| Swan Hill railway line, Victoria | |
|---|---|
| Line details | |
| Length | 350 km (217 mi) |
| Stations | 5 |
| Tracks | 1 |
| Used by | V/Line, Pacific National |
| Rolling stock | N class locomotive and N carriges (V/Line), locomotive and grain hoppers (PN) |
| Connections | Eaglehawk – Inglewood line |
| Rail transport in Victoria | |
The Swan Hill line is a railway line in Victoria, Australia. It branches off the Echuca railway line at Bendigo station and has five stations.
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The line was progressively extended from the Echuca line, the junction being past Bendigo Signal Box D. The line opened to Raywood in 1882, to Mitiamo in 1883, Pyramid and Kerang in 1884, and Swan Hill in 1890.[1] The line from Swan Hill was later extended, to Piangil in 1915, to Kooloonong in 1920, and to Yungera in 1926. It was alter cut back to Kooloonong in 1957 and to Piangil in 1981.[1]
From Kerang the privately operated Koondrook branch line opened in 1924, was acquired by the Victorian Railways in 1952 and closed in 1981. Another branch opened to Murrabit in 1924, and under the 1922 Border Railways Act was extended to Stony Crossing, New South Wales in 1928, before closure in 1943. No passenger services were carried on the section beyond Murrabit after 1932, passenger services ceased to Murrabit in 1941 and the branch line closed altogether in 1961.[2]
The last passenger services from Swan Hill to Woorinen were withdrawn on December 17, 1976. The last train was a 102hp Walker railmotor, running a service for school children that was paid for by the Education Department. The last passenger service from Swan Hill to Piangil ran on December 24, 1976 again with a 102hp Walker. Both services were replaced with buses soon after.[3]
On 5 June 2007, a fatal crash occurred between a train and a semi-trailer near Kerang. Eleven people died, all of whom were passengers.
In April 2008 it was announced that the Swan Hill – Piangil section of the line would be upgraded, as part of the Victorian core grain network in a $23.7 million package with 6 other lines.[4]
In October 2010, the Victorian government released a report into public transport improvement options for the north-west of Victoria, outlining nine proposals for public transport projects servicing the city of Mildura. Options discussed include the return of passenger trains on the existing railway between Ballarat and Mildura, or via an extension the extension of the railway from Swan Hill to connect to the Mildura line at Ouyen.[5][6]
Passenger services on the line are operated by V/Line as extensions of services to Bendigo from Southern Cross Station in Melbourne.
Bold stations are termini, where some train services terminate; italic stations are always serviced; and stations with an asterisk (*) are staffed part time.
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