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Merredin to Narrogin railway line

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Merredin to Narrogin railway line
The Merredin to Narrogin line is right-of-centre on the map.
Overview
StatusClosed
LocaleWheatbelt, Western Australia
Termini
Service
Operator(s)Western Australian Government Railways
History
Commenced1908
Opened14 September 1914 (1914-09-14)
Technical
Line length216 km (134 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Merredin to Narrogin railway line
Main locations
Map
About OpenStreetMaps
Maps: terms of use
150km
100miles
Narrogin
5
Narrogin
Wickepin
4
Wickepin
Corrigin
3
Corrigin
Bruce Rock
2
Bruce Rock
Merredin
1
Merredin
Route map

Legend
Goomalling–Merredin railway
Eastern Goldfields Railway
216
 Merredin
201
 Ulva
194
 Korbel
189
 Korbelka
185
 Belka
176
 Jura
168
 Bruce Rock
York–Bruce Rock railway line
158
 Yalbarrin
149
 Ardath
136
 Babakin
124
 Bilbarin
117
 Nornakin
108
 Corrigin
Corrigin–Brookton railway line
98
 Dilling
No. 2 Rabbit-proof fence
84
 Bullaring
77
 Stretton
68
 Yealering
53
 Malyalling
43
 Wickepin
28
 Ockley
Yilliminning–Merredin railway
23
 Yilliminning
15
 Boundain
0
 Narrogin
Great Southern Railway
Brunswick Junction to Narrogin line
This diagram:

The Merredin to Narrogin railway line was a railway line in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, between Merredin and Narrogin. The line was also known as the West Merredin to Narrogin via Corrigin railway.[1]

History

[edit]

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.[2] 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.[3]

The line was built in separate sections over five years:[4]

  • Narrogin to Wickepin - 16 February 1909[5]
  • 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 216 kilometres (134 mi) long.[6][7]

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 ten percent of its freight. The entire Merredin to Narrogin line was classified as tier 3.[8]

In 2021, it was estimated that it would cost A$317.3 million to upgrade the Narrogin to Merredin railway line to reopen it.[9]

Alternate route via Kondinin

[edit]
Main article: 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, 23 kilometres (14 mi) east of Narrogin.[6][7]

Legacy

[edit]

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.[10] The status as Tier 3 lines has been discussed irregularly in the 2000s.[11] 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.[12]

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.[13] Also heritage listed within the Shire of Wickepin are the Yealering Railway siding and the site of the former Toolibin Railway siding.[14][15]

The Railway Water Tank at Corrigin is listed on the State Register of Heritage Places[16] and part of the larger and also heritage listed Corrigin Railway Precinct.[17] 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.[18]

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.[19] Bruce Rock itself was an important railway junction as the Narrogin to Merredin line intersected the York–Bruce Rock railway line there.[20]

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.[21]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Section 59 Narrogin - West Merredin Via Corrigin in "Back Along the Line" (PDF). Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Narrogin-Wickepin Railway Act 1907". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 20 December 1907. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Wickepin-Merredin Railway Act 1911". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 16 February 1911. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  4. ^ Opening dates for sections from 12. Construction of the W.A. Government Railways network, 1879 - 1931, pages 208-210 Gunzburg, Adrian; Austin, Jeff; Rail Heritage WA; Gunzburg, Adrian (2008), Rails through the bush : timber and firewood tramways and railway contractors of Western Australia (2nd ed.), Rail Heritage WA, ISBN 978-0-9803922-2-7
  5. ^ "Narrogin-Wickepin Railway". Western Mail (Western Australia). Vol. XXIV, no. 1, 210. Western Australia. 6 March 1909. p. 5. Retrieved 17 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ a b "Public Transport Authority: Railway System: April 2019" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Railway map of Western Australia, 1952". Trove. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Issues Paper" (PDF). www.arcinfra.com. Arc Infrastructure. 17 November 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  9. ^ Bree Swift (22 May 2021). "Budget raises hope of Tier 3 upgrades". Farm Weekly. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  10. ^ "Arc Map Network" (PDF). Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  11. ^ "WA rail upgrade after record grain harvest". Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  12. ^ "Narrogin Railway Station". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  13. ^ "Wickepin Railway Precinct". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  14. ^ "Yealering Railway siding". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Toolibin Railway Siding". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Railway Water Tank, Corrigin". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  17. ^ "Corrigin Railway Precinct". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  18. ^ "Bilbarin Railway Reserve Group". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  19. ^ "Heritage list search results: Shire of Bruce Rock". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  20. ^ "Bruce Rock Railway Station Precinct". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  21. ^ "Shire of Merredin State Register of Heritage Places". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
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