Lake Cargelligo line | |
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Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
The Lake Cargelligo railway line is a railway line in Central Western New South Wales, Australia. The first sod was turned commencing construction on 8 June 1913 [1] with the line opening on 13 November 1917. [2] The line branches from the Main South line at Cootamundra and travels in a north-westerly direction to the small town of Lake Cargelligo. The line is used primarily for grain haulage, although passenger service was provided until 1983. [3]
The section between Cootamundra and Stockinbingal forms part of the cross country line between the Main South and Broken Hill line, which allows goods trains to bypass Sydney.
In December 2007, flooding washed away several sections of track between Ungarie and Lake Cargelligo rendering the track unpassable. [4] The rail line has since then been repaired between Ungarie and Lake Cargelligo rendering the track open. But the tracks are still rough. The 70 kilometre rail line between Lake Cargelligo and Ungarie is in desperate need of an upgrade.
A section of rail between Lake Cargelligo and Ungarie has been identified as needing upgrades so it can handle mainline locomotives and grain cars, for transporting local grain to port for export.
From the opening of the line in 1913 daily passenger services were operated by mixed goods and passenger steam trains, the passenger carriages being 'dog box' configuration. It was not until 1938 after much complaint by passengers that more comfortable 'corridor' type passenger carriages were introduced on the branch line to Lake Cargelligo. [5] In the same year after more agitation from residents serviced by this line [6] the Railway Commissioners agreed to a new diesel rail motor service to operate between Temora (departing daily at 08:30am) and Lake Cargelligo, the new train commenced from late 1938 replacing the mixed steam trains that had operated since opening. [7] Later CPH railmotors operated on this line until passenger services were ceased in 1983.
The line is owned by the Rail Infrastructure Corporation of New South Wales, however the section between Cootamundra and Stockinbingal is leased by the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) who are responsible for the maintenance and operation of the line. [8] The ARTC is responsible for co-ordinating operations over the remainder of the line.
The Centenary of Lake Cargelligo and the Railway's Role – Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, October 1973, pp217–239
The Bethungra Spiral is a heritage-listed rail spiral on the Main Southern line near Bethungra, between Junee and Cootamundra. The spiral carries the northbound track, forming a part of the Sydney–Melbourne rail corridor.
The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) is an Australian Government-owned statutory corporation. It operates one of the largest rail networks in the nation, spanning 8,500 km across five states and 39 worksites.
Temora is a town in the north-east of the Riverina area of New South Wales, 418 kilometres (260 mi) south-west of the state capital, Sydney. At the 2021 census the population of Temora was 4,016.
Inland Rail is a 1600-kilometre (990 mi) railway line under construction in Australia. Once complete, it will connect Melbourne and Brisbane along a new route inland through Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland that allows for the use of double-stacked freight trains.
The Main Southern Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs from Sydney to Albury, near the Victorian border. The line passes through the Southern Highlands, Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes and Riverina regions.
Lake Cargelligo is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia, on Lake Cargelligo. It is in Lachlan Shire. At the 2016 census, Lake Cargelligo had a population of 1,479 people. Its name is said to be a corruption of the Aboriginal word kartjellakoo meaning 'he had a coolamon'. Alternatively it is derived from Wiradjuri and Ngiyambaa "gajal" for water container with suffix "lugu" for "her" or "his". In 2016, it had an indigenous population of 239 (16.2%) and other Australian-born population of 1,186.
Stockinbingal is a town in the South West Slopes and Riverina regions of New South Wales, Australia. The town is in the Cootamundra–Gundagai Regional Council local government area and on the Burley Griffin Way. At the 2016 census, Stockinbingal had a population of 374.
Ungarie is a town in New South Wales, Australia which is the second major town of the Bland Shire, located in the Central West region of New South Wales. It is located 513 kilometres (319 mi) west of Sydney and 615 kilometres (382 mi) north of Melbourne, between the towns of West Wyalong and Lake Cargelligo and is situated 262 metres (860 ft) above sea level. The town's name is derived from an Indigenous Australian word meaning "thigh".
