View source for Rail transport in Victoria

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2011}}
{{short description|Overview of rail transport in Victoria, Australia}}
{{Infobox rail
| railroad_name     = Railways of Victoria
| logo_filename     = Victoria train logo.svg
| logo_size         = 100px
| logo_alt          = Regional Victoria train network logo
| system_map        = File:Victorian-railway-network-map.svg
| map_caption       = Victorian railway network as at 2014, passenger lines in colour, freight only lines in grey
| marks             = 
| locale            = [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], Australia
| start_year        = 1854
| end_year          = present
| predecessor_line  = 
| successor_line    = 
| gauge             = {{Track gauge|1600mm|lk=on}} broad gauge,<br /> {{Track gauge|sg|lk=on}} standard,<br /> some {{Track gauge|1067mm|lk=on}} and {{Track gauge|762mm|lk=on}} narrow gauge
| length            = 1712&nbsp;km passenger, 4129&nbsp;km total.<ref name="rtsa">{{cite web 
| title = Victoria's Regional Railway Past, Present and Potential
| work = RTSA Regional Rail Symposium, Wagga Wagga
| date = 1 February 2007
| url = http://www.rtsa.com.au/events/conferences/fffrr/text-for-rtsa-wagga-presentation-20070107.pdf
| author = John Hearsch| access-date = 8 February 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070830043728/http://www.rtsa.com.au/events/conferences/fffrr/text-for-rtsa-wagga-presentation-20070107.pdf |archive-date = 30 August 2007 }}</ref>
| hq_city           = 
}}{{Victoria railway lines}}{{More citations needed|date=January 2023}}
Rail transport in the [[Australian state]] of [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] is provided by a number of railway operators who operate over the government-owned [[railway]] lines. The network consists of 2,357 km of [[Victorian broad gauge]] ({{RailGauge|1600mm}}) lines, and 1,912 km of [[standard gauge]] ({{RailGauge|1435mm}}) freight and interstate lines; the latter increasing with [[Rail gauge in Australia|gauge conversion]] of the former. Historically, a few experimental {{RailGauge|762mm}} [[Narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways|gauge]] lines were built, along with various private logging, mining and industrial railways. The rail network radiates from the state capital, Melbourne, with main interstate links to Sydney and to [[Adelaide]], as well as major lines running to regional centres,<ref name="awaugh">{{cite web | title = Victorian Railway Maps 1860–2000 | work = Victorian Railways Resources | publisher = Andrew Waugh | url = http://www.vrhistory.com/VRMaps/ | access-date = 5 February 2008 | archive-date = 11 October 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071011020812/http://www.vrhistory.com/VRMaps/ | url-status = live }}</ref> upgraded as part of the [[Regional Fast Rail project]] and the [[Regional Rail Revival project]]. 

The government-owned [[VicTrack]] owns all railway and tram lines, associated rail lands and other rail-related infrastructure in Victoria,<ref>[https://www.victrack.com.au/en/we-are-victrack/~/media/Documents/We%20are%20VicTrack/Documents/VicTrack%20annual%20report%202012-13.ashx Annual Report 30 June 2013] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140105034736/https://www.victrack.com.au/en/we-are-victrack/~/media/Documents/We%20are%20VicTrack/Documents/VicTrack%20annual%20report%202012-13.ashx |date=5 January 2014 }} VicTrack</ref> which it leases to [[Public Transport Victoria]] which then sublets assets and infrastructure as appropriate to rail and tram operators. The state has four railway networks: 

* [[Metro Trains Melbourne]] operates Melbourne's [[Railways in Melbourne|electrified metropolitan network]] providing passenger services with [[Electric Multiple Units|electric multiple units]],

* [[V/Line]] operates the [[List of regional railway stations in Victoria|country passenger network]] with diesel trains, 

* [[Australian Rail Track Corporation]] leases from VicTrack the standard gauge tracks from Melbourne to [[Albury]] and to [[Serviceton]] to operate the interstate Melbourne-Adelaide and Melbourne-Sydney services, and 

* the grain network in the north west of the state, connected to the ports at Geelong and Portland.<ref name="awaugh" /> Freight services are operated by [[Southern Shorthaul Railroad]], [[Pacific National]] and [[SCT Logistics]] (interstate and intrastate), and [[Qube Holdings#Rail|Qube Logistics]] (intrastate). 

