Wikipedia

Wagin to Newdegate railway line

(Redirected from Lake Grace to Hyden railway line)

The Wagin to Newdegate railway line is a railway line connecting Wagin via Lake Grace to Newdegate, where the line terminates. The line is 180 kilometres (110 mi) long. At Lake Grace, a 94-kilometre (58 mi) branch line to Hyden exists, while, at Wagin, the railway line connects to the Great Southern Railway. Formerly, at Wagin, it also connected to now inactive railway line to Bowelling.[1][2]

Wagin to Newdegate railway line
Lake Grace Railway Station in January 2024
Overview
StatusOpen
OwnerArc Infrastructure (leased from the Public Transport Authority)
LocaleWheatbelt, Western Australia
Termini
Service
Operator(s)Aurizon under contract to CBH Group
History
Commenced1906
Opened15 February 1926 (1926-02-15)
Technical
Line length182 km (113 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Route map

Legend
Wagin to Bowelling railway line
Great Southern Railway
0
 Wagin
13
 Gundaring
22
 Ballaying
31
 Nippering
41
 Dumbleyung
53
 Wishbone
62
 Moulyinning
67
 Candlelight
79
 Kukerin
87
 Duggan
97
 Tarin Rock
108
 Neendaling
114
 Mablac
119
 Lake Grace
Lake Grace to Hyden railway line
133
 Beenong
138
 Kuender
143
 Burngup
148
 Wardercarrin
156
 Dornock
157
 Buniche
164
 Pingaring
167
 Lake Biddy
176
 Lancing
182
 Newdegate
188
 Pederah
196
 Karlgarin
213
 Hyden
This diagram:

History

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The Great Southern Railway, passing through Wagin, was established in 1889, having been constructed in a three-year period from 1886.[3]

The Wagin to Newdegate railway line's contract for construction for the first section from Wagin to Dumbleyung, 41 kilometres (25 mi), was awarded on 3 June 1906. It was constructed by the Western Australian Public Works Department (PWD) and opened on 19 February 1907. The second section, from Dumbeleyung to Kukerin, 38 kilometres (24 mi), was awarded on 17 May 1911 and opened on 3 May 1912, again constructed by the PWD. The third section of the line, Kukerin to Lake Grace, 40 kilometres (25 mi), was awarded to the PWD on 19 July 1915 and opened 25 November 1916. The final 63-kilometre (39 mi) section of the railway line from Lake Grace to Newdegate was awarded to the PWD on 16 January 1925 and opened on 15 February 1926.[3]

In between, in the other direction, westbound, a railway line from Wagin to Bokal was completed in 1917 and extended to Bowelling in late 1918, where it connected to the Brunswick Junction to Narrogin railway line, which had been completed in 1907.[3]

On 2 June 1930, the contract for the branch line from Lake Grace to Hyden was awarded to the Public Works Department. The line, 94 kilometres (58 mi) long, was opened on 5 April 1933.[3]

In December 2000, Westrail's freight operations and a 49-year lease of Westrail's freight network, including the Wagin to Newdegate railway line, was sold to Australian Railroad Group (ARG), a joint venture between Wesfarmers and Genesee & Wyoming.[4] ARG set up a subsidiary, WestNet Rail, to manage the below-rail operations. In February 2006, it was announced that ARG would sell WestNet Rail to Babcock & Brown, and the above-rail operations would be sold to Queensland Rail.[5][6] Babcock & Brown Infrastructure was renamed Prime Infrastructure in October 2009,[7] and in 2010, the company merged with Brookfield Infrastructure Partners.[8][9] In August 2011, WestNet Rail was rebranded Brookfield Rail,[10][11] and in July 2017, Brookfield Rail was rebranded as Arc Infrastructure.[12][13]

In 2010, CBH Group, the grain growers' co-operative, signed a 10-year contract with Watco Australia to operate CBH trains. The contract commenced at the start of May 2012, upon the ending of CBH's contract with ARG.[14] The contract with Watco ended six months early, with a new six-year contract between CBH and Aurizon commencing in late 2021.[15][16]

Heritage

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A railway crane at the end of the line at Hyden

The heritage listed Wagin Railway Station was completed on 25 April 1911, replacing an early building that was relocated in 1906.[17]

Further east along the railway line, the Dumbleyung Railway Station precinct is on the Shire of Dumbleyung heritage list. The Dumbleyung station was opened in 1913, six years after the railway line to Dumbleyung opened and was operated for 71 years, until 1984, when the station master was withdrawn.[18]

In the Shire of Lake Grace, the Lake Grace Railway precinct, consisting of the station, station masters house and goods shed,[19] and the Newdegate Railway precinct are on the shire's heritage list.[20]

On the Hyden branch line, the Pingaring Railway siding precinct is on the Shire of Kulin's heritage list.[21] In the neighboring Shire of Kondinin, the Hyden Railway siding precinct is on the shire's heritage list. Passenger services to Hyden ceased in the early 1950s and the line was briefly closed in 1957 but reopened in 1960.[22]

References

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  1. ^ "Public Transport Authority: Railway System: April 2019" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Railway map of Western Australia, 1952". Trove. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Opening dates for sections from 12. Construction of the W.A. Government Railways network, 1879 - 1931, pages 208-210 Gunzburg, Adrian; Austin, Jeff; Rail Heritage WA; Gunzburg, Adrian (2008), Rails through the bush : timber and firewood tramways and railway contractors of Western Australia (2nd ed.), Rail Heritage WA, ISBN 978-0-9803922-2-7
  4. ^ "Minister accepts payment for sale of Westrail freight". Media Statements. 18 December 2000. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Sale of Australian Railroad Group" (PDF). Wesfarmers. 14 February 2006. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Qld Rail buys into freight market". The Sydney Morning Herald. 15 February 2006. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  7. ^ Garvey, Paul; Whyte, Jemima (2 October 2009). "Suddenly BBI becomes Prime again". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  8. ^ Range, Jackie (23 August 2010). "Brookfield Infrastructure swoops on Prime". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  9. ^ O'Sullivan, Matt (24 August 2010). "Brookfield makes $971m offer for the rest of Prime". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  10. ^ Quinn, Russell (17 August 2011). "WestNet Rail changes track". PerthNow. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  11. ^ Williams, Peter (17 August 2011). "Rebranded WestNet becomes Brookfield". The West Australian. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  12. ^ Beyer, Mark (17 July 2017). "Brookfield's rail arm widens focus". Business News. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  13. ^ "Brookfield Rail becomes Arc Infrastructure". Railway Gazette International. 17 July 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  14. ^ "Watco wins CBH Group rail contract". PerthNow. 13 December 2010. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  15. ^ Dupe, Cally (4 November 2021). "Rail giant Aurizon takes full control of WA's grain-on-rail network as CBH cuts ties with Watco after 10 years". Countryman. West Australian Newspapers. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  16. ^ "CBH boss hints co-op could one day take rail operations 'in-house' but is happy with Aurizon for now". Countryman. West Australian Newspapers. 3 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  17. ^ "Wagin Railway Station". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  18. ^ "Dumbleyung Railway Station Precinct". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  19. ^ "Lake Grace Railway Precinct". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  20. ^ "Newdegate Railway Precinct". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  21. ^ "Pingaring Railway Siding Precinct". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  22. ^ "Hyden Railway Siding Precinct". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
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