Railway Digest

10/06/2024

The June 2024 Issue of RD is now available. Pick up a copy from your local newsagent today!

The 2024 RTAA Rail Industry Field Days
On Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 May, the biennial RTAA Rail Industry Field Days were once again held at the spacious Chullora Rail Yards in Sydney. Editor, Bruce Belbin’s enjoyment of the well-organised 2022 event had been somewhat dampened by the appalling weather, but although rain showers had been forecast for this year’s event, they proved to be few and far between, leaving plenty of time to have a good look around the various stands and exhibits.

NSW Station Stories – Valley Heights
For the latest installment of his Station Stories series, Chris Walters goes ‘super-size’ to cover not just Valley Heights Station, but the adjacent railway roundhouse and museum. If you’re not a local using the station to commute, and aside from the Blue Mountains Brewery on Tayler Road (and nearby Bunnings, if you’re do-it-yourselfing), the museum is likely your primary reason for visiting Valley Heights. Rail traffic through Valley Heights is reasonably frequent, if not amazingly varied. Being east (on the Up side) of Springwood, the first Blue Mountains destination at which certain services terminate, means that all Blue Mountains V Set services at least pass through the location, if not always actually stopping.

Forty years of high speed rail proposals
June 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the first public proposal for a Very Fast Train to link Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. The initial concept promoted by the CSIRO was taken up by the private sector but by 1991 had fallen over for lack of government support. The 1990s saw the revival of the Sydney-Canberra section with a pragmatic Speedrail proposal and although this gained initial government interest, a funding shortfall was denied by the federal and NSW Governments. More studies followed and Australia now has a High Speed Rail Authority. Dr Rob Cortis-Jones and Dr Philip Laird look briefly back on the history of these projects and note that Australia to date must surely hold the world record for high-speed rail studies with no construction.

04/06/2024

Sydney's most iconic train will finally get the upgrade it deserves.

It'll keep our Tangaras in top-shape so you can enjoy a comfortable ride – until the Australian-made Tangara replacement fleet is ready to roll.

08/05/2024

Inside the cover of the May 2024 Edition of Railway Digest. Grab your copy now ... !

Sugar Cane 2024 – Part 2: Burdekin to Mossman
Stretching from Isis Central Mill in the south to Mossman Mill in the north, there are currently 17 rail-served sugar mills dotted along a stretch of over 1,500 kilometres of Queensland coast supported by nine distinct railway networks. During the annual ‘crushing season’, which usually runs June to December, an estimated 203 locomotives and 52,000 cane bins are used to haul freshly harvested sugar cane billets along an estimated 4,190 kilometres of narrow-gauge track from farms and transshipment points to those 17 mills, ensuring they are crushed within 24 hours of being cut. Chris Walters provides a snapshot of these often-underappreciated rail systems, with Part 2 in the series covering the mills from Burdekin to Mossman.

A Perth Christmas and rail operations in the South West in early 2024
For Phil Melling and his family, Christmas 2023 was a bit different as, rather than staying home in Geraldton, they spent 10 days visiting relatives in Perth – and, of course, checking out the Perth rail scene, which now seems to be in a constant state of change. Phil also made several trips to Perth and the southwest in February this year, covering a lot of ground and observing a variety of rail operations.

Stanthorpe to Wallangarra line closure
On 31 October and 1 November 2023, high temperatures and strong winds fanned fires across the Tenterfield Shire in the northern tablelands area of New South Wales. The fires spread northwards to threaten the border towns of Wallangarra/Jennings with four homes and 17 buildings subsequently reported as lost. The rail line and several bridges were also damaged by fire. A review of fire damage found five bridges and an unspecified length of track in need of repair, costed at $20m. In early March 2024 the Queensland Government announced the permanent closure of the Stanthorpe to Wallangarra section of the southern line. Darren Tulk reports.

18/03/2024

10/03/2024

Another exciting day for Aurizon in our decarbonisation journey. Today in Townsville we were delighted to announce we have received a $9.4 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) towards the development, testing and trialling of a battery electric tender (BET), to convert diesel electric locomotives to a hybrid diesel and battery configuration.

The BET project will see the development of world-first proof of concept rail tender, which has the potential to form a critical part of our decarbonisation transition. This is our second zero-emission capable prototype project underway for our future fleet, demonstrating Aurizon’s capability and market leadership in this space.

