Geelong-Ballarat railway line, Victoria

VictorianRailwayLineInfobox
type = vic
name = Geelong - Ballarat
yearcommenced = 1858
yearopened = 1862
yearcompleted =
yearclosed =
fate =
lengthkm =
stations =
tracks = Single track, crossing loops
users = Freight
servicepattern =
RollingStock =
connections =
formerconnections =

---

The Geelong - Ballarat line is a broad gauge railway in western Victoria, Australia between the cities of Geelong and Ballarat. [cite web
url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail&place_id=3945#821408520168219952
title=Blue Bridge (Rail), Mount Doran Egerton Rd, Elaine, VIC, Australia (ref 3945)
work=Register of the National Estate
publisher=www.environment.gov.au
accessdate=2008-09-28] Towns on the route include Bannockburn, Lethbridge, Meredith, Elaine and Lal Lal. Major traffic includes general freight from the Mildura line, and grain.

History

The railway to Geelong was opened in 1857,cite web
url=http://www.railgeelong.com/lineguide/geelong
title=Rail Geelong - Geelong Line Guide
publisher=www.railgeelong.com
accessdate=2008-04-23] and agitation soon started in Ballarat for a railway link to serve the growing number of gold mines. [cite web
url=http://www.ballarathistory.org/transrlh.html
title=Ballarat Australia History - Rail Heritage
publisher=www.ballarathistory.org
accessdate=2008-04-23]

Work begun on the Geelong - Ballarat line in 1858, and the line was officially opened April 10th 1862. This line was built to a high standard by the Victorian Railways, with double track provided throughout, stone station buildings at all of the initial stations, a number of stone bridges for roads that crossed the line, and the 1450 feet (442 metres) Moorabool Viaduct over the river of the same name. This line remained the only way from Ballarat to Melbourne until 1889 when the current direct line was completed.

The line connected with the Geelong railway at North Geelong station, and the 'direct line' from Ballarat to Melbourne branched off at Warrenheip station. Single tracking of the line commenced in 1892, with the largest section (Bannockburn to Warrenheip) done in 1934.cite web
url=http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=infrastructure&name=Gheringhap%20Loop%20(BG)
title=VICSIG - Infrastructure - Gheringhap Loop
publisher=www.vicsig.net
accessdate=2008-04-23] In 1913 the Gheringhap - Maroona line was opened going westwards from the line. [cite web
url=http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=infrastructure&name=Inverleigh
title=VICSIG - Infrastructure - Inverleigh
publisher=www.vicsig.net
accessdate=2008-04-23]

By 1978 passenger services on the line were withdrawn, and a bus replacement introduced, when the 153hp Walker railmotor used to operate them fell into disrepair. [cite web
url=http://www.vrhistory.com/Locations/T1990.PDF
title=Geelong - Ballarat (1990) (1925K)
work=Victorian Station Histories
author=Andrew Waugh
publisher=www.vrhistory.com
accessdate=2008-04-23] Passenger trains from Ballarat and beyond continued to use the line as an alternate route to Melbourne until the 1990s, not stopping at any stations along the line.

In 1995 the line between North Geelong and Gheringhap was converted to dual gauge as part of the gauge standardisation of the Melbourne-Adelaide railway. It was also at this time that the double line from Ballarat to Warrenheip was converted to two parallel and independent lines, and the junction there abolished. [cite web
url=http://www.vrhistory.com/Locations/A070-Warrenheip.pdf
title=Warrenheip station
work=Victorian Station Histories
author=Andrew Waugh
publisher=www.vrhistory.com
accessdate=2008-04-23] In 2008 track upgrading work commenced on the line as part of the rail freight improvements to the Mildura line. [cite web
url=http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/DOI/Internet/Freight.nsf/AllDocs/A20CAE2D119B6DC9CA257329001895F1?OpenDocument
title=Roads, ports and freight - Mildura Rail Freight Upgrade
publisher=www.doi.vic.gov.au
accessdate=2008-04-23]

Line guide

The line uses centralised traffic control on the dual gauge between between North Geelong and Gheringhap, and Train Order Working from there. [cite web
url=http://www.vline.com.au/pdf/rna/north_geelong_to_yelta.pdf
work=V/Line ~ Network Access ~ Information Pack
title=North Geelong to Yelta
publisher=www.vline.com.au
type=PDF
publisher=www.vline.com.au
accessdate=2008-04-23] Unattended crossing loops exist at Gheringhap and Warrenheip, Meredith can be used to cross trains if the signal box is attended, and Lal Lal has a crossing loop that is not used.

References

Further reading

* "The Lal Lal Racecourse Branch" Gavan Duffy, C.D. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, August, 1961

External links

* [http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=infrastructure&line=Yelta Vicsig.net - Yelta line diagram]
* [http://www.railgeelong.com/gallery/geelong-ballarat/ Rail Geelong: Photos of infrastructure along the line]