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 New South Wales town of Deniliquin into Bendigo, before turning south-southeast towards Melbourne, terminating in Docklands near the central business district. 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 & Murray River Railway Company, which was incorporated in 1852. The first thirteen sections of the line were constructed by contractors Cornish & Bruce, who gained a reputation for trying to reduce costs by taking shortcuts on materials and reducing worker's wages.[1][2]
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.[3] 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 Higinbotham.[4]
Design
The line was designed with two broad gauge tracks, high speed alignments cutting through the landscape, substantial bridges and railway stations built of bluestone, and double-headed rail.[5]
Timeline of construction
Originating from Spencer Street Station, the line reached Sunbury in 1859. On 13 January 1859, the Government Railway from Melbourne to Sunbury was opened.[6]
By 1861 it had reached Woodend and on 8 July 1861 the Sunbury to Woodend section opened.[6]
By 1862 the Woodend to Kyneton section was built. On 25 April 1862 the Woodend to Kyneton section was opened.[6]
Later in 1862, the line had been completed to Castlemaine and to Bendigo. On 7 October the first locomotive reached Bendigo. Another Official Opening was held at Castlemaine on 15 October 1862.
Passenger rail services from Echuca to Balranald were withdrawn on 7 November 1975, with the last train a 153hp Walker railmotor. The Echuca to Kyabram service was withdrawn on 18 December 1975.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.[10] The Bendigo – Echuca – Deniliquin passenger service was withdrawn on 11 January 1979, with the last train being operated by a DERM.[10] Toolamba – Echuca passenger services were withdrawn on 2 March 1981,[10] 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 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.[11]
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 in 1884, and extended as far as Shelbourne in 1891, although it had originally been planned to run to Laanecoorie. The line from Maldon to Shelbourne was closed in 1969 following bush fire damage. The Maldon branch line closed in 1976.[15] 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.
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), 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.[16] A short branch line was built from Wedderburn Junction (south of Korong Vale) to Wedderburn in the 1880s which closed in the 1980s.
There is currently no passenger service on this line.
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.
The portal of the Big Hill railway tunnel, 390 metres long
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. Regional Bendigo line services operate on the same line between Bendigo (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.
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.
One service on weekdays and two services on weekends operate in each direction each day between Echuca 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.
^Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 January 1920). "Private Railways". Year Book Australia, 1921. abs.gov.au. Archived from the original on 8 August 2008. Retrieved 20 July 2008.
^ abcChris Banger (March 1997). "Rail Passenger Service Withdrawals Since 1960". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division). pp. 77–82.
^"Deniliquin Line". www.nswrail.net. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
The portal of the Big Hill railway tunnel, 390 metres long
A mix of new and old signalling at Castlemaine station
Sunbury Station prior to electrification
