Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Locale | Victoria and South Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Predecessor | Victorian Railways and South Australian Railways | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 1435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge since 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Previous gauge | 1600 mm (5 ft 3 in) from 1887 to 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The MelbourneâAdelaide rail corridor consists of the 828-kilometre (514-mile) long 1435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard-gauge main line between the Australian state capitals of Melbourne, Victoria and Adelaide, South Australia, and the lines immediately connected to it. [1] Most of its traffic is freight; the only passenger train along the entire route is the twice-weekly passenger service The Overland, operated by Journey Beyond.
From the 1850s, the Victorian Railways and South Australian Railways 1600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad-gauge networks were established and expanded. The South Australian main line â the Adelaide-Wolseley line â was connected to the Victorian system at Serviceton in 1887. This was the first single-gauge link between two Australian colonies ; [2] other connections were only constructed after another 50 years because of the failure of the colonies (later, states) to agree on a uniform gauge.
In 1983, studies by the Victorian Railways and Australian National Railways Commission indicated that about $400 million would be required to construct a standard-gauge link between Melbourne and Adelaide. Various routes were considered, including via Pinnaroo, Ouyen and Maryborough, and the existing route via Ballarat, Ararat, Horsham, Bordertown and Murray Bridge. [3] The route eventually chosen avoided the steep grades of the Ballarat line by going via North Shore [4] [5] (near North Geelong) and Cressy, joining the old route at Ararat to continue to Adelaide. [6] The line was converted to standard gauge in 1995 under a federal infrastructure program. [7]
The line is single track for the entire route with the exception of a short dual-gauge section near Melbourne and a number of 1500â1600 metres (4900â5200 feet) passing loops every 15â45 kilometres (9.3â28.0 miles). Some branch lines were also converted to standard gauge.
36°22â˛26âłS 140°57â˛54âłE / 36.373951°S 140.965087°E
Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Locale | Victoria and South Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Predecessor | Victorian Railways and South Australian Railways | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 1435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge since 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Previous gauge | 1600 mm (5 ft 3 in) from 1887 to 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The MelbourneâAdelaide rail corridor consists of the 828-kilometre (514-mile) long 1435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard-gauge main line between the Australian state capitals of Melbourne, Victoria and Adelaide, South Australia, and the lines immediately connected to it. [1] Most of its traffic is freight; the only passenger train along the entire route is the twice-weekly passenger service The Overland, operated by Journey Beyond.
From the 1850s, the Victorian Railways and South Australian Railways 1600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad-gauge networks were established and expanded. The South Australian main line â the Adelaide-Wolseley line â was connected to the Victorian system at Serviceton in 1887. This was the first single-gauge link between two Australian colonies ; [2] other connections were only constructed after another 50 years because of the failure of the colonies (later, states) to agree on a uniform gauge.
In 1983, studies by the Victorian Railways and Australian National Railways Commission indicated that about $400 million would be required to construct a standard-gauge link between Melbourne and Adelaide. Various routes were considered, including via Pinnaroo, Ouyen and Maryborough, and the existing route via Ballarat, Ararat, Horsham, Bordertown and Murray Bridge. [3] The route eventually chosen avoided the steep grades of the Ballarat line by going via North Shore [4] [5] (near North Geelong) and Cressy, joining the old route at Ararat to continue to Adelaide. [6] The line was converted to standard gauge in 1995 under a federal infrastructure program. [7]
The line is single track for the entire route with the exception of a short dual-gauge section near Melbourne and a number of 1500â1600 metres (4900â5200 feet) passing loops every 15â45 kilometres (9.3â28.0 miles). Some branch lines were also converted to standard gauge.
36°22â˛26âłS 140°57â˛54âłE / 36.373951°S 140.965087°E