The Tasman Limited was a passenger train operated by Tasmanian Government Railways (TGR) on the Main and Western lines between Hobart, Launceston and Wynyard from April 1954 to July 1978.

The Philips Report of 1953 had recommended the withdrawal of all country passenger services due to steadily decreasing patronage as more people turned to the private motor car as their primary means of travel.

On 5 April 1954, the TGR decided to maximise the train’s popularity by giving it a name (Tasman Limited) and promotion of the service was increased.

The TGR described the train as “cheapest & best in travel comfort.” The railcars carried a destination name-board on their front sides, depending on the direction of travel: The north-bound Tasman Limited ('Tamar': Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) departed Hobart at 08:36, and arrived in Launceston at 13:08, stopping for passengers only at Derwent Park Junction and Western Junction.

On mail days an EEP van would be transferred from the Tasman Limited trains to the feeder service, for delivery into Launceston.

The Tasman Limited became an institution with a generation of Tasmanians, particularly those who lived in remote and regional areas who heavily relied on the service.

Railway staff were often issued general notices reminding them of the importance of keeping the Tasman Limited on time and in top condition.

The Tasman Limited’s name evoked strong imagery of luxury and service, as well as an emotional connection with people who either rode on it or who were rostered to work on it.

A Grover bogie van (EP Class) was coupled to the rear of the train on ferry days to carry the additional mail.

[7] As the train passed by at low speed, the arm inside the van was swung out and the mail bag was captured on the external collection apparatus.

This was to ensure that the vans were positioned fully on the platform at Western Junction, to enable swift loading and unloading of goods, luggage, and parcels.

At the conclusion of each day's running the passenger rolling stock was shunted into a shed for inspection and the ACS cars were overhauled at the Launceston Railway Workshops on an annual basis.

The windy nature of the track, particularly on the southern portion of the Main Line, denied the train its ability to travel at an optimum speed.

During the catastrophic bushfires in Southern Tasmania on 7 February 1967, the Tasman Limited service was terminated at Parattah, and passengers conveyed by bus to Hobart via the Midland Highway.

On 1 July 1975 ownership of the TGR was handed over to the new Federal body ‘Australian National Railways Commission’ (ANR) which was tasked to operate economical rail services and withdraw those that were not viable.

In November 1976 the Joy Report into Tasmania’s Railways recommended the immediate withdrawal of the Tasman Limited due to sustained losses on the service, however a decision on its future was deferred.

During the 1960s and 1970s, increased private car ownership and an improving road network contributed to the declining patronage of passenger rail services in Tasmania.

This left the Tasman Limited and the Midlands Motor (a fortnightly diesel railcar service between Hobart and Parattah) as the only passenger trains operating in Tasmania.

The blockade was lifted when the Transport Commission agreed to union terms which, among others, included better marketing of the Tasman Limited to stem the flow of declining patronage.

In August 1977, the Tasman Limited received a Federal Government subsidy to continue operating for six months and an advertising campaign was launched to encourage passengers back to the train.

It quickly reduced the service from six trips a week to three due to low patronage and increasing losses (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday).

On 12 July 1978, ANR announced that the Tasman Limited and Midlands Motor railcar service would cease operating by the end of the month.

ANR stated that the only reason it was withdrawing the train was because it was unprofitable and would gladly retain the service if an on-going subsidy was provided at government level.

[13] Following the withdrawal of the Tasman Limited, most stations and other passenger infrastructure was gradually demolished or removed from rail property, as ANR focused on upgrading the network purely as a bulk-freight railway.

The owners also purchased retired Mountain-type steam locomotive H5 with a plan to locate the rolling stock to the strawberry farm, in a similar fashion to the Margate Train concept.

The cars were repainted in 'Cadbury purple' in acknowledgement of the Cadbury Chocolate Factory at Claremont which housed the rolling stock in their rail yard.

Issues with the union ban forced the couple to reconsider their plans and they set about preparing the car for tourist trips on the ANR network.

Operating as ‘Tasmanian Rail Tours’, they ran a series of excursions between March 1983 and July 1985, each time hiring an ANR diesel locomotive (Y or X Class) to haul the train.

In 1991, the Derwent Valley Railway Preservation Society purchased all rolling stock from Tasmanian Locomotive Company and continued operating public excursions and charters.

On some Mainline excursions and over-night tours, the Society placed a Tasman Limited headboard on the leading locomotive to recreate the look of the famous train.