Oaklands railway line, Victoria
Encyclopedia
The Oaklands railway line is a freight only railway line in north eastern Victoria
, Australia
. The line branches from the main North East railway at Benalla station
until it connects with the New South Wales railway network at Oaklands, New South Wales
.
along with the extension of the main line to Albury
in New South Wales
, being extended another 32 kilometres to Yarrawonga
on the south shore of the Murray River
in 1886, which formed the colonial and later state boundary between Victoria
and New South Wales
. Under the 1922 Border Railways Act
the line was extended another 61 kilometres to Oaklands, New South Wales
in 1938, where it formed a break-of-gauge
with the existing New South Wales Railways branch line. This break of gauge station included warehouse and other facilities of a military nature which are best located at breaks of gauge. The last regular passenger service on the line was between Benalla and Yarrawonga on October 13 1979, operated by DERM
55RM.
With the opening of the North East standard gauge line in 1961, the line had standard gauge track at both ends, in addition to the broad gauge via Benalla. Gauge conversion of the line has proposed at various times, including by the Victorian State Government in 2001 with a proposed completion data of late 2003. The last broad gauge train to run on the line was a Pacific National
grain service in May 2007.
In 2008, agreement was reached to convert
the North East railway line from broad gauge
to standard gauge
, which would have left the Oaklands branch as an isolated useless spur.
The local MP reported that the cost of converting
this 125 km (77.7 mi) branch to standard gauge
was just over $13m. In October 2008 the Victorian State Government announced that an upgrade would take place.
The conversion was completed in December 2009 at a cost of $16.5 million with nearly 50,000 sleepers replaced. The first revenue service on the converted line was an El Zorro
grain train on 10 March.
There is a potential for a new source of traffic on the line with the opening of coal mines in the area, with Coalworks having thermal coal
reserves of 640 million tonnes at Oaklands.
(border) Murray River
bridge replaced 1989
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The line branches from the main North East railway at Benalla station
Benalla railway station, Victoria
Benalla is a railway station on the North East railway in the city of Benalla, Victoria, Australia. Located at the Midland Highway level crossing close to the centre of town, the station is served by both V/Line Albury-Wodonga line and CountryLink Melbourne - Sydney passenger services...
until it connects with the New South Wales railway network at Oaklands, New South Wales
Oaklands, New South Wales
Oaklands is a town in the Riverina district of southern New South Wales, Australia. The town is located 615 kilometres south west of the state capital, Sydney and 105 kilometres north west of Albury. Oaklands is in the Urana Shire Local government area and at the 2006 census, had a population of...
.
History
The line opened in 1883 as a 32 kilometre branch line to St JamesSt James, Victoria
St James is a town in northern Victoria, Australia. The town is located in the Shire of Moira Local Government Area, north of the state capital, Melbourne.St James was the location of the first business of G.J Coles, founder of the Coles Group...
along with the extension of the main line to Albury
Albury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, being extended another 32 kilometres to Yarrawonga
Yarrawonga, Victoria
Yarrawonga is a town in the Shire of Moira Local Government Area in the Australian state of Victoria. The town is situated on the south bank of the Murray River, the border between Victoria and New South Wales and is located approximately north-east of the state capital, Melbourne. Yarrawonga's...
on the south shore of the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
in 1886, which formed the colonial and later state boundary between Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. Under the 1922 Border Railways Act
1922 Border Railways Act
The 1922 Border Railways Acts, were Acts passed by the Parliaments of both Victoria and New South Wales, which authorised the construction of cross border railways in the Riverina region of Australia. Despite being located in New South Wales, the region was closer economically to Victoria and its...
the line was extended another 61 kilometres to Oaklands, New South Wales
Oaklands, New South Wales
Oaklands is a town in the Riverina district of southern New South Wales, Australia. The town is located 615 kilometres south west of the state capital, Sydney and 105 kilometres north west of Albury. Oaklands is in the Urana Shire Local government area and at the 2006 census, had a population of...
in 1938, where it formed a break-of-gauge
Break-of-gauge
With railways, a break-of-gauge occurs where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded...
with the existing New South Wales Railways branch line. This break of gauge station included warehouse and other facilities of a military nature which are best located at breaks of gauge. The last regular passenger service on the line was between Benalla and Yarrawonga on October 13 1979, operated by DERM
Diesel Electric railmotor (VR)
The Diesel Electric Rail Motor was a railmotor operated by the Victorian Railways of Australia.-History:...
55RM.
With the opening of the North East standard gauge line in 1961, the line had standard gauge track at both ends, in addition to the broad gauge via Benalla. Gauge conversion of the line has proposed at various times, including by the Victorian State Government in 2001 with a proposed completion data of late 2003. The last broad gauge train to run on the line was a Pacific National
Pacific National
Pacific National is one of Australia's largest private rail freight businesses. Originally a joint venture between Patrick Corporation and Toll Holdings; it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Asciano Limited following the restructure of Toll Holdings....
grain service in May 2007.
In 2008, agreement was reached to convert
Gauge conversion
In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...
the North East railway line from broad gauge
Victorian broad gauge
Rail gauge in Australia displays significant variation, which has been an ongoing problem for transportation on the Australian continent, for over a hundred years.-Track gauges and route km:The most used gauges are Main gauges:...
to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
, which would have left the Oaklands branch as an isolated useless spur.