The project represents an opportunity for a step-change reduction in diesel usage as we decarbonise rail operations for the heavy haul, bulk and containerised freight.

You can read more on our website - https://aurizon.com.au/news/2024/aurizon-secures-funding-to-develop-next-generation-freight-trains-using-renewable-energy

05/03/2024

The March 2024 Issue is now available. Grab your copy today ... !

Baked Earth and Stainless Steel – Three days in rural NSW
During early January, due to track work around Sydney, the normal Cootamundra-Sydney-Maitland route of the Great Southern was denied it, and instead the luxury cruise train was diverted via NSW’s interior, where it introduced itself to some more remote parts of the state. Following the diverted stainless-steel passenger train appealed to Chris Walters and close friend Trent Nicholson as a way to tour their state’s back-blocks and drive a compelling arc from Cootamundra to the Hunter Valley. And so, they made plans to meet the train and follow it along parts of its journey.

Sydney Station Stories – Dulwich Hill
In the latest instalment of his Sydney Station Stories series, Chris Walters looks at Dulwich Hill. Opened in 1895 as Wardell Road – a station on the Sydenham to Belmore line (extended to Bankstown in 1909 and to Regents Park in 1928) – it also hosted a two-track goods line from 1916, and in 2014 it became the terminus of the L1 light rail line from Lilyfield. In the not-too-distant future Dulwich Hill will become part of the Sydney Metro network when the Sydenham to Bankstown line is converted.

South Geelong – Waurn Ponds duplication project update
The August 2022 RD contained an article by David Campbell outlining the upgrades being undertaken on the Geelong – Warrnambool line in southwestern Victoria. Most of the work covered in that article was being carried out between the Geelong suburb of Waurn Ponds and Warrnambool. At Waurn Ponds a new station that had been opened in 2014 was expanded through the provision of a 1,200-metre loop and second platform with lift access, commissioned on 29 May 2022. John Hoyle reports on the current state of play, particularly on the major work being undertaken between Geelong and Waurn Ponds.

23/02/2024

11/02/2024

JUST ANNOUNCED: we’re extending the Whiteman Park tram line, so you'll be able to hop on the iconic heritage tram from the new METRONET Whiteman Park Station 🚊

West Aussies love Whiteman Park, and this project will make it even easier to get to - for both locals and visitors.

The extended tram line will be constructed using 85 per cent recycled materials donated by industry partners.

And METRONET is partnering with North Metro TAFE to give rail industry students hands-on training during its construction.

The new tram extension is expected to be up and running when the METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Line opens later this year - and to celebrate, you'll be able to catch tram rides for free until the end of 2025.

29/01/2024

Take a look inside the cover of Railway Digest, February 2024 — now on the shelves at local newsagents!

Echuca Line Recent Works ​
Two years ago, David Campbell reported on the then current works along the Echuca Line corridor (see Railway Digest, February 2022, pages 41 – 45). Subsequent developments have seen much of what he wrote then become outdated, so in this month's RD David gives a rundown on recent works, recent train alterations and other matters to bring the story up to date.

Sydney Station Stories – Blacktown ​
In the latest instalment of his Sydney Station Stories series, Chris Walters looks at Blacktown, a case study in 'organically grown track layout' that has gone through many significant changes since its opening in 1860 – including a total ground-up rebuild in 1995 – and remains an important junction and busy commuter station.

The Cross River Rail construction brings major Brisbane track closures
It is not surprising that Brisbane’s Cross River Rail (CRR) project, one of the biggest rail infrastructure projects seen in Queensland, should require track closures to facilitate construction work, which impacts on both passenger and freight services around the Queensland capital. One such closure occurred from Thursday 4 January to Thursday 18 January 2024 and affected all trains that would normally travel between Bowen Hills and Wooloowin and between Park Road to Yeerongpilly. Anthony Evans reports.

25/01/2024

Talk about a Throwback Thursday! Our Doomben team recreated this 1990 photo, capturing the spirit of railway employees nearly 35 years later! ✨

📸 Photo credit to P. Barker (1990)

12/01/2024

Your eyes aren’t deceiving you - this isn’t photoshopped! ❄️☃️🚋

A world away from our Aussie summers, Adelaide Metro trams encountered snow in a previous life during testing in Bautzen, Germany.

