Unanderra-Moss Vale railway line, New South Wales
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| South Coast to Southern Highlands | |
 |
|
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Mode | Coach service |
| Area | Illawarra, Southern Highlands |
| Map colour | Blue |
| Owner | ARTC (rail line) |
| Design | |
| Stations | 9 |
| Connects | Wollongong Dapto Bowral Bundanoon |
| 1932 | Rail line opened |
| 1990s | Passenger service replaced with coach service |
| Operations | |
| Operator(s) | CityRail Kiama Coachlines |
| Public transport | | |
The Unanderra - Moss Vale railway line is a cross country railway line in New South Wales, Australia. The line branches from the Illawarra (South Coast) railway line at the town of Unanderra and winds west over the Illawarra escarpment to the Southern Highlands town of Moss Vale. The line is one of the most scenic in New South Wales, and for the first 20kms after leaving Unanderra has an almost continuous grade 1 in 30 providing spectacular view over the Illawarra coastline.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Coach service
The South Coast - Southern Highlands commuter route is now served by CityRail using road coaches. The service stops at Wollongong, Dapto and Albion Park railway stations; bus stops on Hoddle Street in both Burrawang and Robertson; then at Bowral, Moss Vale, Exeter and Bundanoon railway stations.
[edit] Course
The length of the line is 57 kilometres, and is double track from from Unanderra to Dombarton. The line is single track therafter with several crossing loops. The double track section was built as part of the now abandoned Maldon to Dombarton railway line, and unfinished staunchions line this section as part of the proposed electrification.
The line connects the following current and former passenger stations:[2]
- Unanderra
- Summit Tank (platform only)
- Mount Murray (closed)
- Ranelagh House (platform only)
- Robertson
- Burrawang (closed 1975)
- Calwalla (closed 1976)
- Moss Vale
[edit] History
The line was first proposed in the 1880s by residents of Moss Vale and local industry keen for a connection to the port at Port Kembla. Construction began in 1925, and was completed in 1932. The line initially carried mainly limestone from the Marulan Quarry to Port Kembla Steelworks, but also vegetables from Robertson to Sydney and later, coal. Daily steam-hauled passenger trains operated from 1932, which were later replaced by diesel hauled trains, then railmotors. A weekend excusion train operated as late as the early 1990s, prior to it's replacement by the privately operated Cockatoo Run steam hauled weekend tourist train which operates to the present day. Limestone freight continues to be hauled, and the line remains a valuable frieght link to the Wollongong area and a useful bypass line when engineering works close the Main South Line. [3]
[edit] Dombarton-Maldon Line
State Rail began construction of a line connecting Maldon, on the Southern Highlands line near Picton, with Dombarton near Port Kembla. The project would have created the longest tunnel in Australia: the 4-km Avon Tunnel. Part of the incomplete tunnel, as well approaches to a bridge over the Cordeaux River, are visible today.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Singh-Sidhu, Daniel. Dombarten-Moss Vale. Railpix Australia. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.
- ^ Bozier, Rolfe. Unanderra - Moss Vale Line. NSWrail.net. Retrieved on 2006-12-13.
- ^ Wollongong City Council. Kembla Grange History. Wollongong City Council. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.
- ^ Bozier, Rolfe. Dombarton - Maldon Line. NSWrail.net. Retrieved on 2006-12-13.
 |
This Australian rail-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
| Railway lines in New South Wales: | |
|---|---|
| Main lines: | Broken Hill Line, Main Northern Line, Main Southern Line, Main Western Line, North Coast Line, South Coast (Illawarra) Line |
| Country Branch Lines: | Berrima Line, Blayney - Demondrille Line, Bombala Line, BHP Port Kembla, Binnaway - Werris Creek Line, Boggabilla Branch, Canberra Branch, Cobar Branch, Coonamble Branch, Gwabegar Line, Grenfell Branch, Hay Branch, Lake Cargelligo Branch, Medway Quarry Branch, Merriwa Branch, Mungindi Line, Murwillumbah Branch, Naradhan Branch, Oaklands Branch, Parkes - Narromine Line, Picton Loop Line, Pokataroo Branch, Sandy Hollow - Gulgong Line, Skitube, Stockinbingal - Parkes Line, Temora - Roto Line, Tottenham Branch, Troy Junction - Merrygoen Line, Unanderra - Moss Vale Line, Walgett Branch, Wallerawang Colliery Branch, Warren Branch, Yanco - Griffith Line |
| Sydney Suburban Lines: | Airport and East Hills Line, Bankstown Line, Carlingford Line, Cumberland Line, Eastern Suburbs Line, Cronulla Line, Inner West Line, Illawarra Line, Metropolitan Goods Line, North Shore Line, Northern Line, Olympic Park Line, Richmond Line, Sandown Line, South Line, Western Line |