The local MP reported that the cost of converting
Gauge conversion
In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...
this 125 km (77.7 mi) branch to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
was just over $13m. In October 2008 the Victorian State Government announced that an upgrade would take place.
The conversion was completed in December 2009 at a cost of $16.5 million with nearly 50,000 sleepers replaced. The first revenue service on the converted line was an El Zorro
El Zorro (railway)
El Zorro is a railway operator based in Victoria, Australia. It is a private company that was founded in 1999, based in Spotswood, and named by director Ray Evans who has a taste for things Spanish. . The company has three shareholders: director Ray Evans, business manager Geoff Tighe, and Lisa...
grain train on 10 March.
Traffic
The line carries seasonal wheat harvest (grain) traffic. There is no passenger service.There is a potential for a new source of traffic on the line with the opening of coal mines in the area, with Coalworks having thermal coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
reserves of 640 million tonnes at Oaklands.
Stations
- Benalla railway station, VictoriaBenalla railway station, VictoriaBenalla is a railway station on the North East railway in the city of Benalla, Victoria, Australia. Located at the Midland Highway level crossing close to the centre of town, the station is served by both V/Line Albury-Wodonga line and CountryLink Melbourne - Sydney passenger services...
- junction - GoorambatGoorambat, VictoriaGoorambat is a town in northern Victoria, Australia. The town is located in the Rural City of Benalla Local Government Area, north of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Goorambat and the surrounding area had a population of 495.-History:...
- silo - DevenishDevenish, VictoriaDevenish is a town in northern Victoria, Australia. The town is located in the Rural City of Benalla Local Government Area, north of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Devenish and the surrounding area had a population of 432.-History:...
- silo - St JamesSt James, VictoriaSt James is a town in northern Victoria, Australia. The town is located in the Shire of Moira Local Government Area, north of the state capital, Melbourne.St James was the location of the first business of G.J Coles, founder of the Coles Group...
- silo - TungamahTungamah, VictoriaTungamah is a town in the Goulburn Valley region of northern Victoria, Australia. The town is located in the Shire of Moira Local government area, from the state capital, Melbourne. Tungamah is situated on the banks of Boosey Creek and at the 2006 census, Tungamah had a population of...
- silo - TelfordTelford, VictoriaTelford is a small locality in Victoria on the Oaklands railway line, Victoria.- Transport :It is served by a wheat silo. The branchline is now freight only and no longer carries passenger trains.- References :...
- silo - YarrawongaYarrawonga, VictoriaYarrawonga is a town in the Shire of Moira Local Government Area in the Australian state of Victoria. The town is situated on the south bank of the Murray River, the border between Victoria and New South Wales and is located approximately north-east of the state capital, Melbourne. Yarrawonga's...
- silo
(border) Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
bridge replaced 1989
- MulwalaMulwala, New South WalesMulwala is a town in the Corowa Shire Local Government Area in the Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia. The town is situated on Lake Mulwala, an artificial lake formed by the damming of the Murray River. At the 2006 census, Mulwala had a population of 1,986 people...
- SloaneSloane, New South WalesSloane, New South Wales is a small locality whose main reason for being is its railway station and wheat silo- Transport :Sloane is located on the Victorian Oaklands railway line and as such the railway was constructed to broad gauge. In 2008 a decision was taken to gauge convert the North East...
- silo - WarragoonWarragoon, New South WalesWarragoon is a small community in the central part of the Riverina. It is situated by road, about 11 kilometres north west from Tuppal and 14 kilometres south west from Blighty. At the 2006 census, Warragoon had a population of 302....
- silo - RennieRennie, New South WalesRennie is a town community in New South Wales, Australia. It is in the south east part of the Riverina and situated about 10 kilometres south from Savernake and 19 kilometres north from Mulwala....
- silo - SangarSangar, New South WalesSangar is a locality, including a railway station in the south east part of the Riverina. It is situated by road, about 12 kilometres north from Rennie and 21 kilometres south from Oaklands.- Railways:...
- silo - WangamongWangamong, New South WalesWangamong is a locality in New South Wales.- Transport :It lies on the Oaklands railway line, Victoria which is a broad gauge branch operated by Victorian Railways. The station has a wheat silo which is its main reason for being.- References :*...
- silo - OaklandsOaklands, New South WalesOaklands is a town in the Riverina district of southern New South Wales, Australia. The town is located 615 kilometres south west of the state capital, Sydney and 105 kilometres north west of Albury. Oaklands is in the Urana Shire Local government area and at the 2006 census, had a population of...
AWB and Grainco silos
See also
- Oaklands railway line, New South WalesOaklands railway line, New South WalesThe Oaklands railway line is a partly closed railway line in New South Wales, Australia. It is a branch of the Main South line at The Rock, and heads in a southwesterly direction through the towns of Boree Creek and Urana to Oaklands. The line opened in 1901 to Lockhart, and in 1912 to Oaklands....
- Railpage Australia - Discussions and reports covering Freight Traffic on the Railway Line
- Railpage Australia - Discussions on the conversion of the line from Broad Gauge to Standard Gauge