Merredin to Narrogin railway line

The Narrogin-Wickepin Railway Act 1907, an act by the Parliament of Western Australia assented to on 20 December 1907, authorised the construction of the railway line from Narrogin to Wickepin.{{cite web |url=https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/law_a143229.html |title=Narrogin-Wickepin Railway Act 1907 |author= |date=20 December 1907 |website=www.legislation.wa.gov.au |publisher=Government of Western Australia |access-date=30 July 2024 |quote=}} A second act, the Wickepin-Merredin Railway Act 1911, assented to in 16 February 1911, authorised the construction of the railway line extension from Wickepin to Merredin.{{cite web |url=https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/law_a143295.html |title=Wickepin-Merredin Railway Act 1911 |author= |date=16 February 1911 |website=www.legislation.wa.gov.au |publisher=Government of Western Australia |access-date=30 July 2024 |quote=}}

The line was built in separate sections over five years: Opening dates for sections from 12. Construction of the W.A. Government Railways network, 1879 - 1931, pages 208-210 {{Citation |last1=Gunzburg |first1=Adrian |last2=Austin |first2=Jeff |author3=Rail Heritage WA |last4=Gunzburg |first4=Adrian |title=Rails through the bush : timber and firewood tramways and railway contractors of Western Australia | date=2008 | publisher=Rail Heritage WA | edition=2nd | isbn=978-0-9803922-2-7 }}

• Narrogin to Wickepin - 16 February 1909{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37588115 |title=Narrogin-Wickepin Railway. |newspaper=Western Mail (Western Australia) |volume=XXIV |issue=1,210 |location=Western Australia |date=6 March 1909 |accessdate=17 July 2024 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}
• Bruce Rock to Merredin - 22 December 1913
• Wickepin to Corrigin - 8 June 1914
• Corrigin to Bruce Rock - 14 September 1914

It was constructed by the Western Australian Public Works Department.

It connected the Great Southern Railway route with the Eastern Railway.

The link via Corrigin was {{convert|216|km|mi}} long.{{cite web |title=Public Transport Authority: Railway System: April 2019 |url=https://pta.wa.gov.au/Portals/15/AA_DOCUMENTS/Our_system/Freight%20network/PTA%20Rail%20Network%20Map_2019.pdf |website=Public Transport Authority |access-date=26 July 2024}}{{cite web |title=Railway map of Western Australia, 1952 |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-256867901/view |website=Trove |access-date=26 July 2024}}

Arc Infrastructure deems the railway line to be part of its Grain Freight Rail Network, which, in 2017, accounted for 50 percent of its network but only 10 percent of its freight. The entire Merredin to Narrogin line was classified as Tier 3.{{cite web|url=https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2020-02/rail-access-review-issues-paper-arc-infrastructure%20.pdf |title=Issues Paper |website=www.arcinfra.com |publisher=Arc Infrastructure |date=17 November 2017 |access-date=27 August 2024}}

In 2021, it was estimated that it would cost A$317.3 million to upgrade the Narrogin to Merredin railway line to reopen it.{{cite news |author=Bree Swift |date=22 May 2021 |title=Budget raises hope of Tier 3 upgrades |url=https://www.farmweekly.com.au/story/7260473/budget-raises-hope-of-tier-3-upgrades/ |work=Farm Weekly |location= |access-date=26 August 2024}}

{{main|Merredin to Yilliminning railway line}}

A second railway route between Merredin and Narrogin existed further east, via Kondinin. The official name of this line was the West Merredin to Yilliminning via Kondinin railway. It joined the West Merredin to Narrogin via Corrigin railway at Yilliminning, {{convert|23|km|mi}} east of Narrogin.

The two railway lines running in parallel between Merredin to Narrogin still exist, but are designated as "Not in use" on the Arc Infrastructure map in 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.arcinfra.com/ARCInfrastructure/media/documents/Network%20Specifications/20221129_Arc_Map_Network.pdf|title=Arc Map Network|access-date=27 July 2024}} The status as Tier 3 lines has been discussed irregularly in the 2000s.{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2022-05-03/wa-rail-upgrade-after-record-grain-harvest/101033166|title=WA rail upgrade after record grain harvest|access-date=27 July 2024}}