Victoria does not have a dominant mining base as with other states, and has traditionally been more dependent on agriculture for rail freight traffic.<ref name="newsrails-grain">{{Victorian Rail-Newsrail|title=V/Line Grain Handling|author=Peter Foote|month=10|year=1987|pages=292–297}}</ref> By the 1990s [[road transport]] had captured most general freight traffic,<ref name="rtsa" /> with an average of only 6.1 million tonnes of intrastate freight carried each year between 1996 and 1998;<ref name="rtsa" /> containers being the major cargo, followed by cement, logs, quarry products and steel.

== History ==
The first railway lines in Victoria were built in the 1850s, and were privately owned and operated. These started having financial problems and were taken over by the Government Railway Department ([[Victorian Railways]]), which was established by the Colonial Government and became a [[Vertical integration|vertically integrated]] government service. This structure remained until [[Corporatization|corporatisation]] began in the 1970s, followed by [[Privatization|privatisation]] in the 1990s. 

The rail network reached a peak in 1942 but steadily declined, as branch and cross country lines were closed until the 1980s.<ref name="rtsa"/>

===First lines===
[[File:Old Flinders Street Station.jpg|thumb|Pre 1910 [[Flinders Street railway station|Flinders Street station]] building]]
Australia's first steam-operated railway was a {{convert|4|km|mi|abbr=on}} [[5 ft 3 in gauge railways#Installations|broad gauge]] line between the [[Melbourne]] (or City) Terminus (on the site of modern-day [[Flinders Street railway station|Flinders Street station]]) and Sandridge (now [[Port Melbourne]]). It was constructed by the [[Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company]] and opened in September 1854.<ref name="arhs1">{{cite web | title = ARHS Railway Museum: History 1839–1900 | work = ARHS Railway Museum | url = http://www.railwaymuseum.org.au/history.html | access-date = 5 February 2008 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090929200801/http://www.railwaymuseum.org.au/history.html | archive-date = 29 September 2009}}</ref> The first country line in Victoria was from Melbourne to [[Geelong railway station|Geelong]],<ref>'''''The Greenwich Railway – 1857''''' Clark, Allan [[Australian Railway History]], June/July/August 2007 pp. 234–245; 260–279; 308–323</ref> which was opened in 1857 by the [[Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company]].<ref name="rg">{{cite web | title = Geelong Line | work = Rail Geelong | publisher = Marcus Wong | url = http://www.railgeelong.com/lineguide.php?line=geelong | access-date = 5 February 2008 | archive-date = 11 February 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080211201225/http://www.railgeelong.com/lineguide.php?line=geelong | url-status = live }}</ref> In the early years, the lines were constructed by private companies.

The suburban network expanded to the east from [[Princes Bridge railway station|Princes Bridge]] to [[Richmond railway station, Melbourne|Richmond]] in 1859, then later to [[Brighton, Victoria|Brighton]] and [[Hawthorn railway station, Melbourne|Hawthorn]] by the early 1860s. The initial suburban lines were all built by different private companies centred on Flinders Street, which amalgamated into the [[Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company|Melbourne and Hobson's Bay United Railway Company]] by 1865;<ref name="awaugh" /> public ownership did not occur until 1878.<ref name="vrhist">{{cite web|title=VR timeline |work=victorianrailways.net/ |publisher=Mark Bau |url=http://www.victorianrailways.net/vr%20history/history.html |access-date=5 February 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080530050949/http://www.victorianrailways.net/vr%20history/history.html |archive-date=30 May 2008}}</ref> In 1862, [[Victorian Railways]] lines had reached the great [[Victorian gold rush|gold rush]] towns of [[Bendigo]] and [[Ballarat]], and in 1864, railways were extended to the [[Murray River]] port of [[Echuca]].<ref name="vrhist" /> In the 1870s, the Government Railway Department ([[Victorian Railways]]) started to build its own lines.<ref name="awaugh"/>

