Key Details 

Date: 5th August 2023

Service Name: Prospector

Route: East Perth to Kalgoorlie

Train Equipment:Diesel Multiple Unit WDA/WDB/WDC Class railcars

Cabin: Standard (only cabin)

The Route

The TransWA Prospector train is by far the longest passenger railway service that you can do entirely within Western Australia. TransWA which is the regional offshoot of Perth’s publicly operated TransPerth network and they operate 4 regional train services in Australia which include the Australind which connects Perth with the state’s largest regional city of Bunbury while there are also the AvonLink service to Northam and the MeridenLink to Meriden which the latter two use the same line as the Prospector. The prestigious cross continent Indian-Pacific train service which links Perth and Sydney via Adelaide also transverses the same route and stops in Kalgoorlie.

The journey itself comes in at a reasonably lengthy 653km to Australia’s unofficial gold mining outback capital which is slightly longer than the comparable driving distance which is only around 600km. Without any major delays en-route the journey takes less than 7 hours (6H55M to be precise) making it generally considered to be the fastest average passenger speed passenger rail service in Australia. The service operates daily in both direction with a 7.05am departure from both ends with an extra service operating on Monday and Friday nights leaving East Perth at 3.15pm and Kalgoorlie at 3pm. Sunday is the exception where the service leaves at 2.05pm in both directions. For those wishing to visit the seaside coastal town of Esperance TransWA also operate a coach service to and from Kalgoorlie which connects through with the train service.

How to book and cost

As the Prospector is a WA Government run service through TransWA so it is best to book this service directly through there website whereby you can book this journey and other rail and coast services throughout WA (note that TransWA don’t generally serve areas north of Kalbarri along the coast or further out to Meekatharra WA leaving much of the state without intra-town regional services. The standard adult fare comes in at $98.40 although generous half price discounts applies to valid concession card holders brining the price down to just $49.20

Getting to East Perth Station

It is important to note that the Prospector train operates to and from East Perth Train Station which is also the starting point for the epic Indian-Pacific rail journey and also TransWA coach services. To get to East Perth Station is pretty easy especially from Perth Central Railway Station on Wellington Street (head to the above ground platforms instead of the underground) whereby its a quick 4 minute train journey on either the Midland or Airport line to East Perth Station. Otherwise you can get a free Central Area Transit bus (CAT) or other TransPerth buses to the station or alternatively it is about a 30 minute 2.3km walk from the centre of Perth CBD.

It is handy to note that TransWA website notes that Prospector train travellers can get free TransPerth train travel on the day of their journey so just show your booking confirmation or ticket at the gate if requested.

Checking in at East Perth Station

There is no need to officially check in for this train service or to drop you bag off at an airport like kiosk so arriving 15-20 minutes before the scheduled departure should be fine. If you do however wish to check your 20kg checked allowance simply make your self known to staff at the front of the train shortly before departure who will be happy to stow it for you in the luggage area of the train. You are also welcome to bring up to 7kg of hand luggage on board the train with you. TransWA do have a ticket and information office open shortly before departure at East Perth Station should you wish to purchase a ticket on the day (subject to availability) or otherwise have other enquiries.

Seating and Amenities on the Prospector Train

TransWA operate the Prospector train with either 2 or 3 WDA/WDB/WDC Class railcar which operate just the one class of seating which comes in a 2-2 configuration. Expect airline style seats but with much better legroom similar to that of Premium economy class seating. The tall fabric covered seat was reasonably comfortable itself although were a bit hard which became noticeable towards the end of a 7 hour journey. Unfortunately the window seats seem to be misaligned however with every second seat having a huge window and the other having a lot more limited half window vantage point. It certainly isn’t a deal breaker and you can see the scenery just fine but for those who really like watching the scenery be sure to request the window seats with the full window!

At each seat you’ll find a fairly large, sturdy but otherwise unremarkable stock-stock standard tray table whilst there is also a small IFE style screen in the back of each seat. The IFE system is quite a unique feature of the Prospector with not many other passenger train services in Australia having a comparable entertainment system. The range of tv shows, documentaries and movies wasn’t the most extensive but most people should find something to watch for journey including myself watching 3 or 4 different documentaries along the way.

