Rail transport in Tasmania

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Rail transport in Tasmania consists a network of narrow gauge track, reaching virtually all cities and major towns in the state of Tasmania, Australia. Today, rail services are focussed primarily for freight, particularly bulk freights, with no commercial passenger services being operated.

[edit] History

The Tasmanian system is small and currently carries no regular passenger services and its freight services are not profitable without subsidies for the maintenance and upgrading of infrastructure, currently controlled by Pacific National.

[edit] Timeline

1871 - Launceston and Western Railway opens a broad gauge (1600 mm) railway line between Deloraine and Launceston
1876 - Tasmanian Main Line Company opens a narrow gauge (1067 mm) line from Hobart to Evandale, near Launceston connecting with a break-of-gauge to Launceston and Western line
1885 - Launceston and Western Railway extended to Devonport as a narrow gauge line, creating another break-of-gauge.
1888 - Launceston to Deloraine line converted to narrow gauge, creating a single gauge network.
1890 - Tasmanian Government buys Tasmanian Main Line Company, creating the Tasmanian Government Railways.
1901 - Devonport line extended to Burnie, connecting with the Emu Bay Railway's line to Zeehan

A broad gauge (1600 mm) railway line was built between Deloraine and Launceston in 1871 by the private Launceston and Western Railway, on the basis of debt guarantees from landowners who stood to benefit. The line went bankrupt in 1872 and was taken over by the Tasmanian Government, which then attempted to recover the debt from the guarantors, leading to civil unrest.

In 1876, another private railway, the Tasmanian Main Line Company, which was guaranteed by the Tasmanian Government, opened a narrow gauge (1067 mm) line from Hobart to Evandale, near Launceston, where it connected with the Launceston and Western Railway at a break-of-gauge. In 1885, the Launceston and Western Railway was extended to Devonport as a narrow gauge line creating another break-of-gauge. The Launceston - Deloraine was converted to narrow gauge in 1888, creating a single gauge network. In 1890 the Tasmanian Government bought the Tasmanian Main Line Company, creating the Tasmanian Government Railways.^[1] In 1901 the Devonport line was extended to Burnie in 1901, connecting with the Emu Bay Railway's line to Zeehan, which was built about 1900. The government railway was extended to Wynyard in 1913 and Stanley and Smithton in 1922.