In 1883, the first connection to another colony's rail system was made, when the [[North East railway line|Albury-Wodonga line]] was completed to join the [[New South Wales Government Railways]] network at [[Albury railway station|Albury]], requiring a [[break-of-gauge]] to New South Wales' {{RailGauge|1435mm}} ([[standard gauge]]).<ref name="newsrail-line">{{Victorian Rail-Newsrail|title=Tracks Across the State|author=Sid Brown|month=3|year=1990|pages=71–76}}</ref> It was then followed in 1887 by a connection with the broad gauge [[South Australian Railways]] at [[Serviceton railway station|Serviceton]], with the ''Intercolonial Express'' (now ''[[The Overland]]'') to Adelaide running between the capitals.<ref name="arhs1" /> Additional trunk lines were also built though the 1870s, with rails extended to [[Sale railway station, Victoria|Sale]], [[Portland, Victoria|Portland]] and [[Colac railway station|Colac]]; and the first branch lines built.<ref name="awaugh" /> It was a time of improved train safety, with the first [[interlocking]] of [[railway signalling]] to protect trains provided in 1874,<ref name="vrhist" /> and tests of [[Brake (railway)|continuous train brakes]] carried out in 1884.<ref name="vrhist" />

In 1884, [[Parliament of Victoria|Colonial Parliament]] passed ''[[Railway Construction Act 1884|The Railway Construction Act]]'', which authorised fifty-nine new lines to almost every corner of the colony, and thus became known as the ''Octopus Act''. The proposed lines would serve both new agricultural towns and support suburban land speculation.<ref name="awaugh" /><ref name=Speight>{{Australian Dictionary of Biography|last= Venn |first= Michael|year= 1976|id= A060189b|title= Speight, Richard (1838–1901) |access-date= 17 February 2008 }}</ref> It was also this decade that the first [[Narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways|narrow gauge line]] was opened from Wangaratta to Whitfield, with three other lines following by 1910.<ref name="vrhist" /> The [[South Gippsland railway line|South Gippsland line]] was also opened from Dandenong to [[Leongatha, Victoria|Leongatha]] by 1891.<ref name="newsrail-line" /> However, by the late 1890s, the majority of the colony was now covered in railways, with the exception of the [[The Mallee|Mallee country]] in the north west of the colony which saw further line openings,<ref name="awaugh" /> such as the [[Mildura railway line|Mildura line]] in 1903.<ref name="newsrail-line" />

===A new century===
[[File:Spirit of Progress c1938.jpg|thumb|The ''[[Spirit of Progress]]'' headed by locomotive [[Victorian Railways S class|S301]] ''Sir Thomas Mitchell'' near [[Kilmore East railway station|Kilmore East]] in 1938]]

In 1907, the [[Victorian Railways A2 class|A2 class]] steam locomotive was introduced. There were 185 locomotives in this class, and they were Victorian Railway's main passenger locomotive until the arrival of the diesel-electric [[Victorian Railways B class (diesel)|B class]] in 1952.<ref name="vrhist" /> On 20 April 1908, the [[Sunshine train disaster]] occurred, killing 44 passengers in the worst Victorian railway accident.<ref name="vrhist" />

Electrification of the [[Railways in Melbourne|Melbourne suburban network]] was also carried out, with the first train running in 1919.<ref name="arhs2">{{cite web | title = ARHS Railway Museum: History 1900–1950 | work = ARHS Railway Museum | url = http://www.railwaymuseum.org.au/history2.html | access-date = 5 February 2008 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927142351/http://www.railwaymuseum.org.au/history2.html | archive-date = 27 September 2007}}</ref> By 1924, 210,000 passengers passed through the main city terminal of Flinders Street station per weekday.<ref name="vrhist" /> [[St Kilda railway station|St Kilda]] was Melbourne's busiest suburban station with 4½ million journeys, followed by [[Footscray railway station|Footscray]] with almost 4 million, then [[Elsternwick railway station|Elsternwick]], [[Ascot Vale railway station|Ascot Vale]], [[Essendon railway station|Essendon]] and [[Balaclava railway station, Melbourne|Balaclava]].<ref name="vrhist" /> Technology advancements continued, with 3 position automatic signals introduced in 1915,<ref name="sig">{{Harvnb|Fisher|2007}}</ref>{{page needed|date=April 2020}} the conversion of [[Railway coupling#Buffers and chain|screw couplings]] to [[Railway coupling#AAR coupler|knuckle couplers]] from 1924,<ref name="wagons">{{cite magazine | title = Four wheeled open wagons of the Victorian Railways |magazine= Notes from the Victorian Model Railway Society Prototype Modellers Meet 2007 | author = Mark Bau }}</ref> and the first remote controlled signalling provided in 1925.<ref name="vrhist" /> The first [[level crossing]] flashing lights were installed at [[Mentone, Victoria|Mentone]] on Moorabin Road in 1932.<ref name="vrhist" />