At the southern terminus of the line, the Narrogin Railway Station, built in 1907, is on the Western Australian State Register of Heritage Places. The heritage listed installations at Narrogin also include a goods shed, a signal cabin, a foot bridge and a number of associated houses.{{cite web |url=https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/12a28c49-998f-45de-a12f-13e932bb5d08 |title=Narrogin Railway Station |author= |date= |website=inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au |publisher=Heritage Council of Western Australia |access-date=27 July 2024|quote=}}

The heritage listed Wickepin Railway Precinct dates back to 1909, when the railway from Narrogin to Wickepin was completed. Apart from the railway station it also includes a goods sheet, a water tank and loading yards and a ramp.{{cite web |url=https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/078a3021-73f9-4e7c-80b8-c4d4e200d72c |title=Wickepin Railway Precinct |author= |date= |website=inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au |publisher=Heritage Council of Western Australia |access-date=27 July 2024|quote=}} Also heritage listed within the Shire of Wickepin are the Yealering Railway siding and the site of the former Toolibin Railway siding.{{cite web |url=https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/23b7df1c-fcc6-4703-ac15-1f89a0190240 |title=Yealering Railway siding |author= |date= |website=inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au |publisher=Heritage Council of Western Australia |access-date=27 July 2024|quote=}}{{cite web |url=https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/21ce5b12-de34-4d59-8ecd-d1e068809f7e |title=Toolibin Railway Siding |author= |date= |website=inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au |publisher=Heritage Council of Western Australia |access-date=27 July 2024|quote=}}

The Railway Water Tank at Corrigin is listed on the State Register of Heritage Places{{cite web |url=https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/084b9ec7-059c-4513-acfb-33e2bec0b9c6 |title=Railway Water Tank, Corrigin |author= |date= |website=inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au |publisher=Heritage Council of Western Australia |access-date=27 July 2024|quote=}} and part of the larger and also heritage listed Corrigin Railway Precinct.{{cite web |url=https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/ddcad406-b881-45fc-b267-148aca4ab582 |title=Corrigin Railway Precinct |author= |date= |website=inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au |publisher=Heritage Council of Western Australia |access-date=27 July 2024|quote=}} Also within the Shire of Corrigin are the heritage listed Bilbarin Railway Reserve group, which consist of sheep yards, a bagged wheat depot and a goods sheet.{{cite web |url=https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/3d389fa5-5981-418a-8181-a83d795ef09d |title=Bilbarin Railway Reserve Group |author= |date= |website=inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au |publisher=Heritage Council of Western Australia |access-date=27 July 2024|quote=}}

In the Shire of Bruce Rock, a number of sites of the former railway line are on the shire's heritage list: the Bruce Rock Railway Station precinct, the Ardath Railway precinct, Babakin and Kwolyin railway sidings, and the site of the Belka Railway Reserve.{{cite web |url=https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/public/search/results?newsearch=true&placenamecontains=&streetnamecontains=&suburbortowncontains=&lgacontains=bruce+rock&iscurrentlystateregistered=false |title=Heritage list search results: Shire of Bruce Rock |author= |date= |website=inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au |publisher=Heritage Council of Western Australia |access-date=28 July 2024|quote=}} Bruce Rock itself was an important railway junction as the Narrogin to Merredin line intersected the York–Bruce Rock railway line there.{{cite web |url=https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/cf8d85d9-0c82-4238-b6bf-ccec98a172e4 |title=Bruce Rock Railway Station Precinct |author= |date= |website=inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au |publisher=Heritage Council of Western Australia |access-date=28 July 2024|quote=}}

At the northern terminus, at Merredin, four entries related to the railways are on the State Register of Heritage Places: the Merredin Railway Station, the Railway Water Tank, the Railway Dam and the Railway Housing Precinct.{{cite web |url=http://inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au/Public/Search/Results?newSearch=True&placeNameContains=&streetNameContains=&suburbOrTownContains=&lgaContains=Merredin&isCurrentlyStateRegistered=true&isCurrentlyStateRegistered=false|title=Shire of Merredin State Register of Heritage Places|author= |date= |website=inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au |publisher=Heritage Council of Western Australia |access-date=28 July 2024|quote=}}

{{reflist}}

{{Railway lines in Western Australia}}

Category:Wheatbelt railway lines of Western Australia

Category:1909 establishments in Australia

Category:Merredin, Western Australia

Category:Narrogin, Western Australia

Category:Railways constructed by the Public Works Department of Western Australia