The Deniliquin railway line (also known as the Echuca railway line) is a broad-gauge railway line serving northwestern Victoria, Australia. The line runs from the border settlement of Deniliquin into

Bendigo Bendigo ( ) is a city in Victoria, Australia, located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately north-west of Melbourne, the state capital. As of 2019, Bendigo had an urban population of 100,991, makin ...

, before turning south-southeast towards Melbourne, terminating in Docklands near the

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

. It is a major trunk line both for passenger and freight trains, with many railway lines branching off from it.

History

The Company

Construction of the line was begun by the Melbourne, Mount Alexander and Murray River Railway Company, which was incorporated in 1852. The first thirteen sections of the line were constructed by contractors Cornish and Bruce, who gained a reputation for trying to reduce costs by taking shortcuts on materials and reducing worker's wages. The company made almost no progress on the construction of the railway due to an inability to raise sufficient funds, and in 1856 it was purchased by the Victorian Government. Because Isambard Kingdom Brunel was at that time the Inspecting Engineer in Britain for the Victorian Government, some people have claimed that he was responsible for the railway's design. An examination of reports published by the Victorian Parliament has shown that claim to be erroneous. The route and structures were the work of the Victorian Railways Department, under the supervision of Engineer-in-Chief George Darbyshire, and completed under

Thomas Higginbotham Thomas Higinbotham (1819 – 5 September 1880), was an Irish-born civil engineer and civil servant, particularly associated with the development of railway projects in England and Australia. Education and training Higinbotham was born in Dublin ...

Design

The line was designed with two

broad gauge A broad-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge (the distance between the rails) broader than the used by standard-gauge railways. Broad gauge of , commonly known as Russian gauge, is the dominant track gauge in former Soviet Union (CIS ...

tracks, high speed alignments cutting through the landscape, substantial bridges and railway stations built of bluestone, and double-headed rail.

Timeline of construction

Originating from

Spencer Street Station Southern Cross railway station (until 2005 known as Spencer Street station) is a major railway station in Docklands, Victoria, Docklands, Melbourne. It is on Spencer Street, Melbourne, Spencer Street, between Collins Street, Melbourne, Collins ...

, the line reached Sunbury in 1859. On 13 January 1859, the Government Railway from Melbourne to Sunbury was opened. By 1861 it had reached Woodend and on 8 July 1861 the Sunbury to Woodend section opened. By 1862 the Woodend to Kyneton section was built. On 25 April 1862 the Woodend to Kyneton section was opened. Later in 1862, the line had been completed to

Castlemaine Castlemaine may mean: * Castlemaine, Victoria, a town in Victoria, Australia ** Castlemaine Football Club, an Australian rules football club ** Castlemaine railway station * Castlemaine, County Kerry, a town in Ireland * Castlemaine Brewery, Western ...

and to Bendigo. On 7 October the first locomotive reached Bendigo. Another Official Opening was held at Castlemaine on 15 October 1862. The whole of the Melbourne to Bendigo railway was formally opened at

on 20 October 1862 by the Governor of Victoria, Sir Henry Barkly. The railway finally reached Echuca in 1864 and transformed the town into a major river port, with a famous wharf and substantial urban growth in the 1870s. In 1876 the Deniliquin and Moama Railway Company opened its private railway northwards to

Barnes Barnes may refer to: People * Barnes (name), a family name and a given name (includes lists of people with that name) Places United Kingdom *Barnes, London, England **Barnes railway station ** Barnes Bridge railway station ** Barnes Railway Bri ...

and Deniliquin, and the line at Echuca was extended across the Murray River into Moama to join the railway. This section was taken over by Victorian Railways in 1923, as part of the

1922 Border Railways Act The 1922 Border Railways Acts, were Acts passed by the Parliaments of both Victoria and New South Wales, which authorised the construction of cross border railways in the Riverina region of Australia. Despite being located in New South Wales, the ...

Decline

Passenger rail services from Echuca to Balranald were withdrawn on 7 November 1975, with the last train a

153hp Walker railmotor The family of Walker railmotors were a type of diesel railcar operated by the Victorian Railways in Australia. After World War II, the Victorian Railways undertook a major rebuilding program known as Operation Phoenix. One of the first tasks was ...

