Kalgoorlie railway station
Kalgoorlie | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Eastern end of the station in November 1930 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Forrest Street, Kalgoorlie | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 30°26′41″S 121°16′48″E / 30.4446°S 121.2800°ECoordinates: 30°26′41″S 121°16′48″E / 30.4446°S 121.2800°E | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 1,234 feet (376 m) [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | Transwa | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Operated by | Transwa | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Line(s) |
Eastern Goldfields Railway Trans-Australian Railway | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 653 kilometres from Perth | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 3 (1 side, 2 bay) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Structure type | Ground | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Disabled access | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 8 September 1896 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Kalgoorlie railway station is the most eastern station in Western Australia, located at the Eastern Goldfields Railway. It serves the city of Kalgoorlie. Beyond Kalgoorlie the line continues east as the Trans-Australian Railway.
Establishment
Construction of the railway station and yard was began in the late 1890s, as part of the extension of the Eastern Goldfields Railway from Coolgardie in January 1897.[2] The station was formally opened by the Governor of Western Australia, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Gerard Smith KCMG, at a ceremony held on the station platform on 8 September 1896.[3]
In the early stages of the development of railways in the Eastern Goldfields it was the junction for the following railways:[4]
- Kalgoorlie to Boulder, opened 8 November 1897
- Kalgoorlie to Kanowna, opened 15 June 1898
- Kalgoorlie to Menzies, opened 13 February 1899
In 1917, Kalgoorlie became a break-of-gauge station when the Commonwealth Railways' standard gauge Trans-Australian Railway from Port Augusta opened. This ceased on 3 August 1968, when the Eastern Goldfields Railway was gauge converted.[5][6]
Platform
The platform is the longest in Western Australia.[7] At either end of the main platform are two bays; the one to the east (adjacent to the former water tank and signal box) was where services from the Boulder loop line passenger services arrived, and the western bay is where the current Prospector services terminate. The eastern end bay was also where passengers embarked and disembarked when the Trans-Australian service terminated in Kalgoorlie, prior to the extension of the standard gauge line to Perth.
Location and commemorations
Due to it being the western terminus of the Trans-Australian Railway, the station has been the location of a number of commemorations and ceremonies from the opening of that railway in 1917 and since.[8]
Services
Kalgoorlie is served by the Transwa Prospector rural train service and the Indian Pacific. It was also previously served by the Kalgoorlie Express, The Westland and Trans Australian.
The Prospector service runs to and from East Perth one or twice each day.[9]
Indian Pacific
The Indian Pacific also stops here. It runs once or twice a week (depending on the time of year) each way between East Perth and Sydney Central.
References
- ↑ WAGR Timetable 1964, pg9
- ↑ "Kalgoorlie Railway Station.". Kalgoorlie Western Argus (WA: National Library of Australia). 22 April 1897. p. 11. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ "To-Day's Proceedings. Reception of the Guests. The Week's Programme.". Kalgoorlie Miner (WA: National Library of Australia). 8 September 1896. p. 2. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
- ↑ "Kalgoorlie Railway Station.". Kalgoorlie Miner (WA: National Library of Australia). 5 May 1899. p. 4. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ Gray, Bill; May, Andrew (2006). A History of WAGR Passenger Carriages. Perth: Bill Gray. p. 262. ISBN 0-646-45902-3.
- ↑ History of Rail in Australia Department of Infrastructure & Regional Development
- ↑ "The Railway Station at Kalgoorlie.". The West Australian (Perth: National Library of Australia). 11 July 1934. p. 16. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ Institution of Engineers, Australia. Western Australia Division (2001), Trans-Australian Railway : national engineering landmark, commemorative plaque unveiling ceremony, Kalgoorlie-Western Australia, Tuesday, 27 November 2001, Kalgoorlie Railway Station, Institution of Engineers, Australia, W.A. Division, retrieved 23 March 2013
- ↑ Prospector Timetable
External links
Media related to Kalgoorlie railway station at Wikimedia Commons