Ararat railway station, Victoria

VlineRailwayStation1
NAME=Ararat
IMAGELINK=Ararat8.jpg
CAPTION=Broad gauge platform looking towards Ballarat
CODE=ART
DISTANCE=212.81 km
LINES=Ararat
PLATFORMS=2
TRACKS=2 (1 BG, 1 SG)
STATUS=Staffed Station
FACILITIES= [http://www.viclink.com.au/stop/view/20288 Link]
TIMETABLES= [http://www.viclink.com.au/stop/view/20288 Link]
MELWAYORVICROADS=VicRoads
MELWAY=

Ararat railway station is a railway station located in the city of Ararat, Victoria, Australia. It is located where the Western standard gauge line intersects with the broad gauge Ararat line, and is also the junction for the
Ararat - Maryborough line.

Facilities

Ararat has two platform faces, set up in an island format. The standard gauge platform is to the north, with broad gauge trains using a dock platform on the south face. A grade crossing exists at the eastern end of the station to allow the broad gauge to continue east, while the standard gauge turns south.

Control of signals is by the Australian Rail Track Corporation control centre at Mile End, South Australia and Centrol in Melbourne.cite web
url=http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=infrastructure&name=Ararat
title=VICSIG - Infrastructure: Ararat
publisher=www.vicsig.net
accessdate=2008-08-01] A dead end siding is located to the east for broad gauge passenger trains, and across from the main platform are two loop and one dead end standard gauge sidings. [cite web
url=http://www.artc.com.au/library/ta400018_vic_western_line.pdf
title=ARTC system maps: Victoria Western Line
publisher=www.artc.com.au
accessdate=2008-08-01]

History

The railway first reached Ararat from Ballarat in 1875. The line south to Portland opened in 1877, and the mainline was extended west reaching the South Australian border at Serviceton in 1887. The line to Maryborough opened in 1890.cite web
url=http://www.historyvictoria.org.au/pdf/Ararat.pdf
title=The Ararat Story
publisher=Royal Historical Society of Victoria
accessdate=2008-08-01] Two signal boxes ('A' and 'B') were opened in 1891, and in 1914 the goods sidings were extended, with the locomotive depot built soon after. An convert|85|ft|m turntable was installed - the largest on the Victorian Railways system.

Rationalisation to the facilities begun in the 1980s, the 'B' box was demolished in 1984 and the train control office following in 1988. The locomotive depot closed in 1989, with 'A' box following in 1996. Gauge conversion also came to the station in the 1990s, with the main line to Adelaide converted to standard gauge as part of the One Nation project. The lines west and south were converted, with the line to Maryborough converted to dual gauge soon after. The former main line to Ballarat had services suspended in 1995 and was left as broad gauge.cite web
url=http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=infrastructure&name=Ararat
title=VICSIG - Infrastructure: Ararat
publisher=www.vicsig.net
accessdate=2008-08-01] V/Line passenger services westard to Dimboola had been withdrawn on August 21, 1993.cite journal | year = 1997 | month = March | title = Rail Passenger Service Withdrawals Since 1960 | author = Chris Banger | journal = Newsrail | publisher = Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division) | pages = pages 77 - 82 ] In 1999 there was a head-on collision between two freight trains at the station, when the points for the yard were incorrectly set. [cite web
url=http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1999/RAIR/rair1999002.aspx
title= Collision between Freight Train 9784 and Ballast Train 9795
date=November 26, 1999
publisher=www.atsb.gov.au
accessdate=2008-08-01]

The line to Ballarat was reopened in July 2004 when the V/Line passenger services was reinstated. [cite web
url=http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/bc348d5912436a9cca256cfc0082d800/54825852dbca4819ca256ec9000739c3!OpenDocument
title=ACTION-PACKED DAY TO WELCOME TRAINS BACK TO ARARAT
work=Media Release: MINISTER FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT
date=July 5, 2004
publisher=www.legislation.vic.gov.au
accessdate=2008-08-01] The contract for the works was awarded in February 2003, [cite web
url=http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/798c8b072d117a01ca256c8c0019bb01/ee9efd3b7fb66a85ca256cc30001d52e!OpenDocument
title=$20 MILLION CONTRACT SIGNED TO RE-OPEN ARARAT AND BAIRNSDALE RAIL LINES
work=Media Release: MINISTER FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT
publisher=www.legislation.vic.gov.au
date=February 3, 2003
accessdate=2008-08-01] and required a diamond crossing and signalling to be installed to allow the broad gauge line to reach the platform. The Maryborough line was booked out of use in 2005.

ervices

Two passenger rail services operate to Ararat:
* Great Southern Railway's thrice weekly "The Overland" service between Melbourne and Adelaide, running via the Western standard gauge line.
* V/Line's thrice daily Ararat line service, running via Ballarat on the broad gauge.

Since 2008 the Ararat Transit bus service has operated 5 days a week, providing 86 services and connecting with train services. [cite web
url=http://ararat.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/ararat-transit-launched/768940.aspx
title=Ararat transit launched
work=Ararat Advertiser
date=13/05/2008
publisher=yourguide.com.au
accessdate=2008-08-01]

Interstate freight services also operate though the station, primarily intermodal containers, but also general freight, steel products and grain.

References

ViclinkAndClosedStations
Line1=Ararat line
Previous1=Beaufort
ClosedLine = Western standard gauge line
ClosedNext = Stawell
ClosedPrevious = Maroona
ClosedLine2 = Ararat - Maryborough line
ClosedNext2 = Maryborough
ClosedPrevious2 =

Between Ararat and Horsham, closed stations include (from Melbourne) Stawell and Murtoa.