 It is perhaps a measure of the high standard of speed set by the "Spirit" in 1937 that even 78 years later, the fastest NSW TrainLink XPT service between Melbourne and Albury at 3 hours 20 minutes, is only 20 minutes faster than the timetabled 3 hour 40 minute journey time of the 1937 steam-hauled "Spirit of Progress" service.Much of the original "Spirit of Progress" rolling stock remained in use on regular long distance intrastate service for VR and its successor V/Line, and for a period of time the private rail operator West Coast Railway.It is perhaps a measure of the high standard of the "Spirit of Progress" rolling stock that the last of the "BS" class of compartment cars was only retired by V/Line in July 2006, almost 69 years after their introduction, and with a boom in V/Line patronage a set comprising five BS carriages was re-introduced to service from September 2007 before being withdrawn in August 2010.