The South Western Railway was constructed for the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) by various private contractors from 1891.[1] Among these was the engineer and magistrate William W. L. Owen.[2]
Construction was completed in two parts.[3] The first, East Perth to Pinjarra, was undertaken by William Atkins (former mill manager of the Neil McNeil Co. at the Jarrahdale Timber Station)[4] and Robert Oswald Law (who built the Fremantle Long Jetty) from the end of 1891.[1] Work began in 1892 but was slowed by difficulties with building the bridge over the Swan River.[1][5] This section opened on 22 May 1893.[6][7]
The second phase of construction was also completed by Atkins and McNeil, starting at Bunbury and working north to Pinjarra opening on 22 August 1893.[1][3][7][6]Bunbury station was opened by Sir John Forrest on 14 November 1894.
Alignment
As operated by the WAGR, the line was 115 miles 14 chains (115.18 miles, 185.36 km) from Perth to Bunbury.[8] Since that time, the line has been shortened to 181 km as some stations have closed, moved or been replaced by passing loops.[9]
The Bunbury Bridge near Perth was the most significant engineering structure on the line. It was replaced by the Goongoongup Bridge in 1996. Other notable bridges include:
Jenna Bidi Bridge over the Canning River in Gosnells
The line connects with all Transperth commuter rail lines at Perth, with specific branches to the Midland Line at Claisebrook and the Thornlie Line at Kenwick.[11][10]
In terms of key freight connectivity, the line branches to the Kwinana Line at Kenwick and Mundijong Junction.[9] The Jarrahdale Branch was accessed at Mundijong, but this line is now out of service.[9] A branch south of Pinjarra serves Alcoa and provides access to the Hotham Valley Branch.[9][13] The Collie Branch connects at Brunswick Junction, providing access to Worsley Alumina and Collie.[9] At Picton the line once continued a 200 km south as the Northcliffe Branch, with further branches to Flinders Bay and Katanning, however only the first few kilometres of this line remain in use.[9] A 10 km spur to Bunbury Harbour provides access to the port west of Picton.[11]
Several timber mills used to operate along the railway, each with their own access to the mainline. Many of these mills operated extensive timber tramways that fed significant quantities of timber to the railway.[14]
Operations
Passenger
The Transperth commuter rail Armadale Line operates a frequent passenger service at the Perth end of the route.
Beyond Armadale the only passenger service on the line is The Australind. It traverses the entire length of the line from Perth to Bunbury twice a day in each direction, taking about 2 hours and 30 minutes each way.[15] Other named trains that previously operated on the line were the Bunbury Belle and The Shopper.
Stations
There are currently 31 passenger stations on the line, of which 20 are served by Armadale Line services. Beyond the Armadale Line section, all stations meet Disability Discrimination Act standards.[16][17] The stations at Brunswick Junction and Bunbury provide connections to Transwa coach services.[15] A planned extension of the Armadale Line as part of Metronet would see a new station built at Byford.[18]
Freight services on the line are operated by Aurizon and are primarily focused on bauxite and alumina mining and refining.[19] Bulk bauxite is carried from AlcoaPinjarra to Kwinana for export and bulk alumina is transported from Alcoa Wagerup as well as from Worsley Alumina to Bunbury port.[19] Caustic soda is transported from Bunbury Port to Wagerup and Worsley for use in alumina refining and some coal from the Collie Branch is also carried on the line.[20][19] Potential exists for the line to carry mineral sands, agricultural produce, lithium ore and containerised freight on the line in the future.[19]
References
^ abcdGunzburg, Adrian; Austin, Geff (2008). "Table Construction of the W.A Government Railways network, 1879-1931". Rails through the Bush: Timber and Firewood Tramways and Railway Contractors of Western Australia. Perth, Western Australia: Rail Heritage WA. pp. 208–210. ISBN978-0-9803922-2-7. OL 12330925W.
^Owen, William Lambden (1933). Cossack Gold. Angus and Robertson. OL 16795671W.
^ ab"Perth—Bunbury Railway". The Inquirer & Commercial News. Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 6 April 1892. p. 4. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
^Thomas, W. C. (1938). "Mills and Men". Australian Timber Journal.
^"The South-Western Railway: Mr Neil McNeil's Picnic". The West Australian. Perth, Western Australia. 19 December 1892. p. 2. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
^ abArnold, John (1993). Rails to Pinjarra 100. Pinjarra: 100 Planning Committee. p. 4. ISBN0 646 14228 3.
^ abNewland, Andrew; Quinlan, Howard (2000). Australian Railway Routes 1854 – 2000. Redfern: Australian Railway Historical Society. p. 64. ISBN0-909650-49-7.
^Western Australian Government Railways (1946). Time Table for passenger, mixed, and goods trains over all lines. Perth: Western Australian Government Railways.
