Waikerie railway line
{{Short description|Former railway line in South Australia}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox rail line
|name =
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|system = South Australian Railways
|status = Closed and removed
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|start = Karoonda
|end = Waikerie
|continuesfrom = Barmera line
|continuesas =
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|routes =
|open = 23 September 1914
|close = Galga–Waikerie:14 March 1990
Karoonda–Galga: 4 March 1994
|operator = South Australian Railways
Australian National
|linelength_km = 119.0
|tracklength_km=
|gauge = {{Track gauge|1600mm|comma=off}}
|elevation_m =
|website =
|map = {{Waikerie railway line}}
|map_state = collapsed}}
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| class="wikitable vertical-align-top floatright mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border= "1" style= "width:50%; font-size: 86%; float:right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:2em; margin-bottom:2em"
| colspan="6"|{{larger|The six railway lines of the Murraylands}}{{cite book|last1=Quinlan |first1=Howard |last2=Newland |first2=John R. |date=2000 |title=Australian railway routes 1854–2000 |location=Redfern, New South Wales |publisher=Australian Railway Historical Society, New South Wales Division |isbn=0909650497 |pages=53–54}}{{cite map|title=Map showing lines of railways in South Australia and through mileages |year =1958 |publisher= South Australian Railways |location= Adelaide |via=National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide}} | |||||
| scope="col" |Order built | scope="col" |Line | scope="col" |Year opened | scope="col" |Year closed | scope="col" |Length (mi) | scope="col" |Length (km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |1 | Tailem Bend–Pinnaroo | 1906 | 2015[note a] | 86.6 | 139.4 |
| |2 | Tailem Bend–Barmera | 1913 / 1928[note b] | 1996[note c] | 159.5 | 256.6 |
| |3 | Karoonda–Peebinga | 1914 | 1990 | 66.0 | 106.2 |
| |4 | Karoonda–Waikerie | 1914 | 1994[note d] | 73.8 | 118.7 |
| |5 | Alawoona–Loxton | 1914 | 2015[note e] | 22.0 | 35.5 |
| |6 | Wanbi–Yinkanie | 1925 | 1971 | 31.5 | 50.6 |
| colspan="4" |Total | 439.4 | 707.0 | |||
| colspan="6" |Notes {{Ordered list |list-style-type=lower-alpha |Previously a broad-gauge through line into Victoria, the line was closed at the border in 1996 before being converted to standard gauge in 1998.|Construction of the Barmera line was paused at Paringa in 1913 pending funding of a bridge over the River Murray. The line was completed to Barmera in 1928. A branch line was built to support construction of the proposed Chowilla Dam in 1966–67. Some {{convert|27.3|km|mi|abbr=off}} long, it branched from the Barmera line {{convert|8|km|mi|abbr=off|0}} south of Paringa and proceeded to Murtho on the south bank of the River Murray. Construction of the dam was deferred in 1967 and subsequently cancelled; later the line was removed without being used.|Paringa–Barmera closed in 1984; Alawoona–Paringa closed in 1990; Tailem Bend–Alawoona closed in 1996.|Galga–Waikerie closed in 1990.|Converted to standard gauge in 1996.}} File:Route map of South Australian Railways Murraylands lines bw.png |
The Waikerie railway line was a railway line on the South Australian Railways network.
Route
File:Waikerie, Riverland (7).JPG
The Waikerie railway line branched from the Barmera railway line at Karoonda, which was also the junction for the Peebinga railway line on the other side of the main line. It extended north, north-east, and north again to Waikerie, on the cliffs above the River Murray.{{cite web |url=http://www.johnnyspages.com/classic_pictures_menu_files/classic_present_day_pics_files/south_line_stations/mallee_lines.htm |title=Mallee lines stations today |work=Johnny's Pages |accessdate=28 January 2015}}{{refn|group=note|The Government of South Australia stipulates "River" to be placed first when referring to the two major rivers of the state, the River Murray and River Torrens.{{cite web |url=https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/planning-and-property/planning-and-land-management/suburb-road-and-place-names/geographical-names-guidelines |title=Geographical names guidelines |date=August 2020 |website=Planning and property |publisher=Attorney-General's Department (Government of South Australia) |access-date=17 October 2024}} Outside of South Australia this convention is not generally followed.}}
History
Before construction started on the Waikerie railway, there was active discussion about where it should branch from the Barmera or Adelaide-Wolseley line. Eventually, the decision was made that it should branch from Karoonda at the 30-mile siding from Tailem Bend. Other possible branching points at that stage included the 40-mile (Borrika) and 58½ miles (Mindarie) from Tailem Bend.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88750073 |title=Murray Railways |newspaper=The Chronicle |location=Adelaide |date=21 September 1912 |accessdate=29 January 2015 |page=52 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} There was also a proposal to branch from the 20-mile mark (Wynarka).{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article163083935 |title=Waikerie Railway |newspaper=Observer |location=Adelaide |date=12 October 1912 |accessdate=29 January 2015 |page=45 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}{{cite web |date=1913 |title=Plan of Murray Lands railways [map] |publisher=South Australia Railways Department |url=http://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=1363&c=8256 |accessdate=28 January 2015}} The line opened on 23 September 1914.{{cite book|last1=Quinlan|first1=Howard|last2=Newland|first2=John|title=Australian Railway Routes 1854 - 2000|date=2000|publisher=Australian Railway Historical Society|location=Redfern|isbn=0 909650 49 7|page=54}}
The Waikerie line was part of a significant expansion of the railways in South Australia in the early part of the 20th century to facilitate greater development of the rural areas of the state. The estimated cost of the {{convert|74|miles}} Karoonda-Waikerie line, including rolling stock, was £251,350, with expected revenue of £10,000 per annum, working expenses of £10,820, and interest costs of £10,054. It was anticipated by the Railways Commissioner that the loss here would be £10,874 per annum. The area to be served was estimated at {{convert|956,000|acres}}.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59251525 |title=Railway Extension|newspaper=The Register |location=Adelaide |date=21 December 1912 |accessdate=29 January 2015 |page=7 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} The contract for the first {{convert|19.5|miles}} was accepted for £16,220 in January 1914.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57180798 |title=Waikerie Railway |newspaper=The Register |location=Adelaide |date=29 January 1914 |accessdate=29 January 2015 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} The Galga to Waikerie section closed on 14 March 1990, followed by the Karoonda-Galga section on 4 March 1994.
See also
Notes
{{Reflist|group=note}}