Despite [[World War I]], significant extensions of rail lines were carried out, particularly in the wheat-growing areas in the north-west and west. The new lengthy parallel lines were considered to be cheaper to operate than the numerous short spurs such as those in the [[Goulburn Valley]].<ref name="awaugh" /> By 1930, the railway map of Victoria was largely complete, with the best land settled and the remaining land marginal for agriculture, with several lines built across the state border into the [[Riverina]] of NSW.<ref name="awaugh" /> In November 1937, the first run of the ''[[Spirit of Progress]]'' was made, a [[Streamliner|streamlined]] all air-conditioned train run between Melbourne and Albury, led by the matching [[Victorian Railways S class|S class]] steam locomotives.<ref name="arhs2" />

From 1924 to 1935, the [[Better Farming Train (Victoria)|Better Farming Train]] made 38 tours promoting improved [[agriculture|agricultural]] practices.

The Victorian Railways biggest steam locomotive [[Victorian Railways H class|H 220 ''Heavy Harry'']] entered service in 1941,<ref name="vrhist" /> at a time when the railways were struggling with the needs of the war effort. In 1943, the Victorian Railways employed 25,450, had 577 steam locos and 12 electric locos on register along with 19,823 goods wagons and 1,499 passenger cars, running along {{convert|4758|mi|km}} of lines.<ref name="vrhist" /> The network reached its largest extent in 1942, covering 7668 route kilometres.<ref name="rtsa" />

===Post war rebuilding===

After [[World War II]], the railways were run down, with [[Operation Phoenix (railway)|Operation Phoenix]] unveiled in 1950, involving the expenditure of £80 million over 10 years.<ref name="arhs3">{{cite web | title = ARHS Railway Museum: Victoria 1950 – now | work = ARHS Railway Museum | url = http://www.railwaymuseum.org.au/history3.html | access-date = 5 February 2008 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070208193612/http://www.railwaymuseum.org.au/history3.html | archive-date = 8 February 2007}}</ref> Works included [[Railway electrification system|electrification]] to [[Traralgon, Victoria|Traralgon]], new [[Harris (train)|Harris suburban trains]], the Walker railmotors, and approximately 3,000 new goods wagons.<ref name="vrhist" />

On 14 July 1952, the Victorian Railways (VR) entered the [[dieselisation|diesel era]], with the delivery of the first [[Victorian Railways B class (diesel)|B class]] mainline locomotive,<ref name="arhs3" /> with the commissioning of the first mainline electrification scheme in Australia in July 1954 to [[Warragul railway station|Warragul]].<ref name="vrhist" /> March 1954 saw [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] tour Victoria by [[Victorian Railways Royal Train|Royal Train]], the first time a reigning monarch had travelled on the VR,<ref name="vrhist" /> 1954 also saw the last steam locomotive to enter service, [[Victorian Railways J class (1954)|J class 559]],<ref name="vrhist" /> as well as the last four wheeled open wagons being built.<ref name="wagons" /> The fifties also saw the loss of a number of short branch lines, particularly country where the only traffic had been timber or livestock.<ref name="awaugh" />

In the 1960s, the [[break of gauge]] at Albury was eliminated, with the opening of the [[North East railway line|North East standard gauge line]] in 1962.<ref name="arhs3" /> The new line aided freight traffic between the state capitals, and enabled through passenger trains, such as the ''[[Southern Aurora]]'' and the ''[[Intercapital Daylight]]''. At the same time, the sixties was also the end of steam, with the demolition of the massive [[North Melbourne Locomotive Depot]] on 20 January 1961.<ref name="vrhist" />

1965 saw the Victorian Railways produce a £193,727 surplus, but by 1973, increasing costs and declining revenue resulted in a $86,086,361 deficit. On 20 July 1976, the Laverton derailment occurred, killing one passenger, in what was the last railway passenger fatality not involving a road vehicle.<ref name="vrhist" /> By the late seventies, roadside goods and country railmotor services had been replaced by road transport, and branch lines outside the grain producing areas were now virtually non-existent.<ref name="awaugh" /> The [[Lonie Report]] delivered in 1980 recommended the closure of all country passenger service except that to Geelong, elimination of a number of suburban railways, and moving small-volume freight from rail to road.

