Avoca railway line

The first section of line was opened as a branch from Maryborough to Avoca in October 1874, 24 kilometres in length, then was extended 62.8 kilometres to Ararat in November 1890, forming a through route between two main lines. In July 1959 the line between Avoca and Ararat was closed.{{cite magazine |date=March 1990 | title = Tracks Across the State | author = Sid Brown |magazine= Newsrail | publisher = Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division) | pages =71–76 }} In October 1966 the line was reopened, and in 1996 it was converted to standard gauge, along with the main Melbourne–Adelaide railway.{{cite web |url=http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=infrastructure&line=Maryborough%20-%20Ararat |title=VICSIG |publisher=vicsig.net |accessdate=2008-11-23 }}

The Avoca–Ararat section of the line has been unused for a number of years and Pacific National used it to store over 100 surplus grain wagons,{{Cite news|url=http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2011/03/05/301291_grain-and-hay.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110309080935/http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2011/03/05/301291_grain-and-hay.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 March 2011 |title=Grain wagon must return |work=Weekly Times |date=5 March 2011 |accessdate=2012-05-08 | location=Melbourne}} until many of them were reactivated to carry the 2011–2012 harvest. Although more wagons were stored after this, all were cleared in preparation for re-opening the line.

The line was to be reopened as standard gauge and upgraded to 21-tonne axle loads, with insertion of over 100,000 new concrete sleepers. The second reopening of this cross-country line was primarily to allow for the carriage of mineral sands from Manangatang to a processing plant at Hamilton. The reopening project included construction of a direct standard gauge connection between the Avoca and Hamilton lines at Ararat to avoid the need for trains to have to reverse at Ararat.{{cite web |date=2013 |title=Murray Basin Rail Project |url=https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/projects/rail-projects/murray-basin-rail-project/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804053404/https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/projects/rail-projects/murray-basin-rail-project/ |archive-date=4 August 2017 |work=Public Transport Victoria |accessdate=22 June 2017}}{{cite news |author=Hunt, Peter |date=26 May 2017 |title=Rail freight Victoria: Works to cause more delays for grain |work=The Weekly Times |url=http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/rail-freight-victoria-works-to-cause-more-delays-for-grain/news-story/d6c83cc1c7d3e4494c6f3dbc8bf41142 |accessdate=22 June 2017}}{{cite web |title=Murray Basin rail project |url=https://corporate.vline.com.au/murraybasinrail |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190308032052/https://corporate.vline.com.au/murraybasinrail |archive-date=8 March 2019 |access-date=22 June 2017}} However, following cancellation of the conversion of the Robinvale line to standard gauge in 2020,{{Cite web |last1=King |first1=Charlotte |last2=Verley |first2=Angus |last3=Testa |first3=Christopher |date=21 October 2021 |title=Murray Basin Rail Project needs $244 million to get back on track, but it drops crucial standardised gauge |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-20/244-million-dollars-needed-to-fix-troubled-murray-basin-rail/12785988 |access-date=7 July 2022 |website=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}} it is almost certain these trains will not operate.

It was announced in June 2017 that work would begin to reopen the 87 km line between Maryborough and Ararat.{{cite news |author=Smith, Keven |date=27 June 2017 |title=Murray Basin network upgrade contract awarded |work=International Rail Journal |url=http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/freight/murray-basin-freight-network-upgrade-contract-awarded.html}} The Maryborough-Ararat rail freight line was officially re-opened at Avoca early in 2018 after more than 13 years of siting idle.{{cite news |date=13 January 2018 |title=Rail freight is back on the Maryborough-Ararat line |work=The Courier |url=https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/5197587/ararat-rail-freight-is-back-after-13-years-sitting-idle/ |accessdate=16 July 2018}}{{Cite web |date=28 February 2018 |title=First freight train for restored Maryborough-Ararat line | Videos |url=https://www.araratadvertiser.com.au/story/5256587/first-freight-train-for-restored-maryborough-ararat-line-videos/}}

The line is used for services from the Mildura and Murrayville lines heading to Melbourne, as there is no direct standard gauge link from Maryborough to Geelong via Ballarat. This forces services on the standard gauge lines to Mildura and Murrayville to instead take the longer route via Avoca and Ararat.

• Adelaide Lead, the railway
• Ararat railway station
• Avoca railway station, Victoria
• Bung Bong, Victoria
• Homebush railway station, Victoria

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• [http://avocahistory.net.au/ Avoca and District Historical Society]
• {{cite book | author = Keith W. Turton and D.C. McLean | title = The Maryborough–Avoca–Ararat railway: a brief history | publisher = Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division) | year = 1972 }}
• [http://www.vicrailstations.com/Avoca/Avoca.html Avoca Station - images]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6g35Ssi_Pw Level Crossings On The Closed Ararat-Maryborough Line (Avoca Railway Line)]

{{Victorian Railway Lines|branch}}

Category:Freight railway lines in Victoria (state)

Category:Railway lines opened in 1874

Category:Standard-gauge railways in Australia