Finsbury railway line

Finsbury Line
Overview
Locale	Adelaide, South Australia
Termini	Adelaide Finsbury Stores
Stations	Woodville
History
Opened	1940
Closed	1979
Technical
Line length	9.5 km (5.9 mi)
Number of tracks	Double track to Woodville Single track to Finsbury Stores
Route map Dry Creek-Port Adelaide line Finsbury Stores No. 18 Shed Woodville North Actil Woodville Grange line broad gauge standard gauge

The Finsbury railway line is a defunct railway in north western Adelaide which was used mainly for industrial purposes in the 20th century. It ran through the suburbs of Woodville, Woodville North, Pennington and Ottoway, connecting the Outer Harbor line with the Dry Creek-Port Adelaide line. It serviced four stations; Actil, Woodville North, No. 18 Shed, and Finsbury Stores. It closed in 1979 and was dismantled in 1985.

Route

The Finsbury line departed from the main Outer Harbor line north west of Woodville station, and headed north, parallel to the eastern side of the Cheltenham Park Racecourse, where the Actil station was located, 8.2 kilometres from Adelaide station. It crossed Torrens Road and turned due north, parallel to Audley Street through Woodville North and Glenroy Street, Pennington. The Finsbury station was located where the al-Khalil mosque now stands, at the corner of Torrens Road and Audley Street. The line then crossed Grand Junction Road and travelled parallel and between Eastern Parade and Agnes Street, before meeting the Dry Creek line.

History

The Finsbury line was opened in September 1940 and departed from the main Port Line at Woodville station. It headed in a northerly direction and serviced a wartime munitions works at Cheltenham Park (Actil Station) and a Government Supply Depot at Finsbury station. It was built primarily to service wartime industrial plants. Following the conclusion of the war, the industrial activity in Athol Park was maintained for a period, before declining to an extent that the Finsbury line was regarded as unnecessary, leading to its removal. A few remnants like the rail corridor and ballast at Gillman Junction, a former platform at Woodville, a goods platform and some track covered by concrete are all that exist of the line today.

Further reading

• Thompson, Malcolm; Port Dock Station Railway Museum (1988), "Rails through swamp & sand' : a history of the Port Adelaide railway, Port Dock Station Railway Museum (S.A.) Inc. Publications, ISBN 978-0-9595073-6-2