The Lake Cargelligo railway line is a railway line in Central Western
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. The first sod was turned commencing construction on 8 June 1913
with the line opening on 13 November 1917. The line branches 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, New Zealand, Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the ...
at
Cootamundra
Cootamundra, nicknamed Coota, is a town in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia and within the Riverina. It is within the Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council. At the 2016 Census, Cootamundra had a population of 6,782. I ...
and travels in a north-westerly direction to the small town of
Lake Cargelligo. The line is used primarily for grain haulage, although passenger service was provided until 1983.
The section between Cootamundra and
Stockinbingal forms part of the
cross country line between the Main South and
Broken Hill line, which allows goods trains to bypass Sydney.
In December 2007, flooding washed away several sections of track between
Ungarie
Ungarie is a town in New South Wales, Australia which is the second major town of the Bland Shire, located in the Central West region of New South Wales. It is located west of Sydney and north of Melbourne, between the towns of West Wyalon ...
and Lake Cargelligo rendering the track unpassable. The rail line has since then been repaired between Ungarie and Lake Cargelligo rendering the track open. But the tracks are still rough. The 70 kilometre rail line between Lake Cargelligo and Ungarie is in desperate need of an upgrade.
A section of rail between Lake Cargelligo and Ungarie has been identified as needing upgrades so it can handle mainline locomotives and grain cars, for transporting local grain to port for export.
Early operations
From the opening of the line in 1913 daily passenger services were operated by
mixed goods and passenger steam trains, the passenger carriages being 'dog box' configuration. It was not until 1938 after much complaint by passengers that more comfortable 'corridor' type passenger carriages were introduced on the branch line to Lake Cargelligo.
In the same year after more agitation from residents serviced by this line
the Railway Commissioners agreed to a new diesel
rail motor
A railcar (not to be confused with the generic term railroad car or railway car) is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coa ...
service to operate between Temora (departing daily at 08:30am) and Lake Cargelligo, the new train commenced from late 1938 replacing the
mixed steam trains that had operated since opening.
Later
CPH railmotors operated on this line until passenger services were ceased in 1983.
Management
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 the section between Cootamundra and Stockinbingal is leased 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 across five states and 39 worksites.
ARTC continues to expand the networ ...
(ARTC) who are responsible for the maintenance and operation of the line.
[ ] The ARTC is responsible for co-ordinating operations over the remainder of the line.
Gallery
File:Lake Cargelligo - Signal Box & Gantry Crane.jpg, Lake Cargelligo – Signal Box & Gantry Crane
File:Lake Cargelligo Water Tower & Turntable.jpg, Lake Cargelligo Water Tower & Turntable
File:Pacific National 81 class locos (8169 and 8137) at the Temora Sub Terminal.jpg, Pacific National 81 class locos at the Temora Sub Terminal]
File:Tullibigeal Lake Cargelligo Rail Line.JPG, Near Tullibigeal
File:CPH 12, 25 and 24 railmotors at Temora railway station.jpg, Temora Railway Station
File:Stockinbingal railway station (1).jpg, Stockinbingal railway station
See also
*
Rail transport in New South Wales
The Australian States of Australia, 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 ...
Further reading
The Centenary of Lake Cargelligo and the Railway's Role –
Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin
''Australian Railway History'' is a monthly magazine covering railway history in Australia, published by the New South Wales Division of the Australian Railway Historical Society on behalf of its state and territory Divisions.
History and pro ...
, October 1973, pp217–239
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lake Cargelligo Railway Line
Regional railway lines in New South Wales
Standard-gauge railways in Australia
Railway lines opened in 1917