Yackandandah railway line

{{Short description|Former railway line in Victoria, Australia}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}

{{Use Australian English|date=January 2012}}

{{Infobox rail line

|name =

|color =

|logo =

|logo_width =

|logo_alt =

|image =

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|system =

|status = converted to Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail

|locale =

|start = Everton

|end = Yackandandah

|continuesfrom = Bright line

|continuesas =

|stations = 4

|routes =

|open = Everton-Beechworth: 30 September 1876
Beechworth-Yackandandah: 23 July 1891

|close = Yackandandah-Beechworth: 2 July 1954
Beechworth-Everton: 30 December 1976

|owner = Victorian Railways

|operator = Victorian Railways

|linelength = 37.1 kilometres

|gauge = {{RailGauge|1600mm}}

|old_gauge =

|electrification =

|elevation_m =

|website =

|map = {{Yackandandah railway line}}

|map_state =

}}

The Yackandandah railway line was a railway line in Victoria, Australia, constructed by the Victorian Railways. It was one of the earliest branch lines constructed in Victoria. The line served the major regional town of Beechworth, which had been active in campaigning for the main rail route into New South Wales to run via the town.

That was not to be and the line to Beechworth was built as a branch from the North East line at Bowser, opening on 30 September 1876. An extension opened to Yackandandah on 23 July 1891. The line was already running at a loss six months after it opened.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article69564012 |title=THE YACKANDANDAH RAILWAY LINE. |newspaper=Wodonga And Towong Sentinel|issue=328 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=11 December 1891 |access-date=20 June 2019 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}} The extension to Yackandandah closed on 2 July 1954, and the section between Everton and Beechworth on 30 December 1976.[http://vicsig.net/infrastructure/line/Yackandandah Yackandandah Line] Vicsig The section between Bowser and Everton, which was also part of the Bright line, remained open until 13 April 1987.[http://vicsig.net/infrastructure/line/Bright Bright Line] Vicsig{{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=28}}

In the 1990s, the route of line between Bowser and Beechworth became part of the Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail.[http://www.tourisminternet.com.au/brirail.htm Bright Rail Trail] Tourisminternet In September 2018, work commenced on a $6.2 million project to extend the rail trail to Yackandandah.{{cite web |title=Beechworth to Yackandandah Rail Trail |url=https://www.indigoshire.vic.gov.au/Living-in-Indigo/Infrastructure/Current-projects-works/Beechworth-to-Yackandandah-Rail-Trail |publisher=Indigo Shire Council |access-date=2020-07-23}}