on line because, sigh, of course you can't.

But... that leads to the other thing. Watch any YouTube review of the XPT to Melbourne and it is always running late. And quite often you have to switch from the train to a coach around the NSW / Victorian border because of trackwork, so enjoy your good night's sleep then. Other than that though, the sleepers aren't too bad. They aren't the Orient Express but you won't get the Orient Express for 240 bucks. Not everyone loves the quality of the ride in terms of getting a solid night, though.

The 80s were a while ago now. Over two years after this shot, in October 2016 the then NSW Government announced that the XPTs would be replaced. The selected design was the Spanish company CAF's Civity trains, which will operate under the local name R set. They will also replace the Endeavour short range diesel trains (which will be found... elsewhere in my albums eventually, don't ask me where but I know I've shot some), and the Xplorer class. Originally intended to be deployed in 2023, they have been delayed to 2025 to 2027 (maybe).

But since the government announced an XPT fleet life extension project in February 2025, I would question that timetable.