^"Dwellingup Branch". Hotham Valley Tourist Railway. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
^Gunzburg, Adrian; Austin, Jeff (2008). Rails through the Bush: Timber and Firewood Tramways and Railway Contractors of Western Australia. Perth: Rail Heritage WA.
^ abcdDraft South West Supply Chain Strategy Department of Transportation
^"Coal Processing & Delivery". Premier Coal. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
Further reading
Affleck, Fred (1978). On Track: The Making of Westrail, 1950–1976. Perth: Westrail. ISBN0724475605. OCLC 6489347.
May, Andrew S; Gray, Bill (2006). A History of WAGR Passenger Carriages. Midland, WA: Bill Gray. ISBN0646459023.
February 08, 2023
south, western, railway, western, australia, south, western, railway, also, known, south, west, main, line, main, railway, route, between, perth, bunbury, western, australia, south, western, railwaybunbury, bridge, 1930overviewownerpublic, transport, authority. The South Western Railway also known as the South West Main Line is the main railway route between Perth and Bunbury in Western Australia South Western RailwayBunbury Bridge in 1930OverviewOwnerPublic Transport AuthorityArc InfrastructureTerminiPerthBunburyStations31ServiceTypeCommuter railHeavy railOperator s TransperthTranswaAurizonHistoryOpened22 May 1893 Perth Pinjarra 22 August 1893 Pinjarra Bunbury TechnicalLine length181 km 112 mi Track gauge1 067 mm 3 ft 6 in Route mapLegendkm0 0 PerthArmadale Thornlie Line0 30 1 Armadale33 6 Wongong0 37 6 Byford planned0 38 4 Byford40 7 Cardup43 0 KwinanaRailway Public Transport Auth Arc Infrastructure0 46 5 MundijongJarrahdale Branch50 9 Mardella54 4 Serpentine62 0 Keysbrook0 71 8 North DandalupWhittaker s Tramway0 74 0 Dandalup79 4 Venn87 0 Pinjarra0 87 5 Alcoa Refinery Hotham Valley LineMurray River0 98 0 CoolupGill McDowell Tramway112 0 Waroona115 1 Hamel118 0 Wagerup Refinery Loop123 0 Yarloop Loop124 9 Yarloop StationMillar s Tramway Yarloop 129 4 Cookernup136 0 WarawarrupHarvey River138 9 HarveyMillar s Tramway Mornington 142 9 Wokalup149 0 Benger158 0 Collie Branch159 7 Brunswick JunctionRoelands Quarry Spur163 5 RoelandsCollie River166 0 Burekup175 0 Picton Yard Northcliffe BranchBunbury Harbour Spur181 0 Bunbury Terminal185 4 Bunbury StationThis diagram viewtalkedit Harvey station in October 2006 Contents 1 History 1 1 Construction 2 Alignment 2 1 Bridges 2 2 Branches 2 2 1 Timber tramways 3 Operations 3 1 Passenger 3 1 1 Stations 3 2 Freight 4 References 5 Further readingHistory EditConstruction Edit The South Western Railway was constructed for the Western Australian Government Railways WAGR by various private contractors from 1891 1 Among these was the engineer and magistrate William W L Owen 2 Construction was completed in two parts 3 The first East Perth to Pinjarra was undertaken by William Atkins former mill manager of the Neil McNeil Co at the Jarrahdale Timber Station 4 and Robert Oswald Law who built the Fremantle Long Jetty from the end of 1891 1 Work began in 1892 but was slowed by difficulties with building the bridge over the Swan River 1 5 This section opened on 22 May 1893 6 7 The second phase of construction was also completed by Atkins and McNeil starting at Bunbury and working north to Pinjarra opening on 22 August 1893 1 3 7 6 Bunbury station was opened by Sir John Forrest on 14 November 1894 Alignment EditAs operated by the WAGR the line was 115 miles 14 chains 115 18 miles 185 36 km from Perth to Bunbury 8 Since that time the line has been shortened to 181 km as some stations have closed moved or been replaced by passing loops 9 The first 30 kilometres of the line from Perth are served by Transperth s Armadale Line This section is double tracked and electrified using 25 kV AC 10 The line south of Armadale is not electrified and predominantly single track with passing loops at various locations The section from Perth to Mundijong Junction is controlled by the Public Transport Authority with the remainder of the line controlled by Arc Infrastructure 11 The section controlled by Arc Infrastructure has been upgraded to accommodate 21 tonne axle loads featuring concrete sleepers and continuous welded 50 kg m rail 12 Bridges Edit The Bunbury Bridge near Perth was the most significant engineering structure on the line It was replaced by the Goongoongup Bridge in 1996 Other notable bridges include Jenna Bidi Bridge over the Canning River in GosnellsMurray River Bridge south of PinjarraHarvey River Bridge north of HarveyCollie River Bridge south of Roelands Branches Edit See also Armadale and Thornlie railway lines The line connects with all Transperth commuter rail lines at Perth with specific branches to the Midland Line at Claisebrook and the Thornlie Line at Kenwick 11 10 In terms of key freight