Wodonga railway station, Victoria

VlineRailwayStation1
NAME=Wodonga
IMAGELINK=Wodonga8.jpg
CAPTION=Wodonga station platform looking towards Melbourne
CODE=WOD
DISTANCE=303.78 km
LINES=Albury-Wodonga
PLATFORMS=2
TRACKS=2 (1 BG) (1 SG)
STATUS=Staffed Station
FACILITIES= [http://www.viclink.com.au/stop/view/20360 Link]
TIMETABLES= [http://www.viclink.com.au/stop/view/20360 Link]
MELWAYORVICROADS=VicRoads
MELWAY=

Wodonga is a railway station located on the Albury-Wodonga line, serving the city of Wodonga, Victoria, Australia. It is served by both V/Line passenger services, and Pacific National freight services.

History

As a terminus

Wodonga station was the original terminus of Victoria's North Eastern Railway which was built during the 1870s, reaching Wodonga in 1873. The connection through to the standard gauge system across the Murray River to Albury was not completed for a few years, partly because the New South Wales standard gauge system had not yet extended as far south as Albury.

Eventually the NSW system was extended southwards from its originating terminus in Sydney to Albury, but the terminals of the broad and standard gauge systems remained separated by the Murray River and a few miles of its surrounding swampy flatlands and billabongs. Intercolonial rivalries were settled by the building of lines and bridges of both gauges across the border river flats with both Albury and Wodonga being transfer stations, this connection being completed in 1883. Albury later became the passenger interchange station and the major freight transshipment point.

Uniform gauge

In 1962 the standard gauge line was extended south from Wodonga to Melbourne and from that time onwards, most interstate haulage was on the standard gauge. Some broad gauge passenger trains still continued to run to Albury to provide a local service to north eastern Victorian towns but the long distance interstate freight and passenger trains were run via this new continuous standard gauge link between Melbourne and Sydney.

Livestock, mostly beef cattle, formed a large part of the freight carried to Melbourne from Wodonga, where large saleyards were established near the station. Meatworks were also one of Wodonga's main industries. After 1980 the saleyard location was moved to Bandiana, east of Wodonga. Dual gauge rail access was constructed at this selling centre which was adjacent to the Victorian Cudgewa branchline. Services on this branch were discontinued beyond Bandiana and the Victorian rail system soon ceased livestock carriage. Cattle continued to be occasionally railed from northern NSW to Bandiana Saleyards until 1987 when this rail traffic also ceased. Nowadays the sidings at Bandiana are used as a rail container terminal by standard gauge trains only with some freight also being handled at Wodonga railway station.

Wodonga Rail Bypass

There are future plans for Wodonga railway station to be moved from its present central location to a position on a new line on the northern edge of the town, along with five kilometres of new track. The release of railway land will allow the redevelopment of Wodonga's commercial area, and eliminate ten level crossings. [cite web
url=http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/Doi/Internet/Freight.nsf/AllDocs/45091215D4C329D9CA25730F001F2EB2?OpenDocument
title=Roads, ports and freight - Wodonga Rail Bypass - Project overview
publisher=www.doi.vic.gov.au
accessdate=2008-03-09] First conceived in 2000, design work commenced in 2006. [cite web
url=http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/DOI/Internet/Freight.nsf/AllDocs/EB3F7703E6DBCB04CA25730F001FB109?OpenDocument
title=Roads, ports and freight - Wodonga Rail Bypass - News and media releases
publisher=www.doi.vic.gov.au
accessdate=2008-03-09]

In May 2008 it was announced that the project would commence as part of an upgrade of the North East railway, with the Australian Government investing $45 million in the works at Wodonga. [cite web
url=http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/newsroom/federal-state-co-operation-delivers-major-rail-project.html
title=Premier of Victoria, Australia - FEDERAL-STATE CO-OPERATION DELIVERS MAJOR RAIL PROJECT
publisher=www.premier.vic.gov.au
accessdate=2008-05-30]

References

* [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/AS/7/Wodonga.html FallingRain Map - elevation = 151m]

VictorianStations
Line = Albury-Wodonga line
Next = Albury
Previous = Chiltern

Barnawartha Station is currently not in use and is located between Wodonga and Chiltern stations.