Unanderra-Moss Vale railway line, New South Wales

Public transport infrastructure in Sydney
logo=
name= Unanderra- Moss Vale
transport_mode=Coach service
line_owner=RailCorp
operation_area=Illawarra, Southern Highlands
map_colour=Blue
stations_number=9
interchange_names=Wollongong
Dapto
Bowral
Bundanoon
operator_names=CityRail
Road Coach 3801 Limited
date_1=1932
event_1=Rail line opened
date_2=1990s
event_2=Passenger service replaced with coach serviceThe Unanderra - Moss Vale railway line is a cross country railway line in New South Wales, Australia. The line branches from the Illawarra (South Coast) railway line at the town of Unanderra and winds west over the Illawarra escarpment to the Southern Highlands town of Moss Vale. The line is one of the most scenic in New South Wales, and for the first 20 km after leaving Unanderra has an almost continuous grade 1 in 30 providing spectacular view over the Illawarra coastline. [cite web
last = Singh-Sidhu
first = Daniel
coaauthors = Dennis Rittson, John Crudine, Tony Gatt
work = Railpix Australia
title = Dombarten-Moss Vale
url= http://railpix.railmedia.com.au/index.php?page=dombarton
accessdate = 2006-12-07 ]

Course

The length of the line is 57 kilometres, and is double track from from Unanderra to Dombarton. The line is single track thereafter with several crossing loops. The double track section was built as part of the now abandoned Maldon to Dombarton railway line, and unfinished staunchions line this section as part of the proposed electrification.

The line connects the following current and former passenger stations: [cite web
last = Bozier
first = Rolfe
coaauthors = "et al"
work = NSWrail.net
title = Unanderra - Moss Vale Line
url=http://www.nswrail.net/lines/show.php?name=NSW:unanderra_moss_vale
accessdate = 2006-12-13 ]
* Unanderra - junction with Illawarra line.
* Dombarton - end of double line (formerly the site of an unusual crossing arrangement ["Dombarton Crossing Station" Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, August, 1943 pp15-16] )
* Summit Tank (platform only) (crossing loop)
* Mount Murray (closed) (crossing loop reopened 1980s)
* Ranelagh House (platform only)
* Robertson (platform) (crossing loop)
* Burrawang (closed 1975)
* Calwalla (closed 1976) (crossing loop reopened 1980s)
* Moss Vale - junction with main south line.

History

The line was first proposed in the 1880s by residents of Moss Vale and local industry keen for a connection to the port at Port Kembla. Construction began on 26 June 1925, and was completed on 20 August 1932 ["The Unanderra to Moss Vale Line" Jacobson, O.F. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, February, 1972 pp25-48] .

. The line initially carried mainly limestone from the Marulan Quarry to Port Kembla Steelworks, but also vegetables from Robertson to Sydney and later, coal. Daily steam-hauled passenger trains operated from 1932, which were later replaced by diesel hauled trains, then railmotors. A weekend excursion train operated as late as the early 1990s, prior to its replacement by the privately operated "Cockatoo Run" steam hauled weekend tourist train which operates to the present day. Limestone freight continues to be hauled, and the line remains a valuable freight link to the Wollongong area and a useful bypass line when engineering works close the Main South Line. [cite web
last = Wollongong City Council
work = Wollongong City Council
title = Kembla Grange History
url=http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/library/localinfo/kemblagrange/history.html
accessdate = 2006-12-07 ]

Services

CityRail road coach service is now provided in lieu of the former rail service. The service stops at Wollongong, Dapto and Albion Park railway stations; bus stops on Hoddle Street in both Burrawang and Robertson; then at Bowral, Moss Vale, Exeter and Bundanoon railway stations.

Maldon-Dombarton Line

State Rail began construction of a line connecting Maldon, on the Southern Highlands line near Picton, with Dombarton near Port Kembla. The project would have created the longest tunnel in Australia: the 4-km Avon Tunnel. Part of the incomplete tunnel, as well approaches to a bridge over the Cordeaux River, are visible today. [cite web
last = Bozier
first = Rolfe
coaauthors = "et al"
work = NSWrail.net
title = Dombarton - Maldon Line
url=http://www.nswrail.net/lines/show.php?name=NSW:dombarton_maldon
accessdate = 2006-12-13 ] . The Port Kembla Port Corporation is currently trying to get funding to complete the line to facilitate the transport of coal and other export materials to the port at Port Kembla. [Ferguson, A. "Kembla is not just any old port as Whitlam storms back into action". [http://www.theaustralian.com.au The Australian] , 21-22 July 2007.]

Deviation

A section of the line was deviated in the 1960s to avoid the site of a new lake built for water supply and power generation purposes.

References