connectivity the line branches to the Kwinana Line at Kenwick and Mundijong Junction 9 The Jarrahdale Branch was accessed at Mundijong but this line is now out of service 9 A branch south of Pinjarra serves Alcoa and provides access to the Hotham Valley Branch 9 13 The Collie Branch connects at Brunswick Junction providing access to Worsley Alumina and Collie 9 At Picton the line once continued a 200 km south as the Northcliffe Branch with further branches to Flinders Bay and Katanning however only the first few kilometres of this line remain in use 9 A 10 km spur to Bunbury Harbour provides access to the port west of Picton 11 Timber tramways Edit See also Timber railway lines of Western Australia Several timber mills used to operate along the railway each with their own access to the mainline Many of these mills operated extensive timber tramways that fed significant quantities of timber to the railway 14 Operations EditPassenger Edit The Transperth commuter rail Armadale Line operates a frequent passenger service at the Perth end of the route Beyond Armadale the only passenger service on the line is The Australind It traverses the entire length of the line from Perth to Bunbury twice a day in each direction taking about 2 hours and 30 minutes each way 15 Other named trains that previously operated on the line were the Bunbury Belle and The Shopper Stations Edit There are currently 31 passenger stations on the line of which 20 are served by Armadale Line services Beyond the Armadale Line section all stations meet Disability Discrimination Act standards 16 17 The stations at Brunswick Junction and Bunbury provide connections to Transwa coach services 15 A planned extension of the Armadale Line as part of Metronet would see a new station built at Byford 18 Freight Edit See also Aurizon Freight services on the line are operated by Aurizon and are primarily focused on bauxite and alumina mining and refining 19 Bulk bauxite is carried from Alcoa Pinjarra to Kwinana for export and bulk alumina is transported from Alcoa Wagerup as well as from Worsley Alumina to Bunbury port 19 Caustic soda is transported from Bunbury Port to Wagerup and Worsley for use in alumina refining and some coal from the Collie Branch is also carried on the line 20 19 Potential exists for the line to carry mineral sands agricultural produce lithium ore and containerised freight on the line in the future 19 References Edit a b c d Gunzburg Adrian Austin Geff 2008 Table Construction of the W A Government Railways network 1879 1931 Rails through the Bush Timber and Firewood Tramways and Railway Contractors of Western Australia Perth Western Australia Rail Heritage WA pp 208 210 ISBN 978 0 9803922 2 7 OL 12330925W Owen William Lambden 1933 Cossack Gold Angus and Robertson OL 16795671W a b Perth Bunbury Railway The Inquirer amp Commercial News Perth WA National Library of Australia 6 April 1892 p 4 Retrieved 13 October 2012 Thomas W C 1938 Mills and Men Australian Timber Journal The South Western Railway Mr Neil McNeil s Picnic The West Australian Perth Western Australia 19 December 1892 p 2 Retrieved 14 October 2012 a b Arnold John 1993 Rails to Pinjarra 100 Pinjarra 100 Planning Committee p 4 ISBN 0 646 14228 3 a b Newland Andrew Quinlan Howard 2000 Australian Railway Routes 1854 2000 Redfern Australian Railway Historical Society p 64 ISBN 0 909650 49 7 Western Australian Government Railways 1946 Time Table for passenger mixed and goods trains over all lines Perth Western Australian Government Railways a b c d e f Arc Infrastructure Network Map Arc Infrastructure a b Kreitling John 1991 Perth Electric A new era Perth The Western Australian Government Railways Commission Westrail ISBN 0 7309 4619 3 a b c Public Transport Authority Network Map Public Transport Authority Arc Infrastructure Network Specifications Arc Infrastructure Dwellingup Branch Hotham Valley Tourist Railway Retrieved 24 August 2020 Gunzburg Adrian Austin Jeff 2008 Rails through the Bush Timber and Firewood Tramways and Railway Contractors of Western Australia Perth Rail Heritage WA a b Australind Timetable Transwa Transwa Stopping Place Locations Transwa Cookernup Station Upgrade Public Transport Authority Byford Rail Extension Public Transport Authority a b c d Draft South West Supply Chain Strategy Department of Transportation Coal Processing amp Delivery Premier Coal Retrieved 24 August 2020 Further reading EditAffleck Fred 1978 On Track The Making of Westrail 1950 1976 Perth Westrail ISBN 0724475605 OCLC 6489347 May Andrew S Gray Bill 2006 A History of WAGR Passenger Carriages Midland WA Bill Gray ISBN 0646459023 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title South Western Railway Western Australia amp oldid 1125524403, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