The ‘100 series’ Bombardier Flexity Classic trams journeyed down from Hamburg, Germany by boat before entering service on our network after the 2005 Glenelg tram line extension. Today, we have 15 Bombardier Flexity Classic trams in our fleet.

Great find by The Metro Artist 👏 👌

09/01/2024

08/01/2024

What's inside the cover of the January 2024 Edition of Railway Digest ...

Adieu Australind
On 24 November 1947, the Western Australian Government Railways introduced a new
express train, named Australind, running from Perth to Bunbury. Originally locomotive-hauled,
it became a railcar service from 14 November 1987. The Australind service is currently
suspended, replaced by buses, while the Armadale suburban railway undergoes a major 18-
month rebuild. David Whiteford took the opportunity to look at the history and recent operation
of the Australind.
Sydney Station Stories – St James
In the latest instalment of his Sydney Station Stories series, Chris Walters looks at St
James, on the Sydney City Circle underground railway. Conceived as a busy interchange station, and operating for many years as a terminal, today St James is a regular two-platform ‘through station’, though it remains one of Sydney’s great art-deco masterpieces.

The Survivor – Q317/Q4017
Phil Melling reports on the curious case of Q317/Q4017, a Clyde/EMD GT46c locomotive, built in 1998, which unlike its classmates, has managed to retain its Westrail yellow paint and black ‘tiger stripes’ through various changes of ownership and even a change of identity!

A busy railway day at Ararat
Having heard that The Ghan would be making a rare visit to Victoria on Wednesday 1 November 2023, with a run from Adelaide terminal to the unusual destination of Inverleigh (28 kilometres west of Geelong) and return, John ‘Sooty’ Dare decided to pay a visit to Ararat. Not just to watch The Ghan pass through, but to see what else may be going on at this often-busy junction point.

08/01/2024

CAF shows the Civity DEMU for New South Wales in Australia ⬇

https://railcolornews.com/2024/01/08/passenger-caf-shows-the-civity-demu-for-new-south-wales-in-australia/

10/12/2023

10/12/2023

04/12/2023

What's inside the cover of the December 2023 Railway Digest Magazine ... ?

NSW Regional Infrastructure update
Since the last NSW Regional Update, in our June 2022 issue, several rail projects have been completed while others are progressing, and some remain in the planning stage. Located all over the state, many of these are components of the mammoth Inland Rail project, while others are products of the NSW Government& #39;s ongoing Fixing Country Rail program. John Hoyle brings us up to date with their current progress.

Wabtec rolls out a 7MWh battery locomotive for Roy Hill
As noted in Rolling Stock contracts and Deliveries& #39;, in our October issue, a number of operators currently have battery-electric locomotives on order. The first of these to be completed is Roy Hill 2001, the first production FLXdrive locomotive from Wabtec,
which was handed over at a launch event on Tuesday 31 October at Wabtec’s design and development centre in Erie, Pennsylvania. Peter Clark takes a look at the specifications of this ground-breaking locomotive.

A Perth and Southwest Update, September – October 2023
During late September and early October 2023, two opportunities arose for Phil Melling to visit the Perth metropolitan area. The first visit also gave a day trip along the southwest main line to Bunbury, to observe train workings and other changes.

A Saturday on the Qld lower North Coast Line
On Saturday 4 November, Anthony Evans headed north to see how many trains he could see and photograph on the lower North Coast line in a single day – as well as catching up with some family and friends in between!

14/11/2023

11/11/2023

In the November 2023 Issue of Railway Digest …

Kalgoorlie – a busy railway crossroads ​
Located 595 km (370 mi) east-northeast of Perth in the Goldfields region of WA, the city of Kalgoorlie is a major rail transport hub. The ARTC timetable shows 35 interstate freight trains passing through Kalgoorlie each way weekly, in addition to 20 Perth-Kalgoorlie freight services, 20 iron ore services to Esperance and two Esperance – Kalgoorlie fuel trains, all in each direction each week together with the (generally) weekly Indian Pacific passenger train and daily/twice daily Prospector railcars, as John Hoyle reports.

NSW Station Stories: Mindaribba to Dungog ​
In the latest instalment of his ongoing series, Chris Walters veers from the formula a degree, and hits several stations with one swing. Specifically, the seven stations particular to NSW Trainlink’s Hunter Line service to Dungog: Mindaribba, Paterson, Martins Creek, Hilldale, Wallarobba, Wirragulla and, of course, Dungog itself.

