Serviceton railway line

Last updated

Ararat
Train entering Ballarat Station.jpg
A train entering Ballarat
Overview
Connecting lines Geelong-Ballarat and Mildura (at Ballarat); Geelong via the Regional Rail Link (at Deer Park), Bendigo and Sunbury (at Sunshine)
Former connectionsSee Former branch lines section
Stations14 in service (not including Southern Cross) [1]
Service
TypeV/Line passenger service
System V/Line passenger services to Ballarat and Ararat
Rolling stock V/Line VLocity diesel multiple-unit trains in either 3- or 6-car configurations. Locomotive-hauled services withdrawn in 2023. [2]
History
Opened1887 (to Serviceton); 1889 (direct route to Melbourne via Melton); 1994 (services past Ballarat withdrawn); 2004 (reopened to Ararat)
Completedto Serviceton in 1887; truncated to Ararat in 1994 with the line beyond converted to standard gauge and reopened as part of the Western standard gauge railway line
Closed1994 (for conversion beyond Ararat to standard gauge)
Technical
Number of tracksDuplicated up to Melton, single track with crossing loops the rest of the way

The Ararat railway line (formerly known as the Serviceton and Western lines) is a railway line in Victoria, Australia. It links the state capital of Melbourne to the cities of Ballarat and Ararat via the Regional Rail Link. It once extended to Serviceton railway station at the then-disputed South Australian border as part of the Melbourne–Adelaide railway until 1995 when the broad gauge (1600 mm (5 ft 3 in)) line beyond Ararat was converted to standard gauge and reopened as part of the 1435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) Western standard gauge railway line.

Contents

Services

V/Line currently operates services on the line towards Ballarat, Ararat and Maryborough (on the Mildura line, which junctions at Ballarat) via the Regional Rail Link. In the future, the line is planned to be electrified as far as Melton. [3]

Several services on the line originate and terminate at Melton, with some additional services originating and terminating at Bacchus Marsh. [4] Four weekday services and three weekend services are operated to Ararat, [1] while only one service is operated each day to Maryborough. [5] Myki is available between Southern Cross and Wendouree.

Freight services sometimes also use the line between Ballarat and Melbourne, coming off the Mildura line.

History

20th century

Serviceton railway station lies 2.08 kilometres (1.3 mi) east of the Victoria-South Australia border, the location of which was disputed for 40 years. Serviceton (Victoria) railway station building, 2006.jpg
Serviceton railway station lies 2.08 kilometres (1.3 mi) east of the Victoria−South Australia border, the location of which was disputed for 40 years.

The first railway line from Melbourne to Ballarat was via Geelong. Construction of the Geelong–Ballarat railway line began in 1858 and took nearly four years to complete, employing up to 3,000 men and costing approximately £1.5 million. The line officially opened in 1862, with the first train running on the 10th of April. The train took about four and a half hours to reach Geelong, travelling at a maximum speed of 15 miles per hour (24 kilometres per hour) and having to overcome several difficulties, including failing an uphill grade and running out of firewood. The return journey was achieved in two hours and forty minutes. [6]

The line was extended further west from Ballarat to Beaufort in 1874, Ararat in 1875, Stawell in 1876, Murtoa, in 1878, Horsham in 1882, Dimboola in 1882, and lastly Nhill and Serviceton railway station in 1887, where it met with the South Australian Railways line from Adelaide. The direct route from Melbourne to Ballarat opened in 1889, when a branch line from Ballarat to Warrenheip was progressively extended eastwards to Bacchus Marsh, where it met with a line originally constructed from Sunshine to Melton; this line was opened in 1874 and itself extended to Bacchus Marsh in 1887. [7] [8] [9] [10] [ better source needed ]

In 1994, V/Line passenger rail services beyond Ballarat were withdrawn to allow for the conversion of the line beyond Ararat to standard gauge. [11] The Serviceton−Ararat section, now standard gauge, was connected to a section of the Portland line, which in turn connected to the Maroona−Gheringhap line, both also converted to standard gauge as part of the project. In 1995 the completed line opened as the Western standard gauge railway line.

