The Tumbarumba railway line is a railway line in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. Proposals were commenced back as early as 1881. The length of an initial proposal showed it to be in length. The final built length being . Following heavy rains causing numerous wash-aways services were suspended, although the line is not officially closed (which would require an Act of Parliament). Passenger services on the line in the final years comprised CPH railmotors. The line branched from the

Main South line The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is a railway line that runs north and south from Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the South Island to Inverca ...

Wagga Wagga Wagga Wagga (; informally called Wagga) is a major regional city in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, with an urban population of more than 56,000 as of June 2018, Wagga Wagga is the state's la ...

and passed through Tarcutta to the township of

Tumbarumba Tumbarumba ( ) is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, about southwest of the state capital, Sydney. Tumbarumba is located on the periphery of the Riverina and South West Slopes regions at the western edge of the Snowy Mountains. The s ...

. It opened in stages from 1917 to 1921 and was essentially closed in 1987. Passenger trains ceased operation in 1974 after significant flooding saw much of the line abandoned. In 2001, a large grass fire started by a passing Northbound semi-trailer destroyed the disused Tarcutta railway station before it could be restored by a local historical group. All other stations on the line have been demolished with the exception of Ladysmith (which is maintained by the Ladysmith Tourist Railway Inc. historical group) and Borambola. Although several sections of rail have been removed (albeit without the approval of NSW Railways), much of the line still exists. In 2020 the disused 22km section Tumbarumba–

Rosewood Rosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining, but found in many different hues. True rosewoods All genuine rosewoods belong to the genus ''Dalbergia''. The pre-eminent rosewood appreciated ...

was graded, surfaced and sealed by the NSW government and

Snowy Valleys Council The Snowy Valleys Council is a local government area located in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia. This area was formed in 2016 from the merger of the Tumut Shire with the neighbouring Tumbarumba Shire. The council a ...

as a pilot "rail trail" for recreational use by walkers, joggers and cyclists; official opening 3 April 2020. The Tarcutta fires of early 2013 caused significant damage to the small historic halt platform of Edwards Crossing and the surrounding area of railway.

See also

References

Further reading