The Tumut and Kunama railway lines are disused railway lines in the south of 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...

, 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 Tumut line was a 104 km long branch of the Main South line

Main Southern railway line, New South Wales

The Main Southern Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Southern Highlands, Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes and the Riverina regions.- Description of route :...

, branching southwards from it at Cootamundra

Cootamundra, New South Wales

Cootamundra is a town and Local Government Area in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia and within the Riverina. At the 2006 census, Cootamundra had a population of 5,566. It is located on the Olympic Highway at the point where it crosses the Muttama Creek, between Junee and...

 and heading to the town of Tumut

Tumut, New South Wales

Tumut is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia, situated on the banks of the Tumut River. Tumut is at the foothills of the Snowy Mountains and is referred to as the gateway to the Snowy Mountains Scheme...

. The line served the towns of Tumut and Gundagai

Gundagai, New South Wales

Gundagai is a town in New South Wales, Australia. Although a small town, Gundagai is a popular topic for writers and has become a representative icon of a typical Australian country town...

, where the line crosses the Murrumbidgee River with a large iron girder bridge and wooden viaduct. Villages on the line included Brawlin

Brawlin, New South Wales

Brawlin is a small community in the north east part of the Riverina and situated about 12 kilometres south from Cootamundra and 29 kilometres north from Coolac.Brawlin Post Office opened on 1 February 1880 and closed in 1951....

, Muttama

Muttama, New South Wales

Muttama is a rural community in the central east part of the Riverina. It is situated by road, about 24 kilometres south from Cootamundra and 17 kilometres north from Coolac....

, Coolac

Coolac, New South Wales

Coolac is a village in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia in Gundagai Shire. At the 2006 census, Coolac had a population of 386 people....

 and Tumblong

Tumblong, New South Wales

Tumblong is a village community in the central east part of the Riverina and situated about 18 kilometres south east from Mundarlo and 25 kilometres north west from Adelong.-History:...

.

The Kunama railway line was a small 35 km branch of the Tumut line, branching from it at Gilmore, 5 km southwest of Tumut, passing through the town of Batlow before ending in Kunama. The branch connection faced towards Tumut.

History

The Tumut line opened as far as Gundagai, using the contractor's equipment, on 10 November, 1885. The line was finally extended to Tumut on 12 October 1903, and the branch to Batlow opened in 1922, and was extended to Kunama shortly after. The steep Kunama line was mainly used for fruit haulage from the orchards surrounding Batlow, until services were suspended in 1983. The line beyond Batlow is formally closed and the line has been lifted. The Tumut line was suspended after flooding in 1984, and part of the alignment has been destroyed by Hume Highway upgrading works. The substantial Gundagai railway station was restored in the 1990s, and is the longest timber railway station in New South Wales.