The Marree railway line is located in the Australian state of South Australia.

Marree railway line
Overview
Termini
Continues fromTrans-Australian Railway
Continues asCentral Australia Railway
Service
Operator(s)Commonwealth Railways
History
Opened27 July 1957
Closed27 April 2016
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Route map

1241 km
Alice Springs (old)
Alice Springs abattoir
Alice Springs (current)
1237 km
Heavitree
Macdonnell triangle
1231 km
Macdonnell
1224 km
Mount Ertwa
end preserved track
Ewaninga triangle
1208 km
Ewaninga
1192 km
Pohill Siding
1175 km
Ooraminna
1163 km
Deep Well
Deep Well siding
1141 km
Rodinga
Rodinga stock yards
1125 km
Maryvale
1099 km
Bundooma
1076 km
Engoordina
1060 km
Mount Squire
1044 km
Rumbalara
Rumbalara stock yards
1028 km
Musgrave
1014 km
Finke (Aputula)
1012 km
Finke stock yards
997 km
Crown Point
981 km
Duffield
965 km
Wall Creek
962 km
Northern Territory
South Australia
border
945 km
Abminga
Abminga sidings
929 km
Bloods Creek
908 km
Ilbunga
895 km
Mount Emery
876 km
Pedirka
859 km
Mt Rebecca
841 km
Mt Sarah (Stevenson Creek)
825 km
Macumba
811 km
Alberga
804 km
Wire Creek
Wire Creek siding
792 km
Todmorten
Oodnadatta sidings
770 km
Oodnadatta
744 km
North Creek
Mount Dutton stock yards
729 km
Mount Dutton
Mount Dutton triangle
714 km
Algebuckina
698 km
Peake Creek
Warrina stock yards
682 km
Warrina
Edwards Creek triangle
666 km
Edwards Creek
Edwards Creek siding
650 km
Duff Creek (Weedina)
632 km
Boorthana
616 km
Box Creek
600 km
Anna Creek
588 km
Douglas
574 km
William Creek
William Creek triangle
554 km
Irrappatana
537 km
Strangways Springs
525 km
Beresford
501 km
Coward Springs
Coward Springs triangle
489 km
Margaret
473 km
Curdimurka (Stuarts Creek)
453 km
Lake Eyre
440 km
Bopeechee
425 km
Alberrie Creek
407 km
Wangianna
387 km
Callanna
Marree gauge interchange
Marree
356 km
372 km
Marree
359 km
Mundownda
Witchelina
339 km
Wirrawilla
Farina triangles
Farina
303 km
320 km
Farina
Lyndhurst
278 km
294 km
Lyndhurst
Old Mine loop
Telford
271 km
Telford
end of Leigh Creek line tracks
Leigh Creek Coalfield
Copley
245 km
262 km
Copley
Leigh Creek
240 km
Puttapa
231 km
247 km
Puttapa
Beltana
232 km
Beltana
212 km
Nilpena (Black Fellows Creek)
Parachilna
175 km
195 km
Parachilna
Commodore
163 km
183 km
Commodore
Brachina
153 km
173 km
Brachina
163 km
Edeowie
Moralana
127 km
137 km
Mern Merna
Cotabena
107 km
124 km
Hookina (Wonoka)
Neuroodla
89 km
105 km
Hawker
89.6 km
Wilson
73.0 km
Gordon
57.5 km
Willochra
Wilkatana
48 km
39.8 km
Quorn
Quorn Pichi Richi Depot
32.4 km
Summit siding
23.6 km
Woolshed Flat
18.2 km
Saltia siding
start dormant tracks
Bungala Solar Plant
Goods yard
Northern Power Station
Port Augusta Racecourse
0 km
Port Augusta
Pichi Richi Depot

History

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As a result of the opening up of the Leigh Creek Coalfield in the late 1940s and capacity restrictions on the existing narrow gauge Central Australia Railway via the Flinders Ranges, Marree and Quorn, a new standard gauge line was built, opening on 17 May 1956 from Stirling North on the outskirts of Port Augusta to Telford Cut and on 27 July 1957 to Marree.[1][2][3][4] The line was extended to Marree because of the volume of cattle traffic coming off the Birdsville Track.[5]

 
A 160-car coal train between Leigh Creek and Port Augusta in 1987

As well as freight trains, the new line was served by CB railcar services and The Ghan. The CB class was pulled from service in 1976 by Australian National Railways (ANR), leaving the standard gauge Ghan and a mixed train as the only passenger rail services on the line. [6] Following the opening of a new line from Tarcoola to Alice Springs in 1980, the line became the only rail connection to Marree after the closure of the narrow gauge Central Australia Railway from Alice Springs, and The Ghan was rerouted to no longer go through Marree, leaving a mixed train as the only passenger service on the line. The mixed train was replaced with a goods only train in 1985, and the line was curtailed to its present terminus at Telford Cut on 10 June 1987.[2][3] At Stirling North the line continues to the Northern Power Station via a balloon loop.[7][failed verification] With the impending closure of the power station, the last train ran on the line on 27 April 2016.[8][needs update]

In 2017, control of the Leigh Creek railway line was transferred from Flinders Power to the state government's Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure.[9] In March 2018, Bowmans Rail established a new intermodal rail terminal adjacent to the construction site for the Bungala Solar Power Farm about 12 km north of Port Augusta. As well as construction materials for the power station, the terminal was expected to handle about 2000 containers per year, though the terminal has not been used since completion of delivering materials to the solar power farm.[10]

Stations

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Stations included the following: (from south to north):[7]

References

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  1. ^ Gauge Change on Leigh Creek Line Soon Adelaide Advertiser 11 August 1950
  2. ^ a b Bromby, Robin (2004). The Railway Age in Australia. South Melbourne: Thomas Lothian. p. 64. ISBN 0 734407 15 7.
  3. ^ a b Newland, Andrew; Quinlan, Howard (2000). Australian Railway Routes 1854 - 2000. Redfern: Australian Railway Historical Society. p. 67. ISBN 0-909650-49-7.
  4. ^ Port Augusta to Marree Chris' Commonwealth Railways
  5. ^ "Remember When" Railway Digest February 1999 page 45
  6. ^ "CB class Budd Railcars". Comrails. Chris Drymalik. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  7. ^ a b "NRG Leigh Creek Coalfield Line" (PDF). SA Track and Signal. Graham Vincent. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  8. ^ Reid, Khama (29 April 2016). "Leigh Creek coal train completes final journey to Port Augusta ahead of power station closure". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Commission. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  9. ^ "Leigh Creek Railway". Flinders Power. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  10. ^ Green, Amy (15 March 2018). "Port Augusta Intermodal open for business". The Transcontinental. Retrieved 15 March 2018.