North East railway line

North East railway line, Victoria
Line details
Commenced	1860
Completed	1883
Tracks	Two 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) (broad gauge) tracks to Seymour with a single BG track continuing to Shepparton; as well as a single standard gauge track from Melbourne to Seymour with 2 tracks from Seymour to Albury
Used by	V/Line passenger services and intrastate freight on the broad gauge, CountryLink XPT and interstate freight on the standard gauge
Connections	Seymour and Shepparton lines
Rail transport in Victoria
List of stations Closed railways

The North East railway is a railway serving the north-east of Victoria, Australia.^[1] Running from the state capital Melbourne to the New South Wales railways at Albury, it also serves the regional cities of Seymour, Benalla, Wangaratta and Wodonga. Between Seymour and Albury, the route consists of two parallel standard gauge tracks managed by the Australian Rail Track Corporation, one of which was recently a broad gauge line operated by V/Line.^[2] The line also includes a broad gauge line from Melbourne to Shepparton. At Albury the line joins up with the New South Wales' Main South Line from Sydney.

Services

On the broad gauge line Metro Trains Melbourne operates suburban passenger services along the inner section of the line as the Craigieburn Line, while V/Line services operate as the Interurban Seymour Line and Shepparton Lines. Freight services also use the line, operated by Pacific National.

The standard gauge line sees use by the CountryLink XPT, as well as being a major interstate freight link used by Pacific National, QRNational and Australian Railroad Group. In 2012 it is expected that V/Line will recommence services on the Intercity Albury-Wodonga with SG-converted rolling stock.

Both lines are owned by VicTrack, the broad gauge line managed by V/Line, and the standard gauge line by the Australian Rail Track Corporation.^[3]

History

The steam-hauled Spirit of Progress near Kilmore East in 1937

B class diesel leading the Spirit of Progress in the 1950s

The Spirit of Progress in the 1970s

The Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company opened the first section of the Albury-Wodonga line from North Melbourne to Essendon in 1860.^[4] Following its takeover by the Victorian Government in 1867, the line was extended by 1872^[5] to School House Lane on the south side of the Goulburn River near Seymour, and later that year to Seymour and then to Longwood. Benalla, Wangaratta, Springhurst and Wodonga were reached in 1873,^[4] connecting with the New South Wales Government Railways at Albury at a break-of-gauge in 1883. the design engineer was Robert Watson.

Construction of a standard gauge track parallel with the broad gauge track from Albury to Melbourne was commenced in 1959, completing the Sydney-Melbourne railway.^[6] The first freight train operated on the line on 3 January 1962,^[7] followed by the first passenger train on 16 April the same year.^[6]

The line was once the home of a number of prestige passenger services between the state capitals of Melbourne to Sydney, including the Spirit of Progress, Southern Aurora, and Intercapital Daylight; but due to declining patronage were replaced by the CountryLink XPT from the 1990s.

Maintaining two parallel single track railways has drawn criticisms over the years, including inefficiencies in maintaining track, operating trains, and duplicated train control centres.^[2] By 2001 the State Government announced the gauge conversion of the broad gauge line to standard,^[8] but action was stifled due largely to complex leasing arrangements. Speed restrictions had been applied to the broad gauge line due to track deterioration.^[9]

In May 2008 it was again announced that the line would be upgraded, with the conversion of 200 kilometres (120 mi) of broad gauge track to standard gauge between Seymour and Albury, construction of a 5 km (3.1 mi) bypass around Wodonga, and rail upgrades between Melbourne and Seymour carried out, including new passing loops.^[10] New passenger platforms will also be built on the standard gauge line, and V/Line locomotives and carriages will be gauge converted to operate on the line. Costing A$501.3 million, the Victorian Government is contributing A$171.3 million, the Australian Government is investing A$45 million in the Wodonga Rail Bypass, and the Australian Rail Track Corporation will contribute A$285 million and will take-on responsibility for the ongoing operation of the new north-east standard gauge rail line under a 45-year lease agreement with Victoria.^[11] The project was due for completion by 2010, with passenger services disrupted for up to 12 months.^[12]

On 8 November 2008, broad gauge passenger rail services on the line ceased after the running of the evening V/Line service from Melbourne to Albury and a special train, operated by the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre, forming the final passenger service to run from Albury to Melbourne.^[13][14] In December 2008 standardisation works commenced, being contracted by ARTC to the Southern Improvement Alliance. The first train to run along the new Wodonga Rail Bypass operated in March 2010.^[15]

In early August 2010 CountryLink decided to terminate all Sydney-Melbourne XPT services at Albury for an indefinite length of time, due to defects in the newly resleepered track. "Mud holes" in the track resulted in speed restrictions on more than 200 kilometres (about 66 per cent) of the line between the Albury and Melbourne, adding an extra 1.5 hours to the travelling time.^[16] Train drivers have blamed the ARTC's $285 million concrete sleeper project for the track issues, stating that the incorrect insertion of 300,000 new concrete sleepers is to blame. They have also repeatedly reported freight trains breaking couplings, due to the rough track.^[17] CountryLink services did not resume until mid September 2010. V/Line passenger services did not return until the following year.^[18]

Branch lines south of Seymour

A branch line was opened from Heathcote Junction (near Kilmore) to Kilmore in 1888 and extended to Tooborac in 1890, connecting to a line from Bendigo and Heathcote opened a little earlier. The Heathcote Junction – Heathcote line closed in 1968. A branch line was built from Kilmore to Lancefield in 1892, but it was closed in 1904.