The Temora–Roto railway line is a partly closed railway line in the southwest of New South Wales, Australia. It branches from the Lake Cargelligo line at the town of Temora and travels west through the northern part of the Riverina to the towns of Griffith and Hillston. A connection to the Broken Hill line created a cross-country route, although this was never utilised to its full potential, and the line beyond Hillston was built to low grade 'pioneer' standards.
The Naradhan railway line is a railway line in south-western New South Wales, Australia. It branches from Ungarie on the Lake Cargelligo line and heads in a westerly direction, passing through Youngareen and Kikoira, to the small town of Naradhan. The line opened on 11 February 1929 to open up the region for agriculture, and is currently used for seasonal grain haulage. The line saw passenger services until 1974.
The Burcher railway line is a partly closed railway line in New South Wales, Australia, branching from the Cootamundra to Lake Cargelligo line at Wyalong Central.
The Parkes–Narromine railway line is a railway line in New South Wales, Australia. The line forms part of a cross-country route between Cootamundra on the Main South line and Werris Creek on the Main North line. It is owned by the Rail Infrastructure Corporation of New South Wales, but is managed and maintained by the Australian Rail Track Corporation under a 60-year lease signed in 2004. The line is used mainly for grain haulage, with several silo facilities located along the line. Passenger services ceased in the mid-1970s and there are no surviving passenger stations on the line. The station building at Peak Hill has been relocated to a nearby sportsground.
The Stockinbingal–Parkes railway line is a railway line in New South Wales, Australia which connects Stockinbingal on the Main South line with Parkes on the Main West line. The line has come to be part of the main route for goods trains travelling between Sydney and the west of NSW and beyond, allowing trains to bypass the steep grades and passenger services on the Blue Mountains section of the Main West line.
Barmedman is a rural village in the Bland Shire in the New South Wales state of Australia, located approximately half-way between West Wyalong and Temora. Barmedman began as a service centre for gold-mining operations in the area. Nowadays the local district has an agricultural economic base, including wheat and canola cropping and sheep grazing. It is the home of two large wheat silos with a combined capacity of over a million bushels. At the 2011 census, Barmedman had a population of 212. The township's name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning 'long water'.
The Sydney–Melbourne rail corridor consists of the 953-kilometre (592-mile) long 1435 mm standard-gauge main line between the Australian state capitals of Sydney and Melbourne (Victoria) and the lines immediately connected to it. Freight and passenger services operate along the route, including the NSW TrainLink XPT passenger service.
Cootamundra Airport is a small airport in Cootamundra, New South Wales, Australia. The airport is also the venue for the annual GTR Challenge and Drag Battle motorsport event.
The Adelaide–Wolseley railway line is a 313 kilometre line running from Adelaide to Wolseley on the Australian Rail Track Corporation network. It is the South Australian section of the Melbourne–Adelaide railway.
Stockinbingal is a former passenger railway station on the Lake Cargelligo railway line in New South Wales, Australia. The station opened in 1893 and closed to passenger services in 1983. The station survives largely intact, in good condition, as a safeworking location. Stockinbingal is the junction location of the cross country line to Parkes on the Broken Hill line.
The Temora railway station is a heritage-listed former railway station and now youth hub and mixed-use building located on the Lake Cargelligo railway line in Temora in the Temora Shire local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The station was built from 1893 to 1915 and served the Riverina town of Temora between 1 September 1893 until its closure for passenger services in the late 1970s. The station is also known as the Temora Railway Station group. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
Morangarell is a locality in Bland Shire in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. There was once a village of the same name, now a ghost town. Morangarell lies between Temora and Grenfell, and Barmedman and Young. The locality is bisected by Bland Creek, a tributary of Lachlan River. The locality is rural, with the main economic activities being raising crops and grazing.
Media related to Lake Cargelligo railway line at Wikimedia Commons