Ararat railway station

Ararat

Broad gauge platform looking towards Stawell
Station information
Code ART
Distance from
Southern Cross		 212.81 km
Operator V/Line
Lines Ararat
# Platforms 2
# Tracks 2 (1 BG, 1 SG)
Status Staffed
Viclink profile Link
VicRoads map Link
Myki zone Zone 17

Ararat railway station is a railway station located in the city of Ararat, Victoria, Australia. It is located where the Western standard gauge line intersects with the broad gauge Ararat line, and is also the junction for the Ararat - Maryborough line.

Contents

Facilities

Ararat has two platform faces, set up in an island format. The standard gauge platform is to the north, with broad gauge trains using a dock platform on the south face. A grade crossing exists at the eastern end of the station to allow the broad gauge to continue east, while the standard gauge turns south.

Control of signals is by the Australian Rail Track Corporation control centre at Mile End, South Australia and Centrol in Melbourne.[1] A dead end siding is located to the east for broad gauge passenger trains, and across from the main platform are two loop and one dead end standard gauge sidings.[2]

History

The railway first reached Ararat from Ballarat in 1875. The line south to Portland opened in 1877, and the mainline was extended west reaching the South Australian border at Serviceton in 1887. The line to Maryborough opened in 1890.[3] Two signal boxes ('A' and 'B') were opened in 1891, and in 1914 the goods sidings were extended, with the locomotive depot built soon after.[3] The locomotive depot was expanded in the late 1930s in conjunction with the massive new H class 4-8-4 steam locomotives intended for use on the Overland passenger train. An 85 feet (26 m) turntable was installed with 24 roads around it - the largest on the Victorian Railways system. Before this time Stawell was the major servicing facility in the region.[4]

Rationalisation to the facilities begun in the 1980s, the 'B' box was demolished in 1984 and the train control office following in 1988. The locomotive depot closed in 1989, with 'A' box following in 1996. Gauge conversion also came to the station in the 1990s, with the main line to Adelaide converted to standard gauge as part of the One Nation project. The lines west and south were converted, with the line to Maryborough converted to dual gauge soon after. The former main line to Ballarat had services suspended in 1995 and was left as broad gauge.[1] V/Line passenger services westward to Dimboola had been withdrawn on August 21, 1993. The rail service from Ballarat - Ararat didn't survive long after and was cut on the 27th of May, 1994 (after only another 9 months of service).[5]

In 1977 (at approx 3am)July 8th victorianrailways history there was a head on collision with an "UP" grain freight train (X Class Long end forward, which was pulling into the main 2nd line) and the yards Pilot (Y145). It was suggested that either a signal failure occurred or driver error was responsible.

In 1999 there was a head-on collision between two freight trains at the station, when the points for the yard were incorrectly set.[6]

The line to Ballarat was reopened in July 2004 when the V/Line passenger services was reinstated.[7] The contract for the works was awarded in February 2003,[8] and required a diamond crossing and signalling to be installed to allow the broad gauge line to reach the platform. The Maryborough line was booked out of use in 2005.[1]

Platforms/Services & Connecting bus services

Platform 1: (SG)

Platform 2: (BG)

Since 2008 the Ararat Transit bus service has operated 5 days a week, providing 86 services and connecting with train services.[9]

Interstate freight services also operate though the station, primarily intermodal containers, but also general freight, steel products and grain.

References

  1. ^ a b c "VICSIG - Infrastructure: Ararat". www.vicsig.net. http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=infrastructure&name=Ararat. Retrieved 2008-08-01. 
  2. ^ "ARTC system maps: Victoria Western Line". www.artc.com.au. http://www.artc.com.au/library/ta400018_vic_western_line.pdf. Retrieved 2008-08-01. 
  3. ^ a b "The Ararat Story". Royal Historical Society of Victoria. http://www.historyvictoria.org.au/pdf/Ararat.pdf. Retrieved 2008-08-01. 
  4. ^ Lee, Robert (2007). The Railways of Victoria 1854-2004. Melbourne University Publishing Ltd. p. 164. ISBN 9780522851342. 
  5. ^ Chris Banger (March 1997). "Rail Passenger Service Withdrawals Since 1960". Newsrail (Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division)): pages 77–82. 
  6. ^ "Collision between Freight Train 9784 and Ballast Train 9795". www.atsb.gov.au. November 26, 1999. http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1999/RAIR/rair1999002.aspx. Retrieved 2008-08-01. 
  7. ^ "ACTION-PACKED DAY TO WELCOME TRAINS BACK TO ARARAT". Media Release: MINISTER FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT. www.legislation.vic.gov.au. July 5, 2004. http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/bc348d5912436a9cca256cfc0082d800/54825852dbca4819ca256ec9000739c3!OpenDocument. Retrieved 2008-08-01. 
  8. ^ "$20 MILLION CONTRACT SIGNED TO RE-OPEN ARARAT AND BAIRNSDALE RAIL LINES". Media Release: MINISTER FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT. www.legislation.vic.gov.au. February 3, 2003. http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/798c8b072d117a01ca256c8c0019bb01/ee9efd3b7fb66a85ca256cc30001d52e!OpenDocument. Retrieved 2008-08-01. 
  9. ^ "Ararat transit launched". Ararat Advertiser. yourguide.com.au. 13/05/2008. http://ararat.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/ararat-transit-launched/768940.aspx. Retrieved 2008-08-01. 
Station Navigation
V/Line service
Ararat line
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Closed line
Ararat - Maryborough line
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Entire V/Line network
Closed stations
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towards Melbourne
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