===New deal===
[[File:City-loop-exit-spencer-street.jpg|thumb|Train exiting the [[City Loop|Melbourne underground loop]]]]
[[File:Vline n class train at lara victoria.jpg|thumb|[[V/Line N class|N class]] locomotive with [[N type carriage|N type]] country passenger carriages.]]
The 1980s saw [[Corporatization|corporatisation]] of the [[Victorian Railways]] carried out, with the railway commissioners replaced by [[Victorian Railways|VicRail]] and later government authorities. New liveries on trains were unveiled, as elderly "red rattlers" were replaced by new trains.

1981 saw the [[City Loop|Melbourne underground loop]] open in January, followed by the new air conditioned [[Comeng (train)|Comeng suburban trains]] and [[N type carriage|"N" type]] country passenger carriages in September the same year.<ref name="vrhist" /> Country services were also sped up under the ''[[New Deal for Country Passengers|New Deal]]'' by the closure of 35 of small wayside stations.<ref name="nrnd">{{cite magazine |date=October 2006 | title = 'New Deal' for County Passengers – 25 years on | author = Scott Martin and Chris Banger |magazine= Newsrail | publisher = Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division) |page=319 }}</ref> Country passenger services saw the last of the non-air-conditioned wooden bodied passenger cars withdrawn from service in 1986, replaced by new [[H type carriage|"H" set]] carriages. Trials were also carried out for further upgrades, with locomotive [[V/Line A class (diesel)|A85]] re-geared for 160&nbsp;km/h operation in a series of test runs between [[Glenorchy, Victoria|Glenorchy]] and [[Lubeck, Victoria|Lubeck]] in the state's west in July 1986.<ref name="newsrails86">{{Victorian Rail-Newsrail|title=News|month=9|year=1986|pages=24–27}}</ref>	

It was also the end of an era, with freight trains having their [[Caboose|guards van]]s and guards abolished from 1985, and the carriage of livestock ended in 1986.<ref name="vrhist" /> The last run of the ''[[Spirit of Progress]]'' and ''[[Southern Aurora]]'' passenger trains were also made in 1986, on 3 August.<ref name="newsrails86sp">{{Victorian Rail-Newsrail|title=Aurora and Spirit of Progress depart|author=G. Carmichael|month=9|year=1986}}</ref> Working practices were also altered, with through working of [[Victorian Railways C class (diesel)|C class]] locomotives introduced between Melbourne and Adelaide in 1982.<ref name="arhs3" /> Previously Victorian locomotives were detached at the state borders, and replaced by locomotives from the next state. New locomotive were also introduced, with the [[V/Line G class|G]] and [[V/Line N class|N class]]es enabling the retirement of many of the 1st generation diesels.<ref name="railmac" >{{cite book
  | author = Railmac Publications
  | title = Australian Fleetbooks: V/Line locomotives
  | publisher = Kitchner Press
  | year = 1992
  | isbn = 0-949817-76-7}}</ref> 
 
Cuts continued to the rail network, with larger centralised silos in the north western area of the state, and replacement of traditional [[railway signalling|safeworking systems]] by systems that required no local staff caused further stations to be subsequently de-staffed.<ref name="awaugh" />

