Whyalla railway line

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Whyalla railway line
Overview
Termini
Continues fromAdelaide-Port Augusta line
StationsSpencer Junction
Lincoln Gap (Block Point)
Roopena
Whyalla[1]
History
Opened6 October 1972
Technical
Line length74 km (46 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)

The Whyalla railway line runs from Port Augusta to Whyalla.[1]

History[edit]

The Whyalla line was built primarily to serve the BHP's Whyalla Steelworks. The line was built by the Commonwealth Railways as a standard gauge line being opened on 6 October 1972 by Prime Minister William McMahon.[2][3]

Passenger Services[edit]

When it opened, the line was served by a daily passenger service from Adelaide to Whyalla operated by CB class railcars.[2] The service was withdrawn in 1975.[4]

On 21 April 1986, the service was reintroduced as the Iron Triangle Limited. It was withdrawn on 31 December 1990 when Australian National withdrew all its South Australian passenger services.[5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Whyalla Branch (Spencer Junction - Whyalla/Point Lowly)" (PDF). SA Track and Signal. August 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  2. ^ a b Bayley, William (1973). Steel Wheels on Railway to Whyalla. Bulli: Austrail Publications. ISBN 0 909597 12 X.
  3. ^ Newland, Andrew; Quinlan, Howard (2000). Australian Railway Routes 1854 - 2000. Redfern: Australian Railway Historical Society. p. 57. ISBN 0-909650-49-7.
  4. ^ CB class Budd Railcars Chris' Commonwealth Railways
  5. ^ Iron Triangle Limited Chris' Commonwealth Railways