Opening
The Geraldton and Northampton Railway Act 1873, assented to on 22 November 1873, authorised the construction of a railway line from Geraldton and Northampton. [4]
Construction of the Geraldton railway station commenced in June 1878; the foundation stone was laid by Eliza, wife of Maitland Brown, on 21 August 1878, and it was completed in February 1879, the first railway station in the colony. [5] [6]
The line opened to Northampton on 26 July 1879. [7] The Geraldton to Northampton section was 33 miles 25 chains (53.6 km) in length; the Northampton to Ajana section was 33 miles 5 chains (53.2 km), [8] and was a later extension. [9] The line closed on 29 April 1957. [10]
The line's extension from Northampton the Ajana was authorised through the Northampton-Ajana Railway Act 1911, assented to on 16 February 1911. [11]
Closure
In 1954, the state government of Western Australia had compiled a list of loss-making railway operations, of which the Geraldton to Wokerina and on to Ajana and Yuna lines were part, having had a total expenditure of two to four times their earnings in the financial year to June 1953. The Geraldton to Wokerina line was the least loss-making of the three lines terminating at Wokerina, having £A 13,612 expenditure versus earnings of £A 6,734. Wokerina to Ajana was the most costly of the three lines, having an expenditure of £A 62,161 versus earnings of £A 14,371. [18]
On 29 April 1957 the line was closed, along with the associated Wokarina – Naraling – Yuna railway line at the same time. [19]
The Railways (Cue-Big Bell and other Railways) Discontinuance Act 1960, which officially closed the Geraldton to Ajana line, was assented to on 12 December 1960. This act affected a number of Western Australian railways, officially closing 13 railway lines in the state. [20]
Northampton is a town 52 kilometres (32 mi) north of Geraldton, in the Mid West region of Western Australia. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 868. The town contains a National Trust building. The town lies on the North West Coastal Highway. Originally called The Mines, Northampton was gazetted in 1864 and named after the colony's Governor, John Hampton. The town was sited in the Nokanena Brook valley, between the hamlets around the two major copper mines in the area, the Wanerenooka and the Gwalla.
The Eastern Railway is the main railway route between Fremantle and Northam in Western Australia. It opened in stages between 1881 and 1893. The line continues east to Kalgoorlie as the Eastern Goldfields Railway.
The Mundaring Weir Branch Railway was constructed from Mundaring, Western Australia to the site of the Mundaring Weir, and opened on 1 June 1898.
Railways in Western Australia were developed in the 19th century both by the Government of Western Australia and a number of private companies. Today passenger rail services are controlled by the Public Transport Authority through Transperth, which operates public transport in Perth, and Transwa, which operates country passenger services. Journey Beyond operates the Indian Pacific.
The Northern Railway has had a number of meanings in Western Australian railway history.
Yuna is a small town in the Mid West region of Western Australia, in the Shire of Chapman Valley, 62 kilometres (39 mi) northeast of the city of Geraldton.
Ajana is a townsite within the Shire of Northampton in Western Australia. It is located at the junction of Ajana-Kalbarri Road and Ajana Back Road, 53 kilometres (33 mi) by road north of Northampton, 61 kilometres (38 mi) by road southwest of Kalbarri, and 531 kilometres (330 mi) west-northwest of Perth in the Mid West region.
The Ongerup Branch railway, also known as the Tambellup, Gnowangerup to Ongerup railway is a former railway line in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.
The Mullewa–Meekatharra railway was a section of the Northern Railway in Western Australia.
The Meekatharra to Wiluna railway was a 113-mile (182 km) branch line of the Western Australian Government Railways that extended the Mullewa – Meekatharra railway from Meekatharra to Wiluna. Wiluna was the furthest rail terminus from Perth on the Western Australian Government Railways system. Paroo was the highest station, at 1,916 feet (584 m) above sea level; the highest point on the Western Australian railway network, west of Paroo, was 2,134 feet (650 m).
Sandstone Branch Railway was a branch railway line between Mount Magnet and Sandstone in the Mid West region of Western Australia.
Western Australian Government Railways railway system during its peak operational time in the 1930s to 1950s was a large system of over 6,400 kilometres (4,000 mi) of railway line.
The WAGR M class was a two-member class of 2-6-0 steam locomotives operated by the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) between 1876 and 1911.
The WAGR ADE class was a six member class of diesel railcars operated by the Western Australian Government Railways between 1937 and 1962.
The Midland railway line historically ran from Midland Junction to Walkaway in Western Australia. Built by the Midland Railway of Western Australia, the 446 kilometre line opened in November 1894.
The Midlander was an overnight passenger train operated by the Western Australian Government Railways between Perth and Geraldton via the Midland line from September 1964 until July 1975.
The York–Bruce Rock railway line is a closed railway line in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia running from York to Bruce Rock.
The Katanning to Pingrup railway line was a state government-owned and WAGR-operated railway line connecting Katanning to Pingrup via Nyabing in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. The railway line was 95 kilometres (59 mi) long. At its western end, at Katanning, it connected to the Great Southern Railway. At Katanning, it also connected to the Donnybrook–Katanning railway, which closed in 1982.
The Upper Chapman Valley railway line was a 61-kilometre (38 mi) long state government-owned and WAGR-operated railway line in the Mid West region of Western Australia, connecting Wokarina, a siding on the Northampton railway line at Glenfield, to Yuna.
The Geraldton to Mullewa railway line is a 107-kilometre (66 mi) long railway line in the Mid West region of Western Australia, connecting Geraldton and Mullewa.
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