. The Echuca to Kyabram service was withdrawn on 18 December 1975. The last train was also 153 hp Walker railmotor, the service being provided for school children and paid for by the Education Department. The Bendigo – Echuca – Deniliquin passenger service was withdrawn on 11 January 1979, with the last train being operated by a DERM. Toolamba – Echuca passenger services were withdrawn on 2 March 1981, leaving the town without any rail services.

Revival and present day

A twice-weekly passenger service from Bendigo to Echuca was reinstated in 1996. The passenger service was replaced with buses on 19 December 2004, pending an upgrade due to poor track condition. The rail service recommenced in late 2006. 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 100 km/h because there are a number of unprotected level crossings. The section between Bendigo and Sunbury was upgraded as part of the

Regional Fast Rail project The Regional Fast Rail project (or RFR project) was a rail transport project undertaken by the State Government of Victoria, Australia, between 2000 and 2006 aimed at improving rail services on the Victorian regional railway network (operated by ...

between 2005 and 2006. The section of the Deniliquin railway line from Echuca to Deniliquin closed on 6 August 2010. The line has again re-opened in 2013 to service the SunRice Factory and Grain Silos. Epsom railway station, located between Bendigo and Elmore stations, was opened on 12 October 2014. As part of the Regional Rail Revival project, a new station at Goornong opened on the 12th of December 2021, planned to be followed by another station at Huntly in 2022.

Branch lines

The Lancefield line was opened from Clarkefield (north of Sunbury) to

Lancefield Lancefield is a town in the Shire of Macedon Ranges local government area in Victoria, Australia north of the state capital, Melbourne and had a population of 2,743 at the 2021 census. History The area was used by the indigenous aborigin ...

in 1881, and extended to Kilmore in 1892 to connect with the

Heathcote railway line The Heathcote Railway line was a railway line linking Bendigo and Heathcote Junction. It was opened in 1888, and, by 1890 it was fully operational.Daylesford branch line was opened from Carlsruhe (between Woodend and Kyneton) to Daylesford in 1880. In 1887 it was later connected with a line from

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resid ...

. This Daylesford branch was closed in 1978, but part of it, between Daylesford and Bullarto, is now operated by the Daylesford Spa Country Railway as a heritage railway. A branch line was built between Redesdale Junction (north of Kyneton) and Redesdale by 1900, but it closed in 1954. The Maldon line was opened from Castlemaine to

Maldon Maldon (, locally ) is a town and civil parish on the River Blackwater, Essex, Blackwater estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon District and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation. It is known for Maldon Sea ...

in 1884, and extended as far as Shelbourne in 1891, although it had originally been planned to run to

Laanecoorie Laanecoorie is a locality situated on the Loddon River in Victoria, Australia. It has a community hall, church, and caravan park. Before the town was established the land was part of a station known as Languycoorie, but the name had various spel ...

. The line from Maldon to Shelbourne was closed in 1969 following bush fire damage. The Maldon branch line closed in 1976. The Victorian Goldfields Railway has restored the line between Castlemaine and Maldon and operates trains over that section. A branch line was built from Bendigo to Heathcote in 1888, which became a cross-country line in 1890 when connected to a line running from Heathcote Junction on the main North East railway line. The Bendigo–Heathcote line closed in 1958 and the Heathcote Junction to Heathcote branch was closed in November 1968. 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.

Piangil line

The Piangil 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.

Robinvale line

The Robinvale line was opened from Bendigo to Inglewood in 1876, Korong Vale in 1882,

Boort Boort () is a town in Victoria, Australia, located next to Lake Boort, in the Shire of Loddon. The town is known for its native birdlife. Boort is a local Aboriginal word meaning "Smoke from the hill". Main sources of employment are retail, ...

in 1883,

Quambatook Quambatook is a town in northern Victoria, Australia. Description and history Quambatook is located on the Avoca River in the Shire of Gannawarra local government area, from the state capital, Melbourne. At the Quambatook had a population ...

in 1894, Ultima in 1900, Chillingollah in 1909, Manangatang in 1914,

Annuello Annuello is a locality situated in the Mallee region of Australia. By road, Annuello is about north of Koimbo and south of Robinvale. It is located in a wheat growing area begun by soldier settlers after World War I World War I ( ...

in 1921 and Robinvale in 1924. This line is currently booked out of service. Under the Border Railways Agreement of 1922, Victorian Railways commenced construction of a railway to Koorakee and Lette in New South Wales in 1924 (the

Lette railway line The Lette railway line was a proposed railway running from Robinvale in Victoria to Lette in New South Wales, Australia. The line from Anneullo to Robinvale in Victoria was opened on 5 June 1924, and a extension to Lette was planned, being pr ...

