Robinvale railway line, Victoria

VictorianRailwayLineInfobox
type = vic
name = Robinvale
yearcommenced =
yearopened = 1924
yearcompleted = 1926
yearclosed = 1978 (for passengers)
fate = Freight line
lengthkm = 511
stations = 12 (some demolished)
tracks = 1
users = Pacific National
servicepattern = Grain to Boort, Quambatook and Manangatang
RollingStock = Grain Hoppers
connections = Junction for the Kulwin Line at Korong Vale
formerconnections =

The Robinvale railway line is a freight only country railway line in north-western Victoria, Australia. The line branches from the Mildura line at Dunolly, and at Inglewood the Eaglehawk - Inglewood line connects with the Piangil line outside Bendigo. The parallel Kulwin line junctions from the Robinvale line at Korong Vale then continues northward.cite web
url=http://www.vline.com.au/pdf/rna/map.pdf
work=V/Line ~ Network Access ~ Information Pack
title=Victorian Network Map
publisher=www.vline.com.au
type=PDF
accessdate=2008-03-24]

History

The line was opened from Inglewood to Korong Vale in 1882, and first extended towards Charlton in what is now the Kulwin line. Korong Vale to Boort opened in 1883, and to Quambatook in 1894. It was extended to Ultima in 1900, to Chillingollah in 1909, to Manangatang in 1914, to Annuello in 1921, and Robinvale in 1924. It was later extended even further to Koorakee, New South Wales in 1929. This involved a lift-span bridge over the Murray River to take the line into New South Wales. ["Robinvale to Lette Railway" Wurr, Chris Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, April, 1999 pp123-138] The section in N.S.W. closed in 1943.cite journal
year = 1990
month = March
title = Tracks Across the State
author = Sid Brown
journal = Newsrail
publisher = Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division)
pages = pages 71–76 ] Access to Melbourne was originally from the Bendigo line via Bridgewater, until the opening of the Dunolly to Inglewood route to the Mildura line in 1888.

The last regular passenger service on the line ran from Bendigo to Robinvale on June 3, 1978 and was operated by a DERM.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 ] It was replaced by Bendigo - Ultima and Swan Hill - Robinvale buses from June 5, 1978.

Operation

Today the line operates using the Train Order Working system of safeworking, with crossing loops provided at Dunolly, Korong Vale, and Robinvale.cite web
url=http://www.vline.com.au/pdf/rna/dunolly_to_robinvale.pdf
work=V/Line ~ Network Access ~ Information Pack
title=Dunolly to Robinvale
publisher=www.vline.com.au
type=PDF
accessdate=2008-03-24] Speed limits are set between 65 and 55 km/h to Manangatang, with all mainline locomotives permitted. Beyond there speed limit is 25km/h and G and XR class locomotives are banned.

The line today sees as required grain services,cite web
url=http://vicsig.net/index.php?page=infrastructure&line=Robinvale
title=VICSIG - Infrastructure - Line Data Robinvale line
publisher=vicsig.net
accessdate=2008-03-24] and containerised freight to Boort where an intermodal operated is by Wimmera Container Lines. [cite web
url=http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/DOI/Internet/Freight.nsf/AllDocs/0B68D60810012C21CA256E05000488F9?OpenDocument
title=Roads, ports and freight - Intermodal terminals
publisher=www.doi.vic.gov.au
accessdate=2008-08-01] In 2008 the line was booked out for upgrades to the track and level crossings from Ultima to Robinvale. In April 2008 it was announced that the Korong Vale - Quambatook section of the line would be upgraded as part of the Victorian core grain network, in a $23.7 million package with 6 other lines. The Dunolly - Korong Vale section had already been upgraded. [cite web
url=http://business.theage.com.au/43m-to-upgrade-rail-freight-lines/20080421-27nl.html
title=$43m to upgrade rail freight lines | theage.com.au
publisher=business.theage.com.au
accessdate=2008-04-27]

Line guide

Current named locations on the line, distances measured via Ballan on the Ballarat line.

References

External links

* [http://vicsig.net/index.php?page=infrastructure&line=Robinvale Vicsig.net - Robinvale line]