The Coonamble 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. The line branches from the
Main West Line at
Dubbo. It opened in 1903, and carried passenger traffic until the 1970s.
900/950 class railmotors were first introduced on the service between
Dubbo and
Coonamble
Coonamble is a town on the central-western plains of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the Castlereagh Highway north-west of Gilgandra. At the 2016 census, Coonamble had a population of 2,750. It is the regional hub for wheat growing and ...
.
It continues to carry goods traffic, predominantly grain. The disused historic Coonamble railway station is currently at risk of demolition due to vandalism and high maintenance costs.
The line is owned by the
Rail Infrastructure Corporation
Rail Infrastructure Corporation, later known as Country Rail Infrastructure Authority after July 2010, was a Government of New South Wales statutory corporation with responsibility for the management of the railway network in rural New South Wales, ...
of New South Wales, however operations over the line are managed by the
Australian Rail Track Corporation
The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) is an Australian Government-owned statutory corporation.
It operates one of the largest rail networks in the nation spanning 8,500km across five states, 39 worksites and more than 50 First Nations.
...
(ARTC) under a 60-year agreement. The northern section of the line features track that is in generally poor condition with derailments not uncommon. However, a NSW Government project completed in 2017 restored the line, including by laying new steel sleepers and renewing bridges.
See also
*
Rail transport in New South Wales
The Australian state of New South Wales has an extensive network of railways, which were integral to the growth and development of the state. The vast majority of railway lines were government built and operated, but there were also several pri ...
References
Regional railway lines in New South Wales
Standard gauge railways in Australia
Railway lines opened in 1903
{{NewSouthWales-rail-transport-stub