Passenger information such as a moving map are also available on the screens however this did not appear to work for much of the journey and appeared freezed from early in the journey. There is also a camera view that you can see from the front of the train as it journeys along it was quite a blurry image but a cool extra little feature nonetheless. The train also had internet streaming of ABC News and several other ABC radio stations however I did not have much luck with these live streams anywhere outside of Perth.

Impressively free Wi-Fi has been rolled out for the train journey which is a handy feature considering mobile reception is quite limited en-route between Perth and Kalgoorlie especially for non Telstra customers. The WiFi however is only really designed for everyday internet usage and you’ll unlikely have much success using it for video streaming or other data intensive purposes.

Food and Beverage Service

On board the Prospector train service you’ll find a small licensed cafe however there is no designated seating at the cafe so you’ll have to bring any purchases back to your seat. At the cafe you’ll find a good range of snack, pastries and several hott meal options.You can also get a range of soft drinks, mid strength beer and RTD’s, wine in addition to tea and coffee. Prices seem pretty reasonable as you would expect for a government run service. I got a sausage roll early in the journey for $4 and then a beef pie later on also for $4. Toasted sandwiches cost $5.50 whilst the hot meal options are only $10. Non alcoholic drinks range from $2 to $4 whilst a mid string beer will set you back $7 and wine $8.50. There is certainly no fine dining experience on this train but with affordable prices and a good range of snacks and drinks I certainly had no complaints!

Crew and on-board service

With the Prospector train you’ll notice that a 2 team crew jointly operate any given Prospector Service. There is a Perth team that operates and crew the train until Meriden and then returns to Perth in the other direction whilst a Kalgoorlie based team operate the train to Meriden before travelling back to Kalgoorlie. For this arrangement to work efficiently the inbound and outbound Propsector Train services are scheduled to arrive into Meriden at the same time allowing for the quick crew swap to occur. Expect the crew-swap to take around 10 minutes and you are welcome to get off the train to stretch you legs here but be sure to listen to the announcement so it doesn’t leave without you!

All in all the crew were all really friendly and kept us well appraised to the train’s progress across the Goldfields today. Once again this is not suppose to be a luxury train trip so crew interactions were fairly limited but they didn’t have to be and the crew were really good overall.

Arriving into Kalgoorlie

We arrived into Kalgoorlie station just after 2pm and merely a minute or two behind scheduled completing the trip in just 6 hours and 56 minutes. It was a very smooth ride to Kalgoorlie today with the train keeping moving the entire journey without any real train – track maintenance or signalling delays which was really impressive unlike some other Australian train journeys that I have taken that have been a lot more stop-start! Once arriving into Kalgoorlie the town’s historic railway station is located in the centre of town and conveniently only several minutes walk to the heart of bustling Hannan Street. Most accommodation in Kalgoorlie is within walking distance however taxis are available should you need to travel further in the city.

Summing Up: Is it worth taking the Prospector Train to Kalgoorlie

Overall today’s journey on the Prospector train was a very enjoyable one and whilst it is certainly quicker to simply fly to Kalgoorlie which is only a 1 hour flight catching the train provides a strong alternative to driving which has a comparable journey time . It is also a lot more affordable way to travel between the cities with the cost of a ticket being typically 2-3 times cheaper than flying and the connivence of leaving from East Perth and arriving into the centre of Kalgoorlie without the hassle of needing to go to the Airport shouldn’t be understated either.

On the train journey itself it is also a really scenic one starting of with the lush green scenery of the Avon Valley and the Perth hills before heading out through the changing landscapes of the Central Wheat Belt and then finally into the outback scenery of the Goldfields.

The seating was reasonably comfortable if a little bit hard whilst the IFE system was a bit glitchy at least it was there unlike most Australia passenger train journeys! Food and drinks whilst not giving any fine dining vibes from the cafe offered affordable options and there was a good range so pretty hard to complain here. Finally, the staff were pretty friendly and kept us well informed of the journey’s progress which I Think the timings are really great to for leaving Perth and arriving into Kalgoorlie.

So would I recommend getting the Prospector train? Absolutely! it is one of the must do railway journeys that you can do in Australia giving you a good glimpse of outback Australia whilst travelling at considerable speed (for Australian standards). Many aspects of the journey are geared towards the everyday traveller providing a vital and more affordable connection between Perth and Kalgoorlie but as long as you are not expecting a luxury experience it is more than comfortable and easy way to travel!