North Coast railway line, New South Wales

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North Coast Line
The Grafton Bridge opened over the Clarence River in 1932
Line length:	683 km
Gauge:	Standard (1435mm)
Legend km Station 193 Main North Line at Maitland Telarah Oakhampton Mindaribba Ardrie Paterson Paterson River Martins Creek Martins Creek quarry Barokee Hilldale Wallarobba Tunnel Wallarobba Wirragulla 245 Dungog Williams River Dingadee Monkarai Tunnel Nooroo Stroud Road Weismantels Wards River Craven Stratford colliery Stratford Berrico 309 Gloucester Bulliac Tunnel Bulliac Bundook Somerset Manning River Mount George Charity Creek Karaak Flat Killawarra Wingham Kolodong 379 Taree Melinga Coopernook Moorland Johns River Batar Kendall Herons Creek Wauchope Tunnel Wauchope Telegraph Point Kundabung 504 Kempsey Colombatti Eungai Warrell Creek Macksville Newee Creek Nambucca Peterkins School Platform Urunga Raleigh Repton Tunnel Archville Bonville Sawtell Boambee 608 Coffs Harbour Red Hill Tunnels Karangi Coramba Nana Glen Dorrigo Line Glenreagh Kungala Lanitza Braunstone 696 Grafton City Clarence River Grafton Koolkhan Warragai Creek Gurranang Lawrance Road Banyabba Camira Creek Myrtle Creek Rappville Coombell Leeville South Casino 805 Casino Murwillumbah Line Nammoona Fairy Hill Backmede Baraimol Kyogle Kilgra Wiangaree The Risk Mount Lion Cougal Spiral Tunnels Border Tunnel 876 Queensland Border Note: All distances from Central station

The North Coast railway line is also a railway in Queensland, Australia

The North Coast Line is the primary rail route on the North Coast of New South Wales, and forms a major part of the route between Sydney and Brisbane.

The line begins at Maitland and ends at Roma St station in Brisbane, although freight services terminate at the yard at Acacia Ridge on the outskirts of Brisbane. Along the way, the railway passes through the towns of Dungog, Gloucester, Wingham, Taree, Kendall, Wauchope, Kempsey, Macksville, Nambucca Heads, Urunga, Sawtell, Coffs Harbour, Grafton, Casino and Kyogle. After the standard gauge line ends at Acacia Ridge, it forms a dual gauge line into Brisbane, running alongside parts of the Beenleigh railway line.

Since the abandonment of the northern part of the Main North Line in 1988, the North Coast Line has become the only route between Sydney and Brisbane. With the closure of former branches to Dorrigo (1972) and Murwillumbah (2004) there are now no operating branches off the line.

Contents 1 History 2 Passenger Services 2.1 Current services 2.2 Historical services 3 See also 4 Namesake 5 References

[edit] History

The line was built between 1905 and 1932, and when completed, bypassed the Main North Line and provided a quicker route up the eastern seaboard. The development of the line was hampered by the many large rivers that flow through the North Coast. The line also features the Cougal Spiral, which is one of only two spirals in New South Wales.

The first North Coast railway was opened between Murwillumbah, Byron Bay and Lismore in 1894 and it was extended to Casino in 1903 and Grafton in 1905. A branch line was built to Kyogle in 1910 and extended to Brisbane in 1930.

A railway was built from Maitland junction to Paterson and Dungog in 1911. It was extended to Gloucester and Taree in 1913 and Wauchope, Kempsey, Coffs Harbour, Glenreagh and South Grafton (now called Grafton City station) in 1915.^[1]

The Clarence River was the most difficult river to cross, and was the last bridge built in 1932.^[1] In the meantime services were connected by rail ferry that carried the carriages across the river. The opening of the bridge completed the Sydney - Brisbane line as the first standard gauge inter-capital link.

The completion of the Sydney-Brisbane link converted the Casino - Murwillumbah line into a branch line.^[2] In 1930, a branch line had been built from it to Ballina, but this closed in 1949.^[3] Trains stopped running on the Murwillumbah branch in 2004.

