be adopted as the standard for Australia; that no mechanical, third rail, or other device would meet the situation, and that uniformity could be secured by one means only, viz., by conversion of the gauges other than 4-ft. [23] J. T. Bagot was one of the advocates. The lines operated by the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) are standard gauge, while V/Line freight railways from Murtoa to Hopetoun and from Dimboola to Yaapeet … Dual-gauge freight connection funded. Rail Travel in Australia: The Railway Guage Fiasco Triple gauge points, Port Adelaide, SA Railways in Australia date from the 10 December 1831 when the Australian Agricultural Company officially opened Australia's first railway, located at the intersection of Brown and Church Streets, Newcastle, New South Wales. [32] Dual gauge combining Irish gauge and narrow gauge where the gap was 21 in (530 mm) was also rejected. Rail gauges in Australia display significant variations, which has presented an extremely difficult problem for rail transport on the Australian continent for over 150 years. Despite a request by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to reconsider this alteration, in 1855 the NSW Governor William Denison gave the go-ahead for the 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Sydney to Parramatta railway, which opened in September of that year. [38], As part of the Keating Government's One Nation project, the Melbourne-Adelaide railway line was converted to standard gauge in 1995. Rail gauge in Australia: part our commitment to scholarly and academic excellence, all articles receive editorial review.|||... World Heritage Encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the most definitive collection ever assembled. This decision was endorsed by the NSW Governor, and Colonial Secretary Earl Grey in London agreed in 1851.[14]. Today the state has 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad gauge suburban railways in Adelaide, a number of country freight lines, as well as key 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1 ⁄ 2 in) standard gauge links to other states. Our services include the design, construction, maintenance, and repair of a variety of rail products. Australia A list of 2ft (610mm) narrow-gauge railways in Australia. It needs to be remembered, however, that until federation the benefits of a uniform gauge were not immediately apparent, as passengers would have to pass through customs and immigration at the intercolonial border, meaning that all goods would have to be removed for customs inspection. It included three main proposals:[27], The report wrote that if only main trunk lines were converted, it would introduce a multitude of break of gauge terminals and result in greatly increased costs. Thus the so-called 'standard' gauge of 4ft. It also recommended abandoning part of the existing Perth to Kalgoorlie narrow gauge line, and build a flatter and straighter route using third rail dual gauge, as modernisation was just as important as standardisation. Work on gauge conversion was assisted by section 51 (xxxiii) of the Constitution of Australia, which made specific provisions for the Commonwealth Parliament to make laws with respect to railway acquisition and construction. [35], Details of the Clapp report for the Commonwealth Land Transport Boardthin lines – 3' 6" (1067mm) dotted lines – 4' 8.5" (1435mm)dashed thick lines – new 4' 8.5"thick lines – 5' 3" (1600mm), After the wartime experience, a report into the Standardisation of Australia's rail gauges was completed by former Victorian Railways Chief Commissioner Harold Clapp for the Commonwealth Land Transport Board in March 1945. Both the committee and the government strongly supported three standardisation projects at a cost of £41.5 million: The Commonwealth, NSW and Victorian governments were first to start work, with the first freight train operating on the converted North East line to Melbourne operating in January 1962 and the first through passenger train in April 1962. The 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) narrow gauge was introduced to Australia in 1865, when the Queensland Railways opened its first railway from Ipswich to Grandchester. [17][18], Concerns over the gauge difference began to be raised almost immediately. Australia's mixed gauge railway system: a reassessment of its origins. Three different gauges had been used. The Port Lincoln system was always isolated by geography. Rail gauge in Australia displays much variation, which is an ongoing problem for transportation on the continent.. 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