West Coast Railway (Victoria)

Infobox Company
company_name = West Coast Railway
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company_type = Division (business)
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foundation = 1993
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location_country =
location = Geelong, Victoria, Australia
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industry = Public Transport
products =
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parent = The Victorian Railway Company Pty Ltd
divisions =
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homepage =
dissolved = 2004
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West Coast Railway was the trading name of The Victorian Railway Company Pty Ltd, a railway company operating in Victoria, Australia. The company operated passenger services between Melbourne and Warrnambool from 1993 to 2004.

History

West Coast Railway was formed in 1993 when the Kennett Liberal Government offered long-distance country rail services previously run by the government-owned operator V/Line to private operators. Their bid was entered in February 1993 and was announced as the successful tender on April 30 the same year. The initial franchise was for 8 years, being later extended for 3 more. Their head office in Geelong was opened on July 12, 1993 and the company officially came into existence on August 1.

While several rail services were replaced by road coach services, West Coast Railway successfully tendered to maintain the South-West region's rail service, thus - in the words of the company - "giving new life to a region serviced by rail for over 100 years". [cite web | url=http://web.archive.org/web/20040810174410/www.wcr.com.au/history.html | title = History | publisher = www.wcr.com.au | date = 2004-08-10 | accessdate = 2007-01-06] During the 11 years of WCR operation of the line, patronage increased by 20%.cite news | author = Philip Hopkins | title = End of the line for West Coast Rail | url = http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/07/18/1090089033538.html?from=storylhs | work = The Age | date = 2004-07-19 | accessdate = 2006-12-17] The first rail service under WCR operated on September 19 when V/Line locomotive N466 "City of Warrnambool" hauled the 17.00 up Warrnambool to Melbourne service.

In 2001, the two directors of the company brought a 50% share in Tranz Scenic, the national passenger operator in New Zealand. [cite news | author = Tranz Scenic Press Release | title = Scoop: West Coast Railway Preferred Tranz Scenic Buyer | url = http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0106/S00239.htm | work = www.scoop.co.nz | date = 2001-06-26 | accessdate = 2007-01-06] However, the investment was not successful,Fact|date=February 2007 and the share was sold in 2003 to Toll NZ. [cite news | author = AAP | title = Toll NZ buys back Tranz Scenic stake | url = http://au.news.yahoo.com/040520/2/p30a.html | work = Yahoo! News Australia & NZ | date = 2001-06-26 | accessdate = 2007-01-06]

Fleet

West Coast Railway operated a fleet notable for being largely comprised of 1950s-era locomotives and rolling stock bought second-hand from the Victorian Government, replacing the 1980s-built locomotives and rolling stock V/Line had operated on the line until 1993. This was in contrast to the successful tenderer for the Shepparton line rail service, Hoys Roadlines, who decided to lease rolling stock from V/Line.cite journal | year = 1996 | month = April | title = Train A-Hoy | author = Sid Brown | journal = Newsrail | publisher = Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division) ]

The fleet included early streamlined B class and S class GM EMD diesel-electric locomotives, [cite web | url=http://web.archive.org/web/19991009142032/www.wcr.com.au/ldfleet.htm | title = West Coast Railway Fleet Specs | publisher = www.wcr.com.au | date = 1999-11-16 | accessdate = 2007-01-06] and former "Spirit of Progress" S and Z type passenger carriages. [cite web | url=http://web.archive.org/web/19991116202402/www.wcr.com.au/carhist.htm | title = West Coast Railway - S & Z Carriage History Details | publisher = www.wcr.com.au | date = 1999-11-16 | accessdate = 2007-01-06] The WCR fleet was painted in a distinctive blue, white and yellow livery, to symbolize the water, sand and sky of the beach.Fact|date=June 2008

The first locomotive to be fully overhauled by WCR was S 300 which begun trials on January 23, 1995 and entered regular service two weeks later. The railway depot at Ballarat East was leased by the company as a heavy maintenance base, with transfer runs being made over the Geelong-Ballarat railway.

Specially modified R class steam locomotives were also used to operate a Saturday return service, [cite web | url=http://web.archive.org/web/20000203194257/www.wcr.com.au/newsjune99.htm | title = West Coast Railway - News and Events | publisher = www.wcr.com.au | date = 2000-02-03 | accessdate = 2007-01-06] becoming the fastest regular steam hauled passenger service in the world.cite book |author=Lee, Robert |title=The Railways of Victoria 1854-2004 |publisher=Melbourne University Publishing Ltd |date=2007 |isbn= 9780522851342 |page=page 257 ] R711 entered service on regular trains on November 21, 1998 and was fitted with multiple unit control equipment for diesel electric locomotives.

As well as operating regular Warrnambool passenger services, West Coast Railway also offered charter services and operated special excursion trains to various destinations within Victoria. The company assisted with the restoration of a number of steam locomotives, with R711 and Y112 made operational, with work being carried out on J 536, D3 638, D3 641, and A2 986.cite journal | author = Peter Attenborough | year = 2004 | month = February | title = West Coast Railway | journal = Australian Model Railway Magazine | pages = pages 32-34 ]

The company also took advantage of Victoria's newly privatised rail freight market by leasing T class locomotives to private rail freight operators.

Demise

West Coast Railway encountered a series of operational difficulties during 2003/04 which impacted on its business. The death of one of the company principals, Gary McDonald on April 25, 2003 removed the guiding spirit of the company. The rebuilding of the Warrnambool line between Melbourne and Geelong for 160 km/h (100 mph) interurban operation caused the company to temporarily replace its rail services with road coaches in February 2004 while construction works were underway, with a resulting drop in passenger numbers.cite news | author = Philip Hopkins | title = End of the line for West Coast Rail | url = http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/07/18/1090089033538.html?from=storylhs | work = The Age | date = 2004-07-19 | accessdate = 2006-12-17]

In May 2004, only a short time after West Coast Railway's rail services resumed, the Victorian Department of Infrastructure issued an alert on cracks in the frames of B and S class diesel electric locomotives including seven units owned by WCR. [cite web | url=http://www.abc.net.au/ballarat/news/200405/s1117841.htm | title = West Coast regrets train safety disruptions | publisher = www.abc.net.au | date = 2004-05-28 | accessdate = 2007-01-05] Once again, the company was forced to operate two of three daily services with road coaches. There had also been a change in government transport policy in favour of government-operated country rail services following the election of the Bracks Labor Government and the failure of the privatisation of V/Line Passenger. [cite news | author = Andrew Heasley | title = State to tear up V/Line contract | url = http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/08/23/1030052975188.html | work = The Age | date = 2002-08-24 | accessdate = 2006-12-19]

The expected locomotive repair bill in excess of AUD$1,000,000 was the last straw for the company.cite news | author = Philip Hopkins | title = End of the line for West Coast Rail | url = http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/07/18/1090089033538.html?from=storylhs | work = The Age | date = 2004-07-19 | accessdate = 2006-12-17] On 1st September 2004, West Coast Rail handed back the contract to the Government and V/Line Passenger resumed passenger rail services to Warrnambool.

References

Further reading

*

External links

* [http://web.archive.org/web/20040302173716/http://www.wcr.com.au/index.html web.archive.org] 2004 archive of West Coast Railway corporate website