The Mansfield line was opened from Tallarook to Yea in 1883, Molesworth in 1889 Cathkin and Merton in 1890 and Mansfield in 1891. This line is now closed. A branch line was built from Cathkin to Koriella in 1890 and Alexandra in 1909. This line closed in 1978.

Branch lines north of Seymour

The Shepparton line was opened from Mangalore to Toolamba and Shepparton in 1880.

A branch line was opened from Benalla to St James in 1883, Yarrawonga in 1886 and Oaklands in 1938, creating a break-of-gauge until the New South Wales Government Railways line was closed south of Boree Creek. Another short branch line was built from Benalla to Tatong in 1914, but closed in 1947.

The narrow-gauge Whitfield branch line was opened from Wangaratta to Whitfield in 1899, closing in 1953.

Two branch lines were opened from Bowser (north of Wangaratta) to Everton in 1875 and extended to Beechworth in 1876 and Yackandandah in 1891. This line closed in 1954. The Bowser – Everton line was extended to Myrtleford in 1883 and Bright in 1890. This line is now closed. A short branch line to Peechelba East also branched from Bowser

A short branch line was opened from Springhurst via Rutherglen to Wahgunyah in 1879. Services were suspended in 1995.

A branch line was opened from Wodonga to Tallangatta between 1889 and 1891, Shelley in 1916, Beetoomba in 1919 and Cudgewa in 1921.^[19] A direct connection from Albury was added near Wodonga, creating a turning triangle to enable the Sydney Limited and its successor Spirit of Progress with their observation cars to be turned as a complete trainset. The line was closed beyond Bandiana in 1981,^[6] and the connection to Wodonga later removed, with only standard gauge traffic continuing to use the line via Albury.^[20]

Line guide

Junction of the North East and Shepparton line, site of the former Mangalore station

Standard gauge Pacific National operated container freight service near Seymour

V/Line Albury-Wodonga line service on the line

Steamrail "Farewell Broad Gauge" special, Benalla, 2008

End of the broad gauge, the break-of-gauge platform at Albury station

Bold stations are termini, italic stations are staffed at least part time. Broad gauge, 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in), is in red, and standard gauge, 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in), is in blue.

North East railway

Legend Flinders Street Viaduct to Flinders Street Station 0 km Southern Cross (SSS) Craigieburn Line 1.7 km North Melbourne (NME) Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong lines Tottenham Loop Western SG to Adelaide 8 km Essendon (ESD) 16.2 km MacIntyre Loop Albion-Jacana Freight Line 22.2 km Tullamarine Loop Western Ring Road 16.9 km Broadmeadows (BMS) 22.49 km Somerton Loop 25.8 km Craigieburn (CGB) End of Craigieburn Line service Hume Freeway 33.21 km Donnybrook (DBK) Donnybrook Loop 41.73 km Beveridge (closed) 47.49 km Wallan (WAN) Wallan Loop  ? km Lightwood (closed) 55.40 km Heathcote Junction (HCJ) Heathcote line 57.29 km Wandong (WDG) Hume Freeway 65.48 km Kilmore East (KME) 74 km Broadford Loop 77.16 km Broadford (BRF) Hume Freeway 89 km Tallarook Loop 92.20 km Tallarook (TOK) Mansfield line 95.40 km School House Lane (closed) 95.80 km Dysart (closed) 101.69 km Seymour (SEY) End of Seymour Line service 101.09 km Seymour Loop Hume Freeway 109.34 km Mangalore (closed) Shepparton line 115.96 km Avenel (AVL) 121.21 km Monea (closed) 127.55 km Locksley (closed) 136.24 km Longwood (closed) 137.64 km Longwood Loop 143.23 km Creighton (closed) 153.03 km Euroa (EOA) 158.91 km Balmattum (closed) 166.00 km Riggs Creek Loop 171.33 km Violet Town (VTN) 170.69 km Violet Town Loop 183.16 km Baddaginnie (closed) Benalla Loop 197.25 km Benalla (BEN) Tatong line Oaklands line  ? km Winton (closed) 89 km Glenrowan Loop 218.78 km Glenrowan (closed) Whitfield line (narrow gauge) 232 km km Alumatta Loop 235.99 km Wangaratta (WAG)  ? km Bowser (closed) Bright and Yackandandah lines Peechelba line 259.55 km Springhurst (SPT) Wahgunyah line Chiltern Loop 273.22 km Chiltern (CHI)  ? km Barnawartha (closed) Hume Freeway 297 km Wodonga Loop Wodonga Rail Bypass 303.78 km Wodonga (WOD) Cudgewa line, former turning triangle dual gauge to Bandiana on former Cudgewa line Hume Freeway Murray River and Vic/NSW Border Albury (ABX) End of Albury-Wodonga Line service Main South to Sydney

References

Further reading

• Turton, Keith W. (1973). The North East Railway. (A Lineside Guide) Melbourne to Wodonga. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division). ISBN 0-85849-013-7. 
• John C. Jennings and Robert K. Whitehead (July 2005). Seymour - A Railway Town. Seymour and District Historical Society. ISBN 0-9751658-0-1. 
• Turton, Keith W. (1973). Six And A Half Inches From Destiny. The first hundred years of the Melbourne-Wodonga Railway 1873-1973.. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division). ISBN 0-85849-012-9. 
• Covell, C.M. (November 1967). "Some Impressions and Reflections of the North-Eastern Line". Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin: 230–244 

External links

• Statistics and detailed schematic map at the vicsig enthusiast website
• History Victoria: The North East Railway Story