Bendigo railway line

Bendigo railway line, Victoria
Line details
Length	164.24 km (102 mi)
Stations	11
Tracks	Four tracks to Footscray, double track to Kyneton, single line with crossing loops beyond
Rolling stock	VLocity
Rail transport in Victoria
	List of stations; Closed railways;

The Bendigo railway line is a regional railway in Victoria, Australia. The electrified part of it within metropolitan Melbourne is the Sydenham line. It has 11 stations. The line was upgraded as part of the Regional Fast Rail project between 2005 and 2006.

[edit] History

Originally called the Melbourne and Murray River Railway it was constructed by the Victorian Railways Department under the supervision of Engineer in Chief George Christian Darbyshire and completed under Thomas Higginbotham. The line originating from Spencer Street Station reached Sunbury in 1859. It had reached Woodend and Kyneton by 1861 and Castlemaine in 1862. It opened in Bendigo on 20 October 1862.^[1] The line includes substantial wrought iron and masonry viaducts at Sunbury, Malmsbury and Taradale, as well as two tunnels at Elphinstone and Big Hill.

[edit] Branch lines

The Lancefield branch line was opened from Clarkefield (north of Sunbury) to Lancefield in 1881, and extended to Kilmore in 1892 to connect with the Heathcote railway line. This line was completely closed by 1956.

The Daylesford branch line was opened from Carlsruhe (between Woodend and Kyneton) to Daylesford in 1880. This line was closed in 1978. Part of this line, between Daylesford and Bullarto is now operated by the Daylesford Spa Country Railway as a tourist railway. This line was connected with a line from Ballarat in 1887.

A branch line was built between Redesdale Junction (north of Kyneton) and Redesdale by 1900. It was closed in the 1950s.

The Maldon branch line was opened from Castlemaine to Maldon in 1884 and Shelbourne in 1891, although the railway had originally been planned to run to Laanecoorie. The line from Maldon to Shelbourne was closed in 1969 due to bush fire damage. The branch line closed in 1976.^[2] The Victorian Goldfields Railway has restored the line and operates trains between Castlemaine and Maldon.

A branch line was built from Bendigo to Heathcote in 1888 and connected to a line from Kilmore in 1890. The Bendigo–Heathcote line closed in 1958. The Heathcote Junction to Heathcote branch was closed in November 1968.

[edit] Echuca line

The Bendigo line was extended to Elmore and Echuca in 1864 and across the Murray River to connect with the private Deniliquin and Moama Railway Company from Moama to Barnes and Deniliquin in 1876. This company was taken over by Victorian Railways in 1923.

A branch line was built from Elmore to Cohuna in 1910 and it was closed in the 1980s.

A branch line was built from Barnes to Moulamein and Balranald in 1926. The Moulamein – Balranald section was closed in the 1980s.

In 1996 the passenger service to Echuca was reinstated for the first time since 1983, when a twice-weekly service from Bendigo was started. Since 2007, there is one train to/from Melbourne on weekdays and two on weekends, with the train speed between Bendigo and Echuca limited to 80 km/h.

[edit] Swan Hill line

The Swan Hill line was extended north from Eaglehawk (just north of Bendigo on the line to Inglewood) in 1882, reaching Swan Hill in 1890. It remains in use today.

[edit] Robinvale line

The Robinvale line was opened from Bendigo to Inglewood in 1876, Korong Vale in 1882, Boort in 1883, Quambatook in 1894, Ultima in 1900, Chillingolah in 1909, Manangatang in 1914, Annuello in 1921 and Robinvale in 1924. This line currently only handles grain trains.

Victorian Railways commenced construction of a railway to Koorakee and Lette in New South Wales in 1924, but this railway was never completed. The Murray River bridge between Robinvale and Euston was instead converted to a road bridge. A new road bridge is currently being built to replace it and the old bridge will be demolished on its completion. A short branch line was built from Wedderburn Junction (south of Korong Vale) to Wedderburn in the 1880s and it was closed in the 1980s.

There is currently no passenger service on this line.

[edit] Kulwin line

The Kulwin line was opened from Korong Vale to Wycheproof in 1883, Sea Lake in 1895, Nandaly in 1914, Mittyack in 1919 and Kulwin in 1919.

This line currently only handles grain trains. Until late 2006, rural rail network lessee Pacific National had mothballed the Mittyack to Kulwin section but this has been recently re-opened to traffic despite the poor grain harvest. There has not been passenger service on this line since before 1984.

[edit] Line guide

The portal of the Big Hill railway tunnel, 390 metres long

A mix of new and old signalling at Castlemaine station

Regular V/Line passenger services operate along the Bendigo line. Some services continue beyond Bendigo as the Swan Hill and Echuca lines. Suburban Metro Trains Melbourne services operate to Watergardens as the Sydenham line, the current limit of electrification on the line.

There is double track as far as Kyneton station, with a single track line continuing beyond. The line beyond Kyneton was previously double track prior to the Regional Fast Rail project in 2005.^[3]

During peak hour, some services terminate at Sunbury or Kyneton stations. Passengers on the inner section of the line are permitted to use Metcard tickets to access the services, with this section marked as the Sunbury line on suburban network maps.

Bold stations are termini, italic stations are staffed at least part time (this has been confirmed).

Bendigo railway line

Legend