The Karara iron ore trains and Karara Branch – 10 Years of Operation
The Karara iron ore project changed the Geraldton region train operations forever. A bold statement, but it was the works that took place in relation to that project that have had a significant and lasting impact. On the 10th anniversary of its opening, Phil Melling looks at the Karara branch and the heavy iron ore trains that operate on it.

Darling Downs coal trains – south west Queensland report
During a recent bird-watching holiday, David Campbell managed somewhat unexpectedly to sight several trains running in south-west Queensland along the Charleville/Quilpie line as well as an unexpected bonus on the Goondiwindi line.

24/10/2023

And that’s a wrap! 🚂🚂

What an incredible day we have had celebrating 154 years of the great Zig Zag Railway and the return to passenger services after more than 10 years without a fire in the belly of our beloved locomotives.

We cannot wait to see all of your photos and videos from the day.

Thank you to all our volunteers, members, staff and event partners who have made the day such a success - and to all of you who came along and supported us, the market holders and our amazing guests. You are simply the best!



📸 (c) Salty Dingo, Craig Greenhill curtesy of Department of Planning and Environment (Crown Lands)

24/10/2023

This is our newest tram. It's called the G Class, and the very first prototype has just rolled off the production line in Dandenong.

These trams will be more spacious, more accessible and more energy-efficient than ever before, and we're supporting nearly 2,000 local jobs by building them in Melbourne's south east suburbs.

They'll be hitting the tracks from 2025.

17/10/2023

07/10/2023

05/10/2023

The October 2023 Edition of RD is now on the shelves at your local newsagent. Pick up a copy today!

It's all a load of garbage – How Pacific National helps meet Sydney’s waste disposal challenges and takes trucks off roads ​
Sydney generates over two million tonnes of putrescible waste each year and landfill options in the Sydney area are severely limited. A proposal was made to transport putrescible waste to the closed Woodlawn zinc, copper and lead mine located 13 kilometres from Tarago, located on the Goulburn – Canberra railway. A key part of the proposal was the use of rail transport for the waste from Sydney to Tarago, a distance of around 260 kilometres. John Hoyle describes how this became a reality and takes a look at the current operations.

The 2023 Australasian Rail Industry Awards
On Wednesday 13 September, nearly 800 members of the rail industry from Australia and New Zealand filled The Palladium at the Crown Towers in Melbourne to celebrate the 16 winners of the 2023 Australasian Rail Industry Awards.

Sydney Station Stories – Fairfield
In the fifth instalment of his Sydney Station Stories series, Chris Walters takes a look at Fairfield – not just a station, but a veritable time capsule with links back to the early days of Sydney’s railway history.

Systems engineering can help future-proof rail industry investment
If Australia’s rail industry is to reach its ambition of net-zero and profitably progress it must make the right technology choices. How will Australia decarbonise its train systems? And how will advances in batteries, energy storage and hydrogen be put to best use on our rail systems? Steve Way explains how systems engineering can help.

The UGL C44ACi Locomotive
Peter Clark takes a look at the UGL/GE C44Aci, the most numerous standard gauge diesel locomotive type in Australia.

04/10/2023

On this day in history – 4 October 1976, the first Inter-City 125 High Speed Train in regular service left Paddington station at 8.05 am with a service to Bristol Temple Meads. This photograph is in the cab of a high speed train between Reading and Paddington in the 1970s, with the needle hovering just under 125 mph.

The last InterCity 125 High Speed Train in regular service on the Great Western main line to Paddington left Plymouth at 6.57 am on 18 May 2019. This represented over 42 years’ service for the sets on BR (Western Region) then InterCity Great Western, through privatisation and the franchised Great Western Railway.

29/09/2023

Here’s a nice shot of our first Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane container service, heading northbound into the Glenlee terminal, Sydney this morning.

We’re now operating this weekly return service on the Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane corridor, anchored by cornerstone customer Team Global Express (TGE).

The service caters to a range of containerised freight, including local manufactured goods and produce together with import and export traffic, in a co-ordinated port-rail-terminal-rail-port service.

This is the third linehaul interstate service implemented by Aurizon’s Containerised Freight business, following the commencement of two Melbourne-Perth services in April and July.

In February 2023, Aurizon was awarded an Australia-wide 11-year contract with TGE, for rail linehaul services connecting Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne Sydney and Brisbane.