- Oaklands railway line, Victoria
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Not to be confused with Oaklands railway line, New South Wales.
Oaklands railway railway line, Victoria Line details Commenced 1883/1886 Length 64 km (39.8 mi) in Victoria and 61 km (37.9 mi) in NSW Rail transport in Victoria List of stations
Closed railwaysThe Oaklands railway line is a freight only railway line in north eastern Victoria, Australia. The line branches from the main North East railway at Benalla station until it connects with the New South Wales railway network at Oaklands, New South Wales.
Contents
History
The line opened in 1883 as a 32 kilometre branch line to St James along with the extension of the main line to Albury in New South Wales, being extended another 32 kilometres to Yarrawonga on the south shore of the Murray River in 1886,[1] which formed the colonial and later state boundary between Victoria and New South Wales. Under the 1922 Border Railways Act the line was extended another 61 kilometres to Oaklands, New South Wales in 1938, where it formed a break-of-gauge with the existing New South Wales Railways branch line.[1] This break of gauge station included warehouse and other facilities of a military nature which are best located at breaks of gauge. The last regular passenger service on the line was between Benalla and Yarrawonga on October 13 1979, operated by DERM 55RM.[2]
With the opening of the North East standard gauge line in 1961,[3] the line had standard gauge track at both ends, in addition to the broad gauge via Benalla. Gauge conversion of the line has proposed at various times, including by the Victorian State Government in 2001 with a proposed completion data of late 2003.[4] The last broad gauge train to run on the line was a Pacific National grain service in May 2007.[5]
In 2008, agreement was reached to convert the North East railway line from broad gauge to standard gauge, which would have left the Oaklands branch as an isolated useless spur.[6] The local MP reported that the cost of converting this 125 km (77.7 mi) branch to standard gauge was just over $13m.[7] In October 2008 the Victorian State Government announced that an upgrade would take place.[8] The conversion was completed in December 2009 at a cost of $16.5 million with nearly 50,000 sleepers replaced. The first revenue service on the converted line was an El Zorro grain train on 10 March.[9]
Traffic
The line carries seasonal wheat harvest (grain) traffic. There is no passenger service. There is a potential for a new source of traffic on the line with the opening of coal mines in the area, with Coalworks having thermal coal reserves of 640 million tonnes at Oaklands.[10]
Stations
- Benalla railway station, Victoria - junction
- Goorambat - silo[11]
- Devenish - silo
- St James - silo
- Tungamah - silo
- Telford - silo
- Yarrawonga - silo
(border) Murray River bridge replaced 1989[12]
- Mulwala
- Sloane - silo
- Warragoon - silo
- Rennie - silo
- Sangar - silo
- Wangamong - silo
- Oaklands AWB and Grainco silos
See also
- Oaklands railway line, New South Wales
- Railpage Australia - Discussions and reports covering Freight Traffic on the Railway Line
- Railpage Australia - Discussions on the conversion of the line from Broad Gauge to Standard Gauge
References
- NSWrail.net: List of stations and maps of the line
- ^ a b Sid Brown (March 1990). "Tracks Across the State". Newsrail (Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division)): pages 71–76.
- ^ Chris Banger (March 1997). "Rail Passenger Service Withdrawals Since 1960". Newsrail (Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division)): pages 77–82.
- ^ "VR History". www.victorianrailways.net. http://www.victorianrailways.net/vr%20history/history.html. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
- ^ "BRACKS GOVT ENDS 120 YEARS OF DIFFERENT RAIL GAUGES". Media Release from the Minister for Transport. www.budget.vic.gov.au. May 15, 2001. http://www.budget.vic.gov.au/domino/web_notes/budgets/budget01.nsf/77a4bf9f4e5005c64a2567600023b4a3/eebe1e842690f0ff4a256a4d0018c363!OpenDocument. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
- ^ "North East Line to Standard Gauge". Railpage Australia Forums. www.railpage.com.au. http://www.railpage.com.au/f-p1065561.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
- ^ "Premier of Victoria, Australia - FEDERAL-STATE CO-OPERATION DELIVERS MAJOR RAIL PROJECT". www.premier.vic.gov.au. http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/newsroom/federal-state-co-operation-delivers-major-rail-project.html. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
- ^ Ken Jasper MLA, Member for Murray Valley - Jasper supports Oaklands rail line upgrade
- ^ "Government announces rail upgrade". The Border Mail. www.bordermail.com.au. 2008-10-20. http://www.bordermail.com.au/news/local/news/general/government-announces-rail-upgrade/1338220.aspx. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
- ^ "First grain train on standard-gauge Oaklands Line". Railway Digest (Australian Railway Historical Society (NSW Division)): page 15. May 2010.
- ^ Robin Bromby (October 06, 2008). "Coal shaping up as black gold". The Australian. www.theaustralian.news.com.au. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,24450374-18261,00.html. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
- ^ Street-Directory.com.au
- ^ Yarrawonga-Mulwala Tourism - have a holiday at Lake Mulwala, you'll love every minute of it!
Railway Lines in Victoria Main lines
Bendigo Line · Mildura line · North East Line · (Melbourne-Sydney) · Orbost Line · Port Fairy Line · Portland line · Serviceton Line · South Gippsland Line · Tocumwal line · Western SG line (Melbourne-Adelaide)Branch linesAlexandra line · Alvie line · Balranald line · Bolangum line · Briagolong line · Bright line · Buninyong line · Carpolac line · Casterton line · Cobram line · Cohuna line · Coleraine line · Cudgewa line · Daylesford line · Deniliquin line · Forrest line · Grampians line · Heathcote line · Kulwin line · Lancefield line · Maffra line · Mansfield line · Mortlake line · Mirboo North line · Navarre line · Noojee line · Oaklands line · Outtrim line · Patchewollock line · Peechelba East line · Picola line · Portland line · Redesdale line · Red Hill line · Robinvale line · Skipton line · Strzelecki line · Stony Crossing line · Tatong line · Thorpdale line · Timboon line · Wahgunyah line · Waubra line · Wedderburn line · Wonthaggi line · Woodside line · Yackandandah line · Yanac line · Yaapeet line ·
Cross Country linesAvoca line · Geelong-Ballarat line · Eaglehawk–Inglewood line · Moolort Line · Toolamba–Echuca line
V/Line servicesGeelong Line · Warrnambool Line · Ballarat Line · Maryborough Line · Ararat Line · Bendigo Line · Swan Hill Line · Echuca Line · Seymour Line · Shepparton Line · Albury-Wodonga Line · Traralgon Line · Bairnsdale Line
Melbourne suburban servicesCity Loop · Werribee line · Williamstown line · Sydenham line · Craigieburn line · Flemington Racecourse line · Upfield line · Epping line · Hurstbridge line · Lilydale line · Belgrave line · Alamein line · Glen Waverley line · Pakenham line · Cranbourne line · Frankston line · Stony Point line (unelectrified) · Sandringham line
Inner Circle line · Outer Circle line · Rosstown Railway · St Kilda - Windsor line · Spring Vale Cemetery line · Mont Park line · Kew line · Red Hill line · Whittlesea line · Warburton line · Mornington line · Healesville line · St Kilda line · Port Melbourne line Tourist railwaysNarrow gauge branch linesWhitfield line · Gembrook line · Crowes line · Walhalla line
Melbourne goods linesNewport-Sunshine line · Albion-Jacana line · South Kensington-West Footscray line
Categories:- Freight railway lines in Victoria (Australia)
- Railway lines opened in 1883
- Standard gauge railways in Australia
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