Australians generally assumed in the 1850s that railways would be built by the private sector. Private companies built railways in the then colonies of Victoria, opened in 1854, and New South Wales, where the company was taken over by the government before completion in 1855, due to bankruptcy. South Australia's railways were government owned from the beginning, including a horse-drawn line opened in 1854 and a steam-powered line opened in 1856. In Victoria, the private railways were soon found not to be financially viable, and existing rail networks and their expansion were taken over by the colony. Government ownership also enabled railways to be built to promote development, even if not apparently viable in strictly financial terms. The railway systems spread from the colonial capitals, except for a few lines that hauled commodities to a rural port.
The first railway in colonial South Australia was a line from the port of Goolwa on the River Murray to an ocean harbour at Port Elliot, which first operated in December 1853, before its completion in May 1854.
The Serviceton railway line is part of the Melbourne–Adelaide rail corridor. It serves the west of Victoria, linking the state capital of Melbourne to the cities of Ballarat and Ararat. It once extended to the disputed South Australian border as part of the Melbourne–Adelaide railway. The former broad-gauge track was replaced in 1995 by the 1435 mm Western standard gauge line.
The Deniliquin railway line is a broad-gauge railway line serving northwestern Victoria, Australia. The line runs from the New South Wales town of Deniliquin into Bendigo, before turning south-southeast towards Melbourne, terminating in Docklands near the central business district. It is a major trunk line both for passenger and freight trains, with many railway lines branching off from it.
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.
Oaklands is a town in the Riverina district of southern New South Wales, Australia. The town is located 615 kilometres south west of the state capital, Sydney and 105 kilometres north west of Albury. Oaklands is in the Federation Council local government area and at the 2021 census, had a population of 304.
Rankins Springs is a village in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia in Carrathool Shire and on the Mid-Western Highway. At the 2011 census, Rankins Springs had a population of 299 residents living in 145 private dwellings. This dropped to 174 in 2016, but rebounded to 208 in 2021. The settlement is strung out along the Mid-Western Highway and adjacent railway line. The main agricultural activities of the district around Rankins Springs are the growing of crops such as wheat and oats, and beef-cattle.
Kywong is a rural place within the locality of Sandigo in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. It is situated on the Sturt Highway, 520 kilometres south west of the state capital, Sydney and 64 kilometres west of Wagga Wagga.
The Oaklands railway line is a partly-closed railway line in New South Wales, Australia. It is a branch of the Main South line at The Rock, and heads in a south-westerly direction through the towns of Boree Creek and Urana, terminating at Oaklands.
The Hay railway line is a partly closed railway line in New South Wales, Australia. The line branches from the Main South line at Junee, and passes in a westwards direction through the towns of Coolamon and Narrandera to Yanco. The first train arrived in Hay on 4 July 1882. The line beyond Yanco to Hay is now closed, although the section to Willbriggie remained open for grain haulage until 2004. At Yanco, the still-open Yanco to Griffith line branches off in a northwesterly direction to Griffith.
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 with the line opening on 13 November 1917. 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.
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 Blayney–Demondrille railway line is a railway line in New South Wales, Australia. The line is used mainly for grain haulage and is owned by the Transport Asset Holding Entity, a government department of Transport for NSW. However, in 2004 the Australian Rail Track Corporation became responsible for operations over the line. The Lachlan Valley Railway operated heritage and tourist trains over the line, based at Cowra. It previously also operated general goods trains.
The Coonamble railway line is a railway line in New South Wales, Australia. The line branches from the Main West Line at Dubbo. It opened in 1903, and carried passenger traffic until the 1970s. 900/950 class railmotors were first introduced on the service between Dubbo and Coonamble. It continues to carry goods traffic, predominantly grain. The disused historic Coonamble railway station is currently at risk of demolition due to vandalism and high maintenance costs. The line is owned by the Rail Infrastructure Corporation of New South Wales, however operations over the line are managed by the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) under a 60-year agreement. The northern section of the line features track that is in generally poor condition with derailments not uncommon. However, a NSW Government project completed in 2017 restored the line, including by laying new steel sleepers and renewing bridges.
The Grenfell railway line is a partly closed railway line in New South Wales, Australia. It branches from the Blayney–Demondrille railway line at the town of Koorawatha. The line opened in 1901, and closed between Greenethorpe and at the Grenfell railway station in 1991.
The Pokataroo railway line is a railway line in New South Wales, Australia. It branches from the Walgett line at Burren Junction, and opened in 1906. There are signs of the line being constructed across the Barwon River all the way to Collarenebri, New South Wales
The Warren railway line is an operational railway line in New South Wales, Australia. It is a 20 kilometres (12 mi)–long branch from the Main West line at the town of Nevertire and heads in a northerly direction to the town of Warren. The line opened in 1898 and is used for grain haulage.
The Molong–Dubbo railway line is an inactive railway line in western New South Wales, Australia. It branched off the Broken Hill line at Molong and paralleled the Main West line before rejoining it at Dubbo. The line was designed with gentler grades than the steeper section of the Main Western line via Wellington, but this resulted in it taking a meandering course.
The Oaklands railway line is a freight-only railway line in north-eastern Victoria, Australia. The line branches from the main North East railway at Benalla station and runs across the Victoria-New South Wales border to the town of Oaklands, New South Wales.
The Eugowra railway line is a closed railway line in New South Wales, Australia. The 80 km (50 mi) branch line joins the Blayney–