21st century

Restoration of Ararat services

In 2004, passenger services to Ararat were restored. [12] [13]

Regional Fast Rail

Clocktower at Ballarat station Ballarat-station-clocktower.jpg
Clocktower at Ballarat station

Major upgrades to the line occurred as part of Regional Fast Rail, a project announced in 2000 by then-Premier Steve Bracks with the aim of shortening travel times between the major Victorian regional centres and Melbourne by upgrading the tracks and introducing V/Line VLocity diesel multiple-unit trains. Heavier tracks and concrete sleepers were laid, ballast was renewed and a new signalling system was installed. Curves and grades on the line were eased by constructing new deviations from the main line and seven new bridges, including the Lal Lal Creek and Moorabool River bridges, which at the time were among the longest in Australia. [14] Most of the original alignment remained, serving as crossing loops. [15]

The first VLocity train ran on the line to Ballarat on 22 December 2005. [16]

Regional Rail Revival

VLocity train at Ararat, 2022 Vlocity vl60 at ararat.jpg
VLocity train at Ararat, 2022

Another significant round of upgrades occurred to the line as part of the Regional Rail Revival project, beginning in early 2018 with major construction completed in 2021. [17] The project, with a budget of $518 million, saw the duplication of 17 kilometres of track between Deer Park and Melton, addition of a second platform and track at Rockbank, Bacchus Marsh and Ballan, and added a new station at Cobblebank, also adding passing loops at Ballan and Millbrook. [18] It paves the way for the future electrification of the line to Melton. The new passing loop at Millbrook also allowed the original line via Bungaree to be decommissioned, with level crossings and railway infrastructure at these crossings removed. [19]

Future

Level Crossing Removal Project

The Level Crossing Removal Project has removed, and is planning to remove, several level crossings along the line. In 2022, the first crossings was removed: Fitzgerald Road in Ardeer, by elevating the road onto a bridge over the rail line. [20] The crossing at Robinsons Road in Deer Park was removed by elevating the rail line over the road. [21] In 2023, Mt Derrimut Road level crossing in Deer Park was removed by elevating the rail line; Deer Park Station was rebuilt as part of this removal. [22]

By 2026, four more crossings are planned to be removed. The crossigns at Coburns Road and Exford Road in Melton will be removed by elevating the rail line onto a bridge; these removals will involve rebuilding Melton Station. The crossings at Ferris Road in Melton and Hopkins Road in Truganina will be removed by elevating the road onto a bridge. Concept designs for the new station and bridges were released in 2024. [23]

Ballarat Station is planned to have to be upgraded by 2026, also being delivered as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project. The project will primarily focus on installing a new pedestrian overpass over the platforms, accessible by elevators and stairs, and reworking the northern (platform 2) entrance of the station to fit a wheelchair-accessible ramp. Currently, the only way to access the platforms at Ballarat without using stairs is by using the pedestrian level crossing over the tracks. Concept designs for the upgrade were released in 2024. [24] [25]

Melton quadruplication and electrification

Electrification to Rockbank was suggested as early as the 1969 Melbourne Transport Plan. In 2013, Public Transport Victoria released the Network Development Plan – Metropolitan Rail, stage 3 of which includes quadruplication and electrification up to Melton. The Western Rail Plan, announced as a key policy of the 2018 Victorian state election by then-incumbent Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews, also included quadruplication and electrification to Melton. [26]

In 2023, it was reported that the Western Rail Plan was revised to no longer include quadruplication, and as of 2024 there are no concrete plans for electrification. [27] [28] [3]

Introduction of 9-car VLocity trains

In 2022, then-Premier Daniel Andrews announced plans to extend the platforms at all stations from Bacchus Marsh to Ardeer to allow 9-car VLocity trains to run on the line, reducing overcrowding. 9-car trains are currently in use for some peak services to Wyndham Vale on the Geelong line. [29] Additionally, the 2023 Victorian state budget made reference to a "Melton Line Upgrade" project, stated to include "extra stabling and upgrade[d] stations to deliver better train services and increase train capacity". [30] In 2024, the Level Crossing Removal Project announced plans to "investigate" constructing a train stabling facility at Cobblebank to "support the introduction of 9-car [VLocity] trains", as part of the Melton Station rebuild. [31]

Planned stations

Several new stations have been planned to be built on the line, primarily to serve new housing estate developments. In 2016, the Victorian Planning Authority released the Paynes Road Precinct Structure Plan, which included plans for a train station in Thornhill Park to support a new housing development in the area. [32]

In 2020, another Precinct Structure Plan released by the Victorian Planning Authority included plans for a station in Mount Atkinson, west of Caroline Springs Station. [33] In 2024, a petition submitted to the Parliament of Victoria calling for the station to be built attracted over 1,700 signatures. [34]

Former branch lines

V/Line VLocity train at the junction with the Melbourne-Ballarat line at Warrenheip station VLine VLocity Warrenheip.jpg
V/Line VLocity train at the junction with the Melbourne-Ballarat line at Warrenheip station

Ballarat region

A branch line was built from Ballarat to Newtown and Skipton in 1883. This line closed in 1985. A branch was built between Newtown, Cressy and Irrewarra (east of Colac) about 1910. This line was closed in 1953.

