Merredin railway station
Merredin  | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Prospector trains cross at Merredin in April 2014 | |||||||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||||||
| Location | Barrack Street, Merredin Western Australia Australia | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 31°28′55″S 118°16′44″E / 31.482°S 118.279°E | ||||||||||||||
| Owned by | Public Transport Authority | ||||||||||||||
| Operated by | Transwa | ||||||||||||||
| Line(s) | Eastern Goldfields Railway | ||||||||||||||
| Distance | 284.20 kilometres from Perth | ||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 2 side | ||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||||||
| Structure type | Ground | ||||||||||||||
| Accessible | Yes | ||||||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||||||
| Status | Unstaffed | ||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1895 (original) | ||||||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||||||
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| Official name | Merredin Railway Station Group | ||||||||||||||
| Type | State Registered Place | ||||||||||||||
| Designated | 26 February 1999 | ||||||||||||||
| Reference no. | 1577 | ||||||||||||||
Merredin railway station is located on the Eastern Goldfields Railway in Western Australia. It is in the town of Merredin.
History
[edit]The original Merredin station opened in 1895. It was an important station on the Eastern Goldfields Railway, being the junction station for a number of lines to locations in the Wheatbelt and Goldfields regions.
The main eastern railway connected with Northam to the west, and to Southern Cross to the east.
The narrow gauge lines that connected with Merredin were:
- Narrogin from the western end of the station, Bruce Rock to the south (then to Narrogin).[1]
- from the north of the station area, Nungarin (to Wyalkatchem) to the north.[2]
- from the east of the station area, Kondinin to the south (for a line to Narrogin).[3]
When the main eastern railway line was converted to standard gauge in the late 1960s, a new station was built diagonally opposite.
The original station is used as a museum.[4] Exhibits include a G class steam locomotive and TA class diesel locomotive.[5][6]
In 2021–22, work began on constructing a second high-level platform to improve accessibility.[7][8] Rail Express website reported that the high level platform was complete in October 2024.[9]
Marshalling yards
[edit]Due to the wheat silos, and the number of lines running into Merredin, the area to the west of the railway station was taken up with the marshalling yards.[10]
However the Merredin railway yard had entailed lines adjacent to the railway station.[11]
The importance of the Merredin marshalling yards and railway yard, was reduced as the feeder narrow gauge branch lines were closed over time. Merredin is still the location of a large grain silo complex.
Passenger services
[edit]Transwa's MerredinLink and Prospector services stop at Merredin, at least one service each day.[12][13]
The Indian Pacific also passes here, running once a week each way between East Perth and Sydney Central, but does not stop at the station.
References
[edit]- ^ "Mail Time Table". Kondinin-kulin Kourier and Karlgarin Advocate. Vol. IV, no. 166. Western Australia. 31 January 1930. p. 1. Retrieved 24 June 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "WYALKATCHEM-MERREDIN TRAIN SERVICE". Sunday Times (Perth). No. 2118. Western Australia. 28 August 1938. p. 14. Retrieved 24 June 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Narrogin-Kondinin - Merredin Railway". Bruce Rock Post and Corrigin Guardian. Vol. III, no. 197. Western Australia. 24 December 1920. p. 4. Retrieved 24 June 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Merredin Station History of Western Australian Railways & Stations
- ^ Merredin Railway Museum Australia's Golden Outback
- ^ https://scoop.com.au/perth-wa/guides/arts-events/merredin/museums/listing/merredin-railway-museum/ Merredin Railway Museum
- ^ "Public Transport Authority Annual Report 2021-22" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. 2022. p. 31. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ Dupe, Cally (5 November 2021). "New rail safety projects and a pledge to 'make crossings safer' after campaign to stop rail crash tragedies". Countryman. West Australian Newspapers. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ Farrell, Joshua (28 October 2024). "Platform upgrades complete at Merredin Station". Rail Express. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
- ^ PLAN 3 WAGR COMMISSION MERREDIN MARSHALLING YARDS& ROADS, retrieved 22 September 2022
- ^ "Railway Yard". Merredin Mercury and Central Districts Index. Vol. XVI, no. 716. Western Australia. 22 December 1927. p. 4. Retrieved 22 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "AvonLink and MerredinLink Timetable" (PDF). Transwa. Public Transport Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 March 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- ^ "Prospector Timetable" (PDF). Transwa. Public Transport Authority. 9 October 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
Further reading
[edit]- "New Station Buildings for Busy Rail Traffic Centres". Railway Transportation: 22–23, 38. December 1969. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Merredin railway station at Wikimedia Commons