The Wahgunyah railway is a closed line in north-east

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

. Branching off the main North East railway at Springhurst, it ran north-west to

Wahgunyah Wahgunyah is a town in northeastern Victoria, Australia. The town is on the southern bank of the Murray River, opposite Corowa, New South Wales, in the Shire of Indigo. Wahgunyah is north east of the state capital, Melbourne and west of Alb ...

. The Wahgunyah terminus was near the south bank of the

Murray River The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray) (Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta: ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is Australia's longest river at extent. Its tributaries include five of the next six longest ...

, opposite the terminus of New South Wales Culcairn - Corowa railway line on the north bank, but there was no connecting rail bridge over the river. Because the two lines were of differing gauges, and the stations apart, there was no particular benefit in building a bridge to connect the two incompatible systems.

History

The line was opened as a whole from Springhurst to Wahgunyah in 1879. The passenger service was withdrawn on 13 April 1962, and was the last

mixed train A mixed train or mixed consist is a train that contains both passenger and freight cars or wagons. Although common in the early days of railways, by the 20th century they were largely confined to branch lines with little traffic. Typically, service ...

service to operate in Victoria. Services were suspended in 1995, and the line effectively closed. However, for a number of years after that, the "Green TRail Associates Group" operated a motor trolley service, known as the "Stringybark Express", over the section of the line between Wahgunyah and Rutherglen. In 2002, the line was handed back to the Victorian Government by the lease holder,

Freight Australia Freight Australia was an Australian railway company that purchased the V/Line Freight business from the Government of Victoria in 1999. Initially known as Freight Victoria, it operated rail freight services and controlled non-urban rail track in ...

, and, in 2006, it was announced that the

Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail The Murray to Mountains Rail Trail is a cycling and walking rail trail in northern Victoria, Australia. It extends from Wangaratta to Bright, with a side branch to Beechworth, following the route of the former Bright railway line. This side branc ...

would be built on part of the closed track, creating nine kilometres of

trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. ...

between Rutherglen and Wahgunyah. That work was completed in 2009.

Stations

Railway Station, 29 January 1879 – 1 July 1995 * Lilliput Railway Station *

Rutherglen Rutherglen (, sco, Ruglen, gd, An Ruadh-Ghleann) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, immediately south-east of the city of Glasgow, from its centre and directly south of the River Clyde. Having existed as a Lanarkshire burgh in its own ...

Railway Station, 29 January 1879 – 1 July 1995 * Springhurst Railway Station, 21 November 1873 – present

Today

In its present form, the railway line is partially ripped up due to the

along this line. Although being closed for over twenty years now, remnants of the once active rail line such as signs, track and sleepers are visible.

References

External links

Victorian Railway Stations: Wahgunyah Line
{{Victorian Railway Lines, branch Closed regional railway lines in Victoria (state) Railway lines opened in 1879