A branch line was built from Linton junction to the Ballarat Cattle Yards and Redan in 1886. This line was closed in 1997.[ citation needed ]

Ararat region

Until 1993, two daily V/Line services ran from Melbourne to Dimboola, as well as the nightly The Overland service from Melbourne to Adelaide. Under the Kennett Government's economic reforms, the V/Line service to Dimboola was cut back to Ararat, with the remaining towns now serviced by road coaches. The Ballarat to Ararat section was for conversion to standard gauge as part of the Western standard gauge railway line, which makes reinstatement of a train service beyond Ararat unlikely.

The Overland service is now operated by Journey Beyond and runs on the Western standard gauge railway line, serving only some stations between Southern Cross and Adelaide Parklands Terminal.

A branch line was built from Lubeck (between Stawell and Murtoa railway station) to Rupanyup in 1887, extended to Marnoo by 1909, and to Bolangum in the 1927. It closed in 1983.

A branch line was opened from Murtoa to Warracknabeal in 1886 and extended to Beulah in 1893, Roseberry and Hopetoun in 1894 and Patchewollock in 1927. The section from Hopetoun to Patchewollock was closed in the 1980s. The line from Murtoa to Hopetoun was converted to standard gauge in 1995. It has not carried passengers for many years and grain services between Roseberry to Hopetoun were suspended in 2005.

A branch line was completed between Horsham, East Natimuk and Noradjuha in 1887, and progressively extended to Balmoral by 1920, where it connected with a line from Cavendish to Hamilton. The whole line, from Noradjuha to Hamilton, was closed in 1979. A branch was opened from East Natimuk to Goroke in 1894, and extended further west to Carpolac in 1927. It closed in 1986.

A branch was opened from Dimboola to Jeparit in 1894 and extended to Rainbow in 1899 and Yaapeet in 1914. The line was converted to standard gauge in 1995. The line was deemed unusable after severe flooding in January 2011. The Victorian Government announced that they would contribute $5.3 million to restoring the line from Dimboola to Rainbow in 2011. [35]

In 1905, a branch line was opened from Stawell to the Heatherlie quarry in The Grampians, from which large amounts of high-quality freestone were railed, [36] to be used in a number of significant building projects. The branch was closed in 1949. [37]

Another branch line, from Jeparit to Lorquon, was opened in 1912, and was extended to Yanac in 1916. It closed in 1986.

A line was built from Ararat to Portland in 1877, via Maroona, Hamilton, and Heywood. A number of branch lines were built from this line, none of which are in use today. This line was converted to standard gauge in 1995; up to Maroona it forms part of the Western standard gauge railway line, where it junctions with section of the line towards North Shore. The Portland line saw further upgrades as part of the Murray Basin Rail Project, connecting it to the Mildura line via the Ararat-, which was converted to standard gauge also as part of the MBRP. [38]

The Tom Waits song Town with no cheer from the 1982 album Swordfishtrombones refers to Serviceton, The Overland train that ran from Melbourne to Adelaide, and the railway line's disuse. [39]

