Whyalla railway line
| Whyalla railway line | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Termini | |
| Continues from | Adelaide-Port Augusta line |
| Stations | Spencer Junction Lincoln Gap (Block Point) Roopena Whyalla[1] |
| History | |
| Opened | 6 October 1972 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 74 km (46 mi) |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
The Whyalla railway line runs from Port Augusta to Whyalla.[1]
History
[edit]The Whyalla line was built primarily to serve the BHP's Whyalla Steelworks. The line was built by the Commonwealth Railways as a standard gauge line being opened on 6 October 1972 by Prime Minister William McMahon.[2][3]
Current operations along the line include regular Steel and rail maintenance trains operated by Pacific National, along with Iron Ore and Ballast trains operated by Aurizon.
Passenger Services
[edit]When it opened, the line was served by a daily passenger service from Adelaide to Whyalla operated by CB class railcars.[2] The service was withdrawn in 1975.[4]
On 21 April 1986, the service was reintroduced as the Iron Triangle Limited. It was withdrawn on 31 December 1990 when Australian National withdrew all its South Australian passenger services.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Whyalla Branch (Spencer Junction - Whyalla/Point Lowly)" (PDF). SA Track and Signal. August 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
- ^ a b Bayley, William (1973). Steel Wheels on Railway to Whyalla. Bulli: Austrail Publications. ISBN 0 909597 12 X.
- ^ Newland, Andrew; Quinlan, Howard (2000). Australian Railway Routes 1854 - 2000. Redfern: Australian Railway Historical Society. p. 57. ISBN 0-909650-49-7.
- ^ CB class Budd Railcars Chris' Commonwealth Railways
- ^ Iron Triangle Limited Chris' Commonwealth Railways