Closed Lines and Services
Australia, like many other countries around the world, experienced a flurry of railway building activity during the latter half of the 19th century. First came the main lines, followed by branch lines that soon riddled the countryside, but like most industries that enjoy a boom, it was followed by a bust. The advent of the motor vehicle brought a new, cheaper and often more convenient way of transporting both goods and passengers from point A to B. Most major lines managed to survive, often by re-inventing the services they offered, but others, along with the branchlines, fell by the wayside. Today, their culverts, tunnels, bridges and embankments that dot the landscape are often the only reminder of an era when rail travel and steam trains were king. The closed lines featured here are just a handful of the many railway lines and services that didn't make it into the 21st century.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Upper Darling Range Railway, WA
If you take a drive up to Kalamunda in the Perth Hills, be sure to descend the escarpment via a road through Gooseberry Hill which follows the path of the Upper Darling Range Railway from Karragullen down through a zig-zag to the plain below. The track offers some great vantage points for bird watchers, photographers and anyone who loves a beautiful view.
Eastern Railway, Perth, WA
The First Route over the Darling Scarp, from Guildford to Chidlow, was opened on 11 March 1884. The route ascended the escarpment around Greenmount Hill passing through Boya, Darlington, Glen Forrest, Mundaring and Sawyers Valley before turning north to Mount Helena.
Perth's Closed Lines and Stations
The Eastern Railway was the first line built across the Darling Scarp to link Perth with Kalgoorlie and eventually the eastern states. Two routes would eventually be followed, the First Route, known as the Mundaring Route, was opened on 11 March 1884. The Mundaring Route is one of a number of lines in and around Perth that is no closed to train traffic.
TASMANIA
Far Western Line, Tasmania
Tasmanian Government Railways extended its Western line from Burnie to Myalla in two stages in 1913. In 1919, an isolated line was opened from the Bass Strait port of Stanley, then south to Trowutta. Two years later, this line was extended from Irishtown Junction west to the major centre of Smithton. In 1922, the missing section – from Myalla to Wiltshire – was completed.
Ida Bay Bush Railway, Tasmania
The Ida Bay Railway is a 7-kilometre 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge heritage bush railway. Located 105 kilometres south of Hobart, Tasmania in the Lower Huon region, it is the most southerly railway in Australia. The line is the last surviving narrow gauge tramway used by timber mills in the forests of southern Tasmania.
Latrobe - Deloraine - Wilmot Railway, Tasmania
The Mersey-to-Deloraine Tramway Company was formed in 1864 to link Deloraine with the North West Coast using a line with a 4'6" gauge out of Latrobe, which was then the main port in the Mersey area. The Railton to Roland line was a branchline of the Mersey-to-Deloraine tramway.
Derwent Valley Railway, Tasmania
The Derwent Valley Railway is an inoperational heritage railway. Based in New Norfolk, it is 3' 6" narrow gauge railway. Derwent Valley Railway Inc. are currently in negotiations to regain access to the Derwent Valley Line with a view to restoring it to operation for tourist trains. The line closely follows the course of the River Derwent for the first 39 km as far as Coniston, and crosses the river at three different points. In 1995, TasRail completely closed the line beyond New Norfolk after floods and heavy rain substantially damaged the track.
North Eastern Railway, Tasmania
From 1882, the Tasmanian government constructed numerous branch lines including the Launceston-Scottsdale line as well as extending the Western Line along the North-West Coast. The Launceston-Scottsdale line branched off the Bell Bay railway line at Coldwater Creek Junction, 13km north of Launceston. It was opened in February 1889 and passed through twelve stations along the way, including Legerwood.
Bellerive - Sorell, Tasmania
The 24 km Bellerive to Sorell Railway was built to link Hobart to the east and south east areas of Tasmania. Construction of the line commenced in 1890. It was nicknamed the "Idiotic Railway" by many, including vocal antagonists and politicians, in reference to a time when state governments were excessively constructing railways around Tasmania regardless of costs.
NEW SOUTH WALES
Batlow Line, NSW
This steep and sharply curving line was principally to carry agricultural produce. Batlow’s altitude and climate were ideal for apple growing, and until the line was closed in 1984, its main traffic was apples sent to the Sydney markets from the Batlow Packing House and Cool Stores Co-operative.
Lithgow Zig Zag Railway, NSW
The Lithgow Zig Zag is one of the major engineering achievements of the railway era, its construction opened up the western area of New South Wales beyond the Blue Mountains for development with access by rail. At the time of its construction, it was the greatest civil engineering work in Australia and was considered worldwide as an engineering marvel.
Sydney's Closed Lines and Stations
The City of Sydney has numerous railway lines that once carried goods and passengers to parts of the suburban area that for various reasons were deemed to no longer warrant railway services. We explore the bridges, tunnels and abandoned routes of these railways.
