Koo Wee Rup railway station

Koo Wee Rup was a railway station on the South Gippsland line in South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. The station operated until the closure of the line between Cranbourne Station and Leongatha Station in July 1993. The station remains partly intact with the platform and goods shed (now privately owned) intact, and with the track still in reasonable condition.

Between 1999 and 2008 there was constant speculation that the railway line beyond Cranbourne to Leongatha could re-open, as promised by the Victorian State Government, under a project named 'Bringing Trains Back to Victorians'. However, in May 2008, a scoping study carried out on behalf of the State Government found the costs of returning services high, at $72 million dollars. Therefore, plans to reopen the line were stopped, and the Government has pledged to spend $14.2 million dollars on improved V/Line coach services in the South Gippsland region instead. Further, there are plans in motion to turn the railway reservation into a Rail Trail between Cranbourne East and Nyora. Koo Wee Rup was going to be the first station reopened if the Leongatha Rail service returned in May 2008. Clyde and Tooradin didn't meet the required criteria for a passenger railway station. In mid 2009 Koo Wee Rup has been given a green light for housing development. This could mean the electrified line from Cranbourne could be extended to Koo Wee Rup and also could be around the time the new Cranbourne East extension could happen.

Source: Communication from Minister Lynne Kosky, 3 June 2008, and the Victorian Department of Infrastructure

Koo Wee Rup was also the last station before the Strzelecki line branched off from the main South Gippsland line.

Images of Railway at Koo Wee Rup