Crystal Brook-Broken Hill railway line

The Crystal Brook-Broken Hill railway line is a 371 kilometre line running from Crystal Brook to Broken Hill on the Australian Rail Track Corporation network.^[1][2]

History

In the 1875, the South Australian Railways built a narrow gauge line from Port Pirie to Gladstone.^[3] This was extended to Cockburn in 1888 where it joined with the Silverton Tramway.

In April 1963, the Federal Government decided to convert the line to standard gauge to create an East-West rail corridor from Sydney to Perth.^[4] The new line opened in January 1970.^[5]

In 1982, the Adelaide to Port Augusta line was converted to standard gauge. As part of this the junction with the Port Pirie to Broken Hill line was moved 24 kilometres east to Crystal Brook.

The 371 kilometre line is single track throughout with 13 crossing loops.^[2]

Services

The main traffic on the line is interstate freight trains operating between Sydney, Parkes, Adelaide and Perth with the majority operated by Pacific National and SCT Logistics. Genesee & Wyoming Australia operate intrastate services.^[6]

The only passenger service is Great Southern Rail's Indian Pacific. In the 1980s, the line was briefly served by The Alice and Australian National's Adelaide to Broken Hill service.

Crystal Brook-Broken Hill railway line
Legend
Broken Hill line to Sydney 394.2 km Broken Hill -Crossing loop 1,169m South Road Gypsum Street Darbon Terrace Abbatoir Road 389.8 km Kanandah -Crossing loop 1,014m 386.7 km Bemax Siding 377.6 km Pinnacle Mines Siding 363.5 km Thackaringa -Crossing loop 996m 346.0 km New South Wales / South Australia border Barrier Highway 320.8 km Mingary -Crossing loop 1,854m Barrier Highway 276.9 km Olary -Crossing loop 998m 239.6 km Mannahill -Crossing loop 2,500m 195.8 km Yunta -Crossing loop 1,984m 146.0 km Hillgrange -Crossing loop 1,877m Barrier Highway Silver Street 109.7 km Peterborough -Crossing loop 2,200m Hurlestone Street 98.6 km Yongala -Crossing loop 1,009m 73.5 km Jamestown -Crossing loop 998m Yhor Street Clyde Street Jamestown Road 60.0 km Caltowie -Crossing loop 1,054m Adams Street Bondowie Street 43.9 km Gladstone -Crossing loop 1,990m Main North Road Weston Road Adelaide-Port Augusta line to Port Augusta 0.0 km Coonamia (Port Pirie) Darbon Terrace Crystal Brook Triangle Adelaide-Port Augusta line to Adelaide

References