Newnes Railway, Blue Mountains, NSW
The Newnes railway line (also called Wolgan Valley Railway) is a closed and dismantled railway line in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. The line ran for 51 km from the Main Western line to the township of Newnes. Along the way, it passed through a tunnel now known as the Glowworm Tunnel, because it is famous for its glow-worms.
NSW Main North Line, Armidale to Wallangarra
The NSW Main North Line has always been hampered by the rugged terrain and a change of gauge at Wallangarra for traffic to Queensland. As a result, it was superseded as the principal route to Brisbane by the completion of the North Coast Line in 1930. In 1988, the section between Tenterfield and Wallangarra was finally closed. The last train to operate north of Tenterfield was an Australian Railway Historical Society charter on 15 January 1988 hauled by diesel locomotive 4487. The last train to operate north of Glen Innes was hauled by steam locomotive 3001 on 22 October 1989 after which the line was formally suspended from operations.
Sydney Metropolitan Goods Line, NSW
The Metropolitan Goods Lines were a series of lines designed to divert goods trains off passenger lines and avoid unnecessary delays for both forms of transport. They spread throughout the Sydney area from 1916 and played a major role in the development of the city and suburbs. Many of the lines are no longer used and have been abandoned, while others have been turned over to light rail.
South Australia
Spalding (Clare Valley) Line, SA
The Spalding railway line on the South Australian Railways network branched from the Adelaide-Peterborough line at Riverton and passed through the Clare Valley to Spalding. The line opened from Riverton to Clare on 5 July 1918, being extended to Spalding on 9 January 1922. The section of the line between Riverton and Barinia has been converted into a Rail Trail, known as The Riesling Trail.
The Gt Northern Railway, SA
Today, when you cross the vast deserts of Central Australia aboard The Ghan train, you do so seated in a soft armchair in air-conditioned comfort. But in the early days of The Ghan, it was quite a different story. This narrow-gauge line it first travelled on lay well over 100km east of the current one, and was no pleasure trip. Rattling through flood-prone country, sometimes at walking pace, travel could be delayed for up to a week and - so the story goes - the crew sometimes had to shoot game to feed the passengers.
NORTHERN TERRITORY
North Australia Railway (Narrow Gauge), NT
The first section of the narrow gauge North Australia Railway from Darwin to Pine Creek opened in 1888. It was extended south to Katherine in 1926 and finally Larrimah in 1929, which was as far south as it got, never linking up to the Adelaide to Alice Springs railway. It was eventually extended through Pine Creek and Katherine to Larrimah and Birdum Creek (4th September 1929).
VICTORIA
Melbourne's Closed Lines and Stations
Melbourne's Inner Circle Line was a steam era suburban railway line. It served the inner-northern suburbs of Parkville, Carlton North, Fitzroy North, and Fitzroy. The line is one of many around the Melbourne metropolitan area where trains no longer run. Others, like the Port Melbourne line, are now serviced by trams.
Tallarook to Mansfield, Vic
The Tallarook to Mansfield and Alexandra railways were branch lines passing through the Goulburn Valley of northern Victoria. They were constructed in three main stages: Tallarook to Yea from 1882-84, Yea to Mansfield from 1887-91 and the final Alexandra Township Railway Extension commenced in August 1908 and completed by October 1909. The line was built as a result of a decade of local lobbying.
QUEENSLSAND
Bundaberg to Mount Perry, Qld
Copper was discovered in the Mount Perry area in the second half of the nineteenth century. Mining activities led to agitation for a link between the mines of the Mount Perry region and a port. In 1872 proposals of a private railway line were considered, and both Maryborough and Bundaberg vied to secure the line. These plans were never executed however. Rather, it was decided a state-owned line would be constructed. Thornloe Smith, Engineer in charge of Railway Surveys, conducted a survey from North Bundaberg to Mount Perry in 1875.
Cooyar Branch Line, Qld
The Cooyar railway line linked Oakey to Cooyar in the eastern Darling Downs of Queensland. Branch lines were secondary railway lines designed to connect rural districts with the main rail routes. They were constructed with the aim of supporting small-scale agriculturalists, dairy farmers and the timber industry. Branch lines were generally of cheaper construction than main lines, more frequent stops were provided and they were often built on road easements to reduce the costs stemming from land resumptions.
Brisbane Valley Line, Qld
The Brisbane Valley railway line was developed as a branch line from the main Brisbane-Toowoomba rail line. It was constructed from Wulkuraka near Ipswich to Lowood (1884) then extended to Esk (1886) then Toogoolawah (February 1904), Yimbun (September 1904), Linville (1910), Benarkin and Blackbutt (1911) and finally to Yarraman (1913). Originally intended that the line would eventually meet the Gympie to Nanango rail line to serve as a rail connection to Gympie and a shorter route between the South Burnett and Brisbane, the final linking section was never constructed.