), but this railway was never completed. The Murray River bridge between Robinvale and Euston was instead converted to a road bridge, but it was demolished upon completion of a new road bridge in 2006. However the lift span of the old bridge has been relocated to McGinty Park in Robinvale as part of an historic display. A short branch line was built from

Wedderburn Wedderburn may refer to: People * Alexander Wedderburn (disambiguation) * Bill Wedderburn, Baron Wedderburn of Charlton (1927–2012), British politician and legal scholar * Charles F. Wedderburn (1892–1917), United States Navy officer * Da ...

Junction (south of Korong Vale) to Wedderburn in the 1880s which closed in the 1980s. There is currently no passenger service on this line.

Kulwin line

The Kulwin line was opened from Korong Vale to Wycheproof in 1883,

Sea Lake Sea Lake is a town in the Mallee district of north-west Victoria, Australia and is situated on the southern shores of Lake Tyrrell. The town is located on the Calder Highway, north-west of Melbourne, and west of Swan Hill. Sea Lake is in the ...

in 1895,

Nandaly Nandaly is a small town in the Mallee region of Victoria, Australia. The town is located north-west of the state capital, Melbourne on the Calder Highway in the Shire of Buloke local government area. At the , Nandaly had a population of 30. T ...

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. There has not been passenger service on this line since 1978.

Features

There are substantial wrought iron and masonry viaducts at Sunbury, Malmsbury and Taradale, as well as two tunnels at Elphinstone and Big Hill.

Passenger services

The Deniliquin line is used by many regional V/Line services and a commuter Metro Trains service. Sunbury line commuter services operate on the entire Melbourne section of the line between Sunbury and Southern Cross, where it then enters the

City Loop The City Loop (originally called the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop or MURL) is a mostly-underground and partly surface-level subway and rail system in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The Loop includes ...

. Regional Bendigo line services operate on the same line between

(and sometimes Epsom) and Southern Cross. Swan Hill services enter the line at Bendigo from the Piangil line and also run on the same route into Melbourne. The section of the line between

Sunshine Sunlight is a portion of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun, in particular infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. On Earth, sunlight is scattered and filtered through Earth's atmosphere, and is obvious as daylight when th ...

and Southern Cross is also used by

Ararat Ararat or in Western Armenian Ararad may refer to: Personal names * Ararat ( hy, Արարատ), a common first name for Armenian males (pronounced Ararad in Western Armenian) * Ararat or Araratian, a common family name for Armenians (pronounced A ...

Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...

and Warrnambool services. At Sunshine, these services branch off onto the Serviceton line. Most V/Line regional passenger trains operate on the second pair of tracks between Sunshine and Southern Cross that were built as part of the Regional Rail Link project, leaving the original pair of tracks for the primary use of the Sunbury commuter rail line.

Echuca services

One service on weekdays and two services on weekends operate in each direction each day between

Echuca Echuca ( ) is a town on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe River in Victoria, Australia. The border town of Moama is adjacent on the northern side of the Murray River in New South Wales. Echuca is the administrative centre and largest s ...

and Southern Cross. Outside Melbourne, all services stops at all operating stations between Echuca and Sunbury. The service then runs express to Footscray, then to the terminus at Southern Cross. At Footscray, passengers may not board services to Southern Cross or alight services to Echuca.

Engineering heritage award

The railway line received an Engineering Heritage National Marker from Engineers Australia as part of its Engineering Heritage Recognition Program.

References

Engineering Heritage Victoria: Nomination for Recognition under the Engineering Heritage Australia Heritage Recognition Program for the Goldfields Railways - Melbourne, Bendigo & Echuca Railway

External links

Statistics and detailed schematic map
at Vicsig enthusiast website {{Victorian Railway Lines, Branch, state=collapsed Railway lines in Victoria (Australia) Regional railway lines in New South Wales Railway lines opened in 1864 V/Line rail services 5 ft 3 in gauge railways in Australia Recipients of Engineers Australia engineering heritage markers Transport in the City of Maribyrnong Transport in the City of Brimbank Transport in the City of Melton Transport in the City of Hume Public transport routes in the City of Melbourne (LGA)