30°56′46″S 127°02′17″E / 30.946°S 127.038°E / -30.946; 127.038 Loongana is a remote siding on the Trans-Australian Railway in the Australian state of Western Australia. It is located approximately at the middle of the Nullarbor Plain and is on the longest length of straight track in the world, which is 478 kilometres (297 mi) long.

Employee houses of the former Commonwealth Railways at the isolated railway settlement of Loongana in 2006. The houses, now demolished, were for employees at a time when it was necessary to have local maintenance crews available.

The area was formerly the site of a lime mine and processing plant.[1] The settlement was dependent on the Tea and Sugar Train for the delivery of supplies until 1996 when the train was withdrawn.

As of 2022 the Indian Pacific, the only passenger train that traverses the entire Trans-Australian Railway, still passes there, but does not stop.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Fitzhardinge, Cris (2010), Trainee to train controller : a photographic account of a life on the railways in Western Australia 1992-2010, Midcon Publications, ISBN 978-0-646-35213-8 section of Fitzhardinge's book included details about the Lime works siding working
  2. ^ "The Indian Pacific 2022 fares & timetables". Journey Beyond Rail Expectations. December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.


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