Monday, February 17, 2025

CATEGORY

Rail

Concrete railway sleepers – a growing blight on the environment: Roger Underwood

Roger Underwood. I had an email from a Queensland mate the other day. “I recently took a train trip from Brisbane to Charleville” he told me, “and there were huge piles of concrete sleepers beside the line to the Toowoomba Range and elsewhere.” I knew exactly what he was talking about. In September 2024 I travelled by train from Perth to Adelaide, from Ballarat to Melbourne and from Melbourne to Sydney. Alongside every railway line along this trip were piles of “used” concrete sleepers.

Funding for New England Rail Trail withdrawn by Federal Government

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has advised the Armidale Regional Council (ARC) that the $5.4m grant received to build the first stage of the New England Rail Trail has been withdrawn. NEMA is the Federal Labour Government body tasked with administering the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Program (BSBR).

Buloke Times editorial: For Northwest and Central Victoria Rail … an absolute game changer

As communities throughout Victoria, and beyond, lament the downgrading of the Melbourne to Mildura rail line, a report has come to light at the “Buloke Times” office. It was more than two years ago (on September 21, 2022) by the not-for-profit Ouyen Inc. In common with towns including Birchip, Donald and St. Arnaud, Ouyen is located on the Melbourne-Mildura line, and the media release from there at the time was as follows, under the heading, For Northwest and Central Victoria Rail ... An Absolute Game Changer ...

Rail sale: Council and VicTrack respond

A property leased by the Victorian Goldfields Railway (VGR) is being sold by the Victorian Government, raising questions about zoning and community consultation around the sale of a heritage asset that has been a green buffer around Maldon Station since the gold rush era. The Tarrangower Times ... requested information from Mount Alexander Shire Council (MASC) to ask about the zoning for 14 Reef Street, which was understood to have been changed to make way for the sale ...

Little movement at the station

Little movement at the station Local Member for Groom Garth Hamilton is deeply concerned with the progress of the Toowoomba to Brisbane Passenger Rail business case project … "It is damning that after nearly two and a half years, we still cannot confirm whether the Minister has been briefed on such an important report and that the full report has not been released."

New home for historic trains

The Victorian Goldfields Railway (VGR) has welcomed a new depot in Castlemaine for the historic trains that run between Castlemaine and Maldon … The many benefits of the new depot buildings include greater space and more comfortable indoor environs for VGR volunteer workers to maintain locomotives and prepare them for service.

Albury to Illabo to enter construction phase: Inland Rail

The Albury to Illabo (A2I) section of Inland Rail will enter the construction phase after the project received NSW Government planning approval on Friday. The approval from the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure is a significant milestone, and opens the way for construction to begin in 2025.

Salisbury to Beaudesert rail planning summary report released: Mellish

The Australian and Queensland governments will be progressing further planning work to protect the future rail corridor between Salisbury and Beaudesert. The Salisbury to Beaudesert Passenger Rail study explored the long-term passenger and freight needs in the corridor and has recommended heavy rail as the best way to address forecast passenger demand.

Men of Steel lengthen Taggerty’s life

The over one hundred year old Taggerty Buffet Car has been a familiar inclusion of the collection at Donald’s Train Park for many years, having been purchased by Donald Lions Club for $2,000 around twenty years ago.  Once having held royalty, it is now being somewhat treated like royalty, with the erection of a steel shed cover to protect the historical carriage from the elements.

Yanchep line station – access maps released

Metronet has released maps showing the preferred access to the three stations on the Yanchep rail line. A Metronet spokeswoman said preferred access to Yanchep station was along Marmion Ave and then via a new road called Botanical Blvd leading to parking facilities.

All aboard for vintage train trips from Casino

Lachlan Valley Railway is bringing a 1960s vintage train to Casino next month. LVR is a rail preservation society in Cowra that was established in 1974. The society aims to preserve and operate former NSW Government Railways locomotives and rolling stock.

