Deniliquin railway line

Construction of the line was begun by the Melbourne, Mount Alexander & Murray River Railway Company, which was incorporated in 1852. The first thirteen sections of the line were constructed by contractors Cornish & Bruce, who gained a reputation for trying to reduce costs by taking shortcuts on materials and reducing worker's wages.[1][2]

The company made almost no progress on the construction of the railway due to an inability to raise sufficient funds, and in 1856 it was purchased by the Victorian Government.[3] Because Isambard Kingdom Brunel was at that time the Inspecting Engineer in Britain for the Victorian Government, some people have claimed that he was responsible for the railway's design. An examination of reports published by the Victorian Parliament has shown that claim to be erroneous. The route and structures were the work of the Victorian Railways Department, under the supervision of Engineer-in-Chief George Darbyshire, and completed under Thomas Higinbotham.[4]

The line was designed with two broad gauge tracks, high speed alignments cutting through the landscape, substantial bridges and railway stations built of bluestone, and double-headed rail.[5]

Originating from Spencer Street Station, the line reached Sunbury in 1859. On 13 January 1859, the Government Railway from Melbourne to Sunbury was opened.[6]

By 1861 it had reached Woodend and on 8 July 1861 the Sunbury to Woodend section opened.[6]

By 1862 the Woodend to Kyneton section was built. On 25 April 1862 the Woodend to Kyneton section was opened.[6]

Later in 1862, the line had been completed to Castlemaine and to Bendigo. On 7 October the first locomotive reached Bendigo. Another Official Opening was held at Castlemaine on 15 October 1862.

The whole of the Melbourne to Bendigo railway was formally opened at Bendigo on 20 October 1862 by the Governor of Victoria, Sir Henry Barkly.[6]

The railway finally reached Echuca in 1864 and transformed the town into a major river port, with a famous wharf and substantial urban growth in the 1870s.[7] In 1876 the Deniliquin and Moama Railway Company opened its 71 km (44 mi) private railway northwards to Barnes and Deniliquin,[8] and the line at Echuca was extended across the Murray River into Moama to join the railway. This section was taken over by Victorian Railways in 1923,[9] as part of the 1922 Border Railways Act.

Passenger rail services from Echuca to Balranald were withdrawn on 7 November 1975, with the last train a 153hp Walker railmotor. The Echuca to Kyabram service was withdrawn on 18 December 1975. The last train was also 153 hp Walker railmotor, the service being provided for school children and paid for by the Education Department.[10] The Bendigo – Echuca – Deniliquin passenger service was withdrawn on 11 January 1979, with the last train being operated by a DERM.[10] Toolamba – Echuca passenger services were withdrawn on 2 March 1981,[10] leaving the town without any rail services.

A twice-weekly passenger service from Bendigo to Echuca was reinstated in 1996. The passenger service was replaced with buses on 19 December 2004, pending an upgrade due to poor track condition. The rail service recommenced in late 2006. Since 2007, there is one train to/from Melbourne on weekdays and two on weekends, with the train speed between Bendigo and Echuca limited to 100 km/h because there are a number of unprotected level crossings.

The section between Bendigo and Sunbury was upgraded as part of the Regional Fast Rail project between 2005 and 2006.

The section of the Deniliquin railway line from Echuca to Deniliquin closed on 6 August 2010. The line has again re-opened in 2013 to service the SunRice Factory and Grain Silos.[11]

Epsom railway station, located between Bendigo and Elmore stations, was opened on 12 October 2014. As part of the Regional Rail Revival project, a new station at Goornong opened on 12 December 2021,[12] followed by another station at Huntly on 16 July 2022.[13][14]

The Piangil line was extended north from Eaglehawk (just north of Bendigo on the line to Inglewood) in 1882, reaching Swan Hill in 1890. It remains in use today.

The Robinvale line was opened from Bendigo to Inglewood in 1876, Korong Vale in 1882, Boort in 1883, Quambatook in 1894, Ultima in 1900, Chillingollah in 1909, Manangatang in 1914, Annuello in 1921 and Robinvale in 1924. This line is currently booked out of service.

Under the Border Railways Agreement of 1922, Victorian Railways commenced construction of a railway to Koorakee and Lette in New South Wales in 1924 (the Lette railway line), but this railway was never completed. The Murray River bridge between Robinvale and Euston was instead converted to a road bridge, but it was demolished upon completion of a new road bridge in 2006. However the lift span of the old bridge has been relocated to McGinty Park in Robinvale as part of an historic display.[16] A short branch line was built from Wedderburn Junction (south of Korong Vale) to Wedderburn in the 1880s which closed in the 1980s.

There is currently no passenger service on this line.

The Kulwin line was opened from Korong Vale to Wycheproof in 1883, Sea Lake in 1895, Nandaly in 1914, Mittyack in 1919 and Kulwin in 1919.

This line currently only handles grain trains. Until late 2006, rural rail network lessee Pacific National had mothballed the Mittyack to Kulwin section. There has not been passenger service on this line since 1978.

Echuca

Overview
Service type	Regional rail
Status	Operational
Locale	Victoria, Australia
Current operator(s)	V/Line
Route
Termini	Echuca Southern Cross
Stops	17
Distance travelled	347.3 km (215.8 mi)
Average journey time	3 hours 17 minutes
Service frequency	1 service weekdays, 2 services weekends in each direction
Line(s) used	Piangil
On-board services
Class(es)	Second
Catering facilities	No
Technical
Track gauge	1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Electrification	None
Track owner(s)	VicTrack
Route map h:mm 0:00 0.0 km Southern Cross (SSS) Zone 1 0:07 4.9 km Footscray (FSY) Zone 1 0:31 39.5 km Sunbury (SBY) Zone 2 0:38 50.4 km Clarkefield (CFD) Zone 2 0:43 58.9 km Riddells Creek (RCK) Zone 2 0:49 66.2 km Gisborne (GIS) Zone 3 0:53 71.8 km Macedon (MDN) Zone 3 0:59 80.1 km Woodend (WED) Zone 4 1:06 93.6 km Kyneton (KNT) Zone 6 1:12 104.2 km Malmsbury (MMY) Zone 7 1:26 127.3 km Castlemaine (CME) Zone 9 1:42 159.4 km Kangaroo Flat (KFT) Zone 12 1:59 164.2 km Bendigo (BDG) Zone 13 Swan Hill V/Line Service 2:08 169.7 km Epsom (EPS) Zone 13 Huntly (Under construction) 2:21 189.7 km Goornong Zone 13/14 2:38 209.7 km Elmore (ELM) Zone 14 2:52 225.5 km Rochester (ROR) Zone 18/19 3:17 252.0 km Echuca (ECH) Zone 21 Standard timetabled journey from Southern Cross

One service on weekdays and two services on weekends operate in each direction each day between Echuca and Southern Cross. Outside Melbourne, all services stops at all operating stations between Echuca and Sunbury. The service then runs express to Footscray, then to the terminus at Southern Cross. At Footscray, passengers may not board services to Southern Cross or alight services to Echuca.