Line guide

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References

  1. 1 2 https://www.vline.com.au/getattachment/47b8738a-1891-47a9-8fae-c64b6e66c2f4/Ararat-Melbourne-
  2. ↑ Wong, Marcus (19 February 2024). "Farewell to V/Line's H type carriage sets".
  3. 1 2 Hatch, Patrick (1 August 2023). "New train lines to Melton and Wyndham axed from rail plans". The Age.
  4. ↑ https://www.vline.com.au/getattachment/8b367055-20b3-4d52-bb9e-2f8fd14474a7/Ballarat-timetable
  5. ↑ https://www.vline.com.au/getattachment/208ac9f8-4c82-4d2f-80af-6e0739ede11b/Maryborough-Melbourne-(via-Ballarat-and-Castlemain)
  6. ↑ "Ballarat Australia History – Rail Heritage". Ballarat History Central. %5b%5bCategory:All articles lacking reliable references%5d%5d%5b%5bCategory:Articles lacking reliable references from June 2024%5d%5d[%5b%5bWP:NOTRS|better source needed%5d%5d] Archived from the original on 22 August 2006. Retrieved 17 July 2006.{{cite web}}: Check |archive-url= value (help)
  7. ↑ "VICSIG". vicsig.net.
  8. ↑ "VICSIG". vicsig.net.
  9. ↑ "Ballarat". www.victorianrailways.net.
  10. ↑ Build, Victoria’s Big (24 June 2021). "Last train travels over the Bungaree loop". Victoria’s Big Build.
  11. ↑ "VictorianRailways.net – VR Timeline". Archived from the original on 30 May 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2007.
  12. ↑ "Ararat sleepers awake to new sound - the train". The Age. 10 July 2004.
  13. ↑ "Still no start date for Ballarat-Ararat rail services". ABC News. 12 May 2004 – via www.abc.net.au.
  14. ↑ "Transport planning and projects – Regional Fast Rail". State Government of Victoria, Department of Infrastructure. 15 May 2006. Archived from the original on 30 August 2006. Retrieved 17 July 2006.
  15. ↑ Train Operating Data: Deer Park to Ararat Archived 27 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine V/Line 21 October 2014
  16. ↑ "V/Line – First Day of VLocity Revenue Operation (Ballarat)". Archived from the original on 18 May 2007.
  17. ↑ "Ballarat Line Upgrade website". Ballarat Line Upgrade. 24 July 2017. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  18. ↑ Pollock, Michael (27 April 2016). ""$518m commitment to Ballarat rail line"". The Ballarat Courier. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  19. ↑ "Last train travels over the Bungaree loop". Victoria's Big Build. 27 December 2020. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  20. ↑ Build, Victoria’s Big (7 July 2023). "Fitzgerald Road, Ardeer". Victoria’s Big Build.
  21. ↑ Build, Victoria’s Big (7 July 2023). "Robinsons Road, Deer Park". Victoria’s Big Build.
  22. ↑ Build, Victoria’s Big (19 February 2024). "Mt Derrimut Road, Deer Park". Victoria’s Big Build.
  23. ↑ Build, Victoria’s Big (31 May 2024). "Melton level crossing removals". Victoria’s Big Build.
  24. ↑ Build, Victoria’s Big (12 June 2024). "Ballarat Station Upgrade". Victoria’s Big Build.
  25. ↑ Build, Victoria’s Big (4 June 2024). "Ballarat Station Upgrade community update – June 2024". Victoria’s Big Build.
  26. ↑ "A Real Plan For Fast Regional Rail And Metro Rail For The West | Premier of Victoria". www.premier.vic.gov.au.
  27. ↑ Visontay, Elias (6 August 2023). "Meet Melton, officially part of Melbourne, but crying out for city services". The Guardian.
  28. ↑ "Confusion and plummeting confidence in rail promises for regional Victoria". ABC News. 5 August 2023 – via www.abc.net.au.
  29. ↑ Hatch, Patrick (6 October 2022). "Andrews admits Metro upgrades to outer west at least six years away". The Age.
  30. ↑ https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/49c368/contentassets/196df58c0eba45c88ea1e9508cffffe1/dtp-2023-24-budget-estimates-general-questionnaire-response.pdf
  31. ↑ Build, Victoria’s Big (23 March 2024). "New Melton Station designs as part of massive upgrades". Victoria’s Big Build.
  32. ↑ https://vpa-web.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/paynes-road-psp.pdf
  33. ↑ https://vpa-web.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/C217melt-Mt-Atkinson-Tarneit-Plains-PSP-June-2017-Amended-Jan-2020-Approval-Gazetted.pdf
  34. ↑ "The proposed Mt Atkinson Train Station".
  35. ↑ "Money for rail". ABC News. 21 September 2011 – via www.abc.net.au.
  36. ↑ "Heatherlie Quarry". Grampians Guide. Archived from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  37. ↑ Harrigan, Leo J. (1962). Victorian Railways to '62. Melbourne: Victorian Railways Public Relations and Betterment Board. p. 284.
  38. ↑ https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/576939/RRR-MBRP-Murray-Basin-Rail-Project-Business-Case-Review-Summary-2020.pdf
  39. ↑ Tom Waits. "Town With No Cheer". Archived from the original on 25 February 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  40. ↑ http://vrhistory.com/Locations/A031-BacchusMarsh.pdf
  41. ↑ http://signaldiagramsandphotos.com/mywebpages/vr/Western_and_South_Western/18'2013.pdf
  42. ↑ http://vrhistory.com/Locations/T1992.PDF p.21
  43. ↑ The Golden Steam of Ballarat, King, D & Dooley, N, 1973
  44. ↑ Maryborough-Avoca-Ararat railway: a brief history, Turton, K W, McLean, D C
  45. ↑ Maryborough-Avoca-Ararat railway: a brief history, Turton, K W, McLean, D C
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