A picturesque branch was opened from Glenreagh to Dorrigo in 1924, but was difficult to maintain due to the steep terrain and high rainfall and it was closed in 1972 after a washaway.^[4] The Glenreagh to Ulong section is proposed for reopening as a heritage tourist railway by the Glenreagh Mountain Railway. The Dorrigo Steam Railway is also being set up in Dorrigo as a museum and working exhibit.

[edit] Passenger Services

[edit] Current services

RailCorp, the New South Wales government train operator, runs passenger trains over the North Coast line under its CountryLink brand. Three daily XPT services operate between Sydney and Brisbane, Grafton and Casino (formerly to Murwillumbah until 2004).

[edit] Historical services

The premier trains on the North Coast line were the two daily services to Brisbane, the Brisbane Express and the Brisbane Limited. The Limited was the fastest service, stopping only at major stations, while the Express operated as a sweeper service stopping at most stations north of Grafton and provided connections to services on the Murwillumbah branch.^[5] Sleeping cars had operated on the Brisbane Limited since 1960. In 1973, the Brisbane Express was withdrawn and replaced by the Pacific Coast MotoRail, operating to Murwillumbah. The North Coast Daylight and North Coast Mail operated to Grafton until they were both replaced in 1985 by a single Holiday Coast XPT train. Following the 'Booz- Allen and Hamilton' review of 1989 which recommended severe rationalisation of country rail services, the Brisbane and Murwillumbah services were changed to an XPT in 1990, and a locomotive hauled Grafton Express to Grafton was introduced.^[6] In 1993, the passenger services were further changed to the current all-XPT service.^[7]

[edit] See also

• Rail transport in New South Wales

[edit] Namesake

• There is a North Coast railway line in Queensland, which is much longer.

[edit] References

v • d • e Railway Lines in New South Wales Main lines Broken Hill Line · Main North Line · Main South Line · Main West Line · North Coast Line · South Coast Line   Country Branch lines Berrima Line • Binnaway-Werris Creek Line • Blayney-Demondrille Line • Boggabilla Branch • Bombala Line • Canberra Branch • Cobar Branch • Coonamble Branch • Grenfell Branch • Gwabegar Line • Hay Branch • Lake Cargelligo Branch • Medway Quarry Branch • Mungindi Line • Naradhan Branch • Newcastle branch • Oaklands Branch • Parkes to Narromine Line • Picton Loop Line • Pokataroo Branch • Sandy Hollow - Gulgong Line • South Maitland Railway • Stockinbingal - Parkes Line • Temora to Roto Line • Tottenham Branch • Troy Junction - Merrygoen Line • Unanderra - Moss Vale Line • Walgett Branch • Warren Branch • Yanco - Griffith Line Closed: Ballina line • Barraba line • Belmont line • Boorowa branch • Brewarrina Line • Burcher Branch • Camden Branch • Captains Flat Branch • Corowa Branch • Crookwell line • Dorrigo Line • Holbrook Branch • Kunama (Batlow) Branch • Kywong Branch • Merriwa line • Molong to Dubbo line • Murwillumbah Branch • Newnes line • Oberon Line • Rand Branch • Rankins Springs Branch • Richmond Vale Railway • Taralga Branch • Toronto Line • Tumbarumba Line • Tumut Branch • Westby Branch   Sydney Suburban lines Airport & East Hills Line • Bankstown Line • Carlingford Line • City Circle • Cumberland Line • Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line (Cronulla Line, Eastern Suburbs Line) • Inner West Line • North Shore Line • Northern Line • Olympic Park Line • South Line • Western Line (Richmond Line) Closed: Camden Line • Ropes Creek Line • Royal National Park Line • Rogans Hill Line   InterCity and Regional Passenger Services Blue Mountains Line • Hunter Lines • Newcastle & Central Coast Line • South Coast Line • Southern Highlands Line   Proposed or Under Construction CBD Rail Link • Epping to Chatswood Line • North West Rail Link • South West Rail Link   Tourist railways Richmond Vale Railway • Skitube • Zig Zag Railway   Sydney goods lines Metropolitan Goods Line • Sandown Line • Southern Sydney Freight Line