Tarcoola railway station
{{Short description|Railway station in South Australia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2012}}
{{Infobox station
|name = Tarcoola
|type =
|style =
|image = Trans-Australian Express, Tarcoola, 1920s.jpg
|image_caption = Station in the 1920s
|address = Railway Terrace, Tarcoola
|country = Australia
|coordinates = {{coord|-30.713771|134.566869|type:railwaystation_region:AU-SA|format=dms|display=inline,title}}{{cite web|title=Search results for 'Tarcoola Railway Station, RSTA' with the following datasets selected - 'Suburbs and localities', 'Government Towns', 'SA Government Regions', 'Gazetteer'and 'Railways'| url=http://location.sa.gov.au/viewer/?map=hybrid&x=134.56822&y=-30.71233&z=16&uids=19,115,20,105,134&pinx=134.568219&piny=-30.712332&pinTitle=Location&pinText=Tarcoola+Railway+Station,+Rsta |website=Location SA Map Viewer|publisher=South Australian Government|access-date=10 March 2020}}
|distance =
|line = Trans-Australian Railway
|other =
|structure = Ground
|platform = 1
|depth =
|levels =
|tracks =
|parking =
|bicycle =
|baggage_check =
|opened =
|closed =
|rebuilt =
|electrified =
|accessible =
|code =
|owned =
|operator =
|zone =
|smartcardname =
|smartcardstatus =
|status = Permanently Closed
|former =
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|pass_year =
|pass_percent =
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|map_locator =
|web = }}
Tarcoola railway station is a railway station in the Australian state of South Australia located on the Trans-Australian Railway in the state's west. It serves the town of Tarcoola and is the northern junction of the Sydney-Perth and Adelaide-Darwin railways, which share approximately {{convert|530|km|mi|0}} of track between Tarcoola and Crystal Brook.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}
History
The Trans-Australian Railway was built through Tarcoola in 1915, and in 1980 it became a junction station when the Adelaide–Darwin railway diverged from Tarcoola to Alice Springs. This was extended to Darwin in 2004. It was initially built as a standard gauge replacement for the Central Australia Railway.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}
There is a triangular junction at Tarcoola which joins Crystal Brook, Darwin and Perth. Another triangular junction at Crystal Brook joins Tarcoola, Adelaide and Sydney.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}
The station has two triangles, a smaller one for turning locomotives, and the larger one to the west of the town gives direct access from the Darwin line to the Trans-Australian Railway to Kalgoorlie.{{cite web |title=Tarcoola |url=http://www.sa-trackandsignal.net/Pdf%20files/ARTC/AR807.pdf |website=SA Track and Signal |publisher=Graham Vincent |accessdate=10 March 2020}} The latter has been put out of service.
In 2018, the track between Tarcoola and Adelaide was upgraded from {{convert|47|kg/m}} to {{convert|60|kg/m}} rails. This was done while the track was open for service, with {{convert|600|m}} of rail being replaced at a time between train services. The upgrade increased the maximum permitted axle load by four tonnes.{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-04/adelaide-to-tarcoola-rail-upgrade-project-begins/9614756 |title=Rail upgrade work commences on key Adelaide-Tarcoola route through outback South Australia |work=ABC North and West |first=Gary-Jon |last=Lysaght |accessdate=4 April 2018 |date=4 April 2018 |publisher=ABC News|location=Australia}}
Services
The Ghan and the Indian Pacific passenger services pass through Tarcoola both running once per week in each direction all year round.{{Cite New South Wales transport timetables|Indian Pacific}}[https://www.greatsouthernrail.com.au/guest-information/fares-and-timetables/the-ghan-2019-2020/ Ghan Timetable April 2019 to March 2020] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202202757/https://www.greatsouthernrail.com.au/guest-information/fares-and-timetables/the-ghan-2019-2020/ |date=2 December 2019 }} Great Southern Rail The mail for Tarcoola arrives by train.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- Photo: [http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an24213219 Station building ca.1926-1940]
- Photo: [http://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/mpcimg/24750/B24697.htm Station building ca.1912]
- [https://www.flickr.com/photos/railwayofaustralia/galleries/72157623967458733/ Flickr gallery]
Category:Disused railway stations in South Australia