Route map | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Contents
|
The Wagin to Bowelling railway line was a state government-owned and WAGR-operated railway line in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, connecting Wagin via Bokal to Bowelling. The line was 102 kilometres (63 mi) long. At Wagin, the railway line connected to the Great Southern Railway and the Wagin to Newdegate railway line while, at Bowelling, it connected to the Brunswick Junction to Narrogin railway line. [1] [2]
The Great Southern Railway, passing through Wagin, was established in 1889, having been constructed in a three-year period from 1886. At the Bowelling end of the future line, the railway had arrived in 1907 with the completion of the Collie to Darkan section of the Brunswick Junction to Narrogin railway line. [3]
The Wagin-Bowelling Railway Act 1912, an act by the Parliament of Western Australia assented to on 24 December 1912, authorised the construction of the railway line from Wagin to Bowelling. [4]
The Wagin to Bowelling railway line's contract for construction was awarded on 17 July 1914. It was constructed by the Western Australian Public Works Department. The fist section of the line, from Wagin to Bokal, was opened on 20 November 1917 while the second section, from Bokal to Bowelling, was opened on 10 December 1918. [3] [5] [6]
With the opening of the railway junction at Bowelling, station and town there were prioritised over Darkan. Darkan station was closed while the Bowelling remained in operation until 1967. [7] The last direct train from Bowelling to Wagin ran on 30 June 1984 while the Bowelling to Bokal section was closed on 1 June 1986. Westrail continued some operations from Wagin and Bokal until 1988. [8]
The railway line is designated as "Not in use" on the Public Transport Authority map [1] and, unlike other active and inactive Wheatbelt railway lines, is not leased to Arc Infrastructure and therefore not shown on its map. [9]
The heritage listed Wagin Railway Station was completed on 25 April 1911, replacing an early building that was relocated in 1906. [10]
The neighbouring Shire of West Arthur has a number of railway related installations on its heritage list. Some, like the Darkan railway station precinct and the Hillman River railway bridge are only connected to the Brunswick Junction to Narrogin line, while the Bowelling railway station is associated with both lines. Unlike these, the Duranillin railway bridge over the Arthur River was constructed for the Wagin to Bowelling line. [11]
Wagin is a town and shire in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, approximately 225 km (139.81 mi) south-east of Perth on the Great Southern Highway between Narrogin and Katanning. It is also on State Route 107. The main industries are wheat and sheep farming.
The Shire of West Arthur is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, generally to the west of Albany Highway about 200 kilometres (124 mi) south-east of Perth, the state capital. The Shire covers an area of 2,834 square kilometres (1,094 sq mi) and its seat of government is the town of Darkan. Industries within the Shire, worth approximately $45 million per year to the State's economy, are dominated by wool and sheep, and also include timber, grain, forestry, beef, pigs, cattle hide tanning, engineering and earthmoving.
Duranillin is a small town located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, 24 kilometres (15 mi) south of Darkan near the junction of the Arthur and Beaufort rivers.
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 Pinjarra to Narrogin railway was a 153 kilometre cross-country railway line built between the towns of Pinjarra and Narrogin in Western Australia.
The Mullewa–Meekatharra railway was a section of the Northern Railway in Western Australia.
Bowelling is the site of a former railway station in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, and is now a locality in the Shire of West Arthur.
Brookton to Corrigin railway was a railway line in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, between Brookton and Corrigin.
The Donnybrook–Katanning railway was a railway line in the South West and Great Southern regions of Western Australia, between Donnybrook and Katanning.
Muja is a rural town and locality of the Shire of Collie in the South West region of Western Australia. The western part of the locality is dominated by coal mining and the coal-fired Muja Power Station while the eastern part is rural and forested.
The Merredin to Narrogin railway line was a railway line in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, between Merredin and Narrogin. The line was also known as the West Merredin to Narrogin via Corrigin railway.
The Merredin to Yilliminning railway line was a railway line connecting Merredin to Yilliminning via Kondinin. Also known as the West Merredin to Yilliminning via Kondinin railway, it was 260 kilometres (160 mi) long. At its northern end, at Merredin, it connected to the Eastern Goldfields Railway while, at the southern terminus at Yilliminning, it connected to the Merredin to Narrogin railway line. From Yilliminning, this line continued to Narrogin, 23 kilometres (14 mi) further west, where the line intersected the Great Southern Railway.
The Wagin to Newdegate railway line is a railway line in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, connecting Wagin via Lake Grace to Newdegate, where the line terminates. The line is 180 kilometres (110 mi) long. At Lake Grace, a 94-kilometre (58 mi) branch line to Hyden exists, while, at Wagin, the railway line connects to the Great Southern Railway and the Wagin to Bowelling railway line. Formerly, at Wagin, it also connected to the now inactive railway line to Bowelling.
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 Brunswick Junction to Narrogin railway line is a partially operational railway line in the South West and Wheatbelt regions of Western Australia, connecting Brunswick Junction via Collie and Bowelling to Narrogin.
The Kalgoorlie to Leonora railway line or Leonora branch line is a railway line in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia, connecting Kalgoorlie via Malcolm to Leonora. The line is 259 kilometres (161 mi) long and formerly also had a 103-kilometre (64 mi) branch line from Malcolm to Laverton. At Kalgoorlie, the railway line connects to the Eastern Goldfields Railway, where it also connects to the Esperance Branch Railway.
The Elleker to Nornalup railway line was a state government-owned and WAGR-operated railway line in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, connecting Elleker to Nornalup via Denmark. The line was 97 kilometres (60 mi) long and, at Elleker, connected to the Great Southern Railway.
The Hopetoun to Ravensthorpe railway line was a state government-owned and WAGR-operated railway line in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia, connecting the coastal town of Hopetoun to Ravensthorpe, located inland. The line, 55 kilometres (34 mi) long, was stand-alone, not connecting to any other railway line in the state.
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.
The Avon Yard to Mullewa railway line is a 429-kilometre (267 mi) long railway line operated by Arc Infrastructure in the Mid West and Wheatbelt regions of Western Australia, connecting the Avon Yard at Northam with Mullewa. The 104-kilometre (65 mi) section of the railway line from Perenjori to Dalwallinu is, as of 2024, not in operation while the sections north, Perenjori to Mullewa, and south, Dalwallinu to Northam, are.