Vinelander pulls in at Donald – passengers back on Mildura Line

I hear a train a coming, its rolling round the bend” sang the late great Johnny Cash, and might have been a song that came to mind as the Vinelander rolled into Donald on Friday, June 6, on its way to Mildura as part of the Slow Rail Journey put together by 707 operations based out of the Newport Rail yards in Hobsons’ Bay.

In sight, in mind stimulates memories

Wayne Hawthorne. “Out of sight, out of mind” it is said, yet this idiom can be transformed to “seeing is believing” when visiting museums ... Naracoorte Men’s Probus Club members recently visited two lesser-known gems of the South East. The Nangwarry Forestry Museum and the Kalangadoo Railway Station Museum.

‘Forgotten’ rail line to be raised with Federal Government

Narrandera Shire Council will discuss with the Federal Member for Farrer Sussan Ley MP and the Federal Government the possibility to reinstate the Narrandera to Tocumwal Rail Line as a supplementary line to the planned Wagga Inland Rail Route. Cr Jenny Clarke said a previous Council had lobbied vigorously for the Narrandera to Tocumwal line to be reinstated, but unfortunately all the progress achieved had been basically forgotten by the current Council.

Rail trail proposal remains on track

It’s full steam ahead for Tallowood Ventures Limited (TVL) after the not-for-profit organisation announced their 2023 proposal to develop a 35km section of the currently inactive Glenreagh to Dorrigo Branch Line and transform it into a rail trail is one step closer following recent community efforts to clear vegetation along large areas of the rail corridor.

New signage to track Nornalup rail history

Serena Kirby. The Denmark Historical Society is in the process of erecting information signage along the Denmark - Nornalup Rail Trail. The 38 signs provide historical background about the origins, significance and role that the old Elleker-Denmark-Nornalup railway line played in opening up the surrounding areas for grazing and settlement.

Volunteers track local success with tourist trains

As they stood in the shadow of the heritage 1960s 621/721 class rail motor at Grafton City Station, volunteers from the Rail Motor Society reflected with heartfelt pride and passion on the unequivocal diligence and resoluteness of their ongoing work which enabled local railway enthusiasts to experience the sensation of travelling in historic style over the weekend.

The Moorlort Plains chicken wars continue

Remember the protracted battle regarding the plans to build broiler farms on the Moolort Plains, west of Baringhup, in the Shire of Mount Alexander? After court hearings and the extraordinary step of building two houses out near the proposed site for the proposed broiler sheds, that battle was won by local residents.

Pride of Toowoomba hits the rails

After many years of planning by DownsSteam, the engine "Pride of Toowoomba" made its first official trip to and from Wyreema on Saturday morning. After waiting for many years, steam train fans were not going to miss out on the chance to ride the rails aboard carriages hauled by the refurbished "Pride of Toowoomba" ...

Chuffed with J’s return home!

The excitement was getting a little too much at times. Not only for the team at Victorian Goldfields Railway (VGR) but also for locomotive J549 (J) ... And last Saturday at 12.30pm, an excited driver Paul McDonald brought J home to Maldon, with around 90 passengers equally excited to be part of the ‘chuff-chuff, woo-wooo’ journey.

Fairer fares deliver huge savings in first year: Williams

Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams was in Geelong today, to mark one year of  making regional public transport more affordable by capping the daily regional fare at the same price as the daily metropolitan fare.  Passengers have been showing their enthusiasm for cheaper regional travel, with more than 22 million trips taken since the fare cap commenced.

Labor breaks regional Victorian rail commitments: Cleeland

Regional communities continue to pay the price of Labor’s mismanagement as key rail upgrades for lines across regional Victoria remain undelivered. Train lines in Shepparton, Warrnambool, and Gippsland were promised upgrades by the end of 2023, but the Allan Labor Government’s mismanagement of Victoria’s infrastructure pipeline has seen all three projects suffer delays and result in cost blowouts.

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