===Privatisation===
The 1990s saw costs further reduced on the rail network. Guards were removed from passenger trains in 1989, and driver only suburban trains commenced running in 1993, with the last suburban train crewed by a guard running in November 1995.<ref name="vrhist" /> In 1994, the [[National Rail Corporation]] was established,<ref>See the National Rail Corporation (Victoria) Act 1991.</ref> taking profitable steel, and intermodal trafficks from [[Public Transport Corporation|V/Line]];<ref name="bogie" >{{cite book
  | author = Norm Bray and Peter J Vincent
  | title = Bogie Freight Wagons of Victoria
  | publisher = Brief History Books
  | year = 2006
  | isbn = 0-9775056-0-X }}</ref> and the [[Western standard gauge line|Melbourne to Adelaide standard gauge line]] was opened in 1995, removing the break of gauge.<ref name="artc">{{cite web
 |title       = ARTC History
 |work        = Australian Rail Track Corporation
 |url         = http://www.artc.com.au/Content.aspx?p=32
 |access-date  = 5 February 2008
|url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20080123015700/http://www.artc.com.au/Content.aspx?p=32
 |archive-date = 23 January 2008
|df          = dmy-all
}}</ref>
	
Moves towards privatisation began in 1997, with V/Line split into [[V/Line|V/Line Passenger]] and [[Public Transport Corporation|V/Line Freight]] and in 1998 Melbourne services operated by the [[Public Transport Corporation]] split into [[Connex Melbourne|Bayside Trains]] and [[M-Train|Hillside Trains]].<ref name="vrhist" /> V/Line Freight was sold to [[Freight Australia|Freight Victoria]] in 1999, followed by [[National Express]] taking over Bayside Trains and V/Line Passenger in 2000, with [[Connex Melbourne]] taking over Hillside Trains.

===End of private lease===
Victorian Premier [[Steve Bracks]] negotiated a premature end to the "under-rail" Victorian country Broad Gauge network lease just minutes before the caretaker mode began before the state election of November 2006. This cost around $125 million. In May 2008, Premier [[John Brumby]] arranged a 45-year lease to the [[Australian Rail Track Corporation]] of the single track Seymour-Albury section. Part of the negotiation involved Victoria contributing money for the track to be upgraded and standardised and for Wodonga to be bypassed.

Today, the state consists of four networks: the [[Railways in Melbourne|electrified metropolitan system]] operated by [[Metro Trains Melbourne]], the [[List of regional railway stations in Victoria|country passenger network]] operated by [[V/Line]] and upgraded as part of the [[Regional Fast Rail project]], the standard gauge interstate lines to Adelaide and Sydney, and the grain network in the north west of the state, connected to the ports at Geelong and Portland.<ref name="awaugh" />

== Future expansion and upgrades ==

=== Regional Rail Revival ===
{{main|Regional Rail Revival}}
In 2017, the State Government under Premier [[Daniel Andrews]] initiated work on the [[Regional Rail Revival]] program, which allocated $1.75 billion to upgrade Victoria's regional railways and provide more reliable and frequent passenger services.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/regional-rail-revival-major-packages-out-to-market/|title=Regional Rail Revival – Major Packages Out To Market|date=27 March 2019|website=Premier of Victoria|language=en-US|access-date=24 August 2019|archive-date=8 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200408051113/https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/regional-rail-revival-major-packages-out-to-market/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://regionalrailrevival.vic.gov.au/about|title=About|website=regionalrailrevival.vic.gov.au|language=en|access-date=24 August 2019|archive-date=13 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613235027/https://regionalrailrevival.vic.gov.au/about|url-status=live}}</ref> The program was largely funded by the Federal Government, through the Commonwealth's asset-recycling fund.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/victoria-regional-rail-to-get-16b-injection/news-story/4d1f74b85c19c8ca3c4222a7daac6556|title=Faster trains for regional commuters|date=26 June 2017|website=www.heraldsun.com.au|language=en|access-date=24 August 2019|archive-date=4 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230504013839/https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/victoria-regional-rail-to-get-16b-injection/news-story/4d1f74b85c19c8ca3c4222a7daac6556|url-status=live}}</ref>

The project allocated $518 million for upgrades to the Ballarat line, including 18&nbsp;km of duplicated track between [[Deer Park railway station|Deer Park]] West and [[Melton railway station, Melbourne|Melton]] stations, new passing loops, new train stabling, upgraded stations and more car parking along the corridor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/ballarat-line-upgrade-kick-starts-regional-rail-revival/|title=Ballarat Line Upgrade Kick Starts Regional Rail Revival|date=4 July 2017|website=Premier of Victoria|language=en-US|access-date=24 August 2019|archive-date=4 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230504012338/https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/ballarat-line-upgrade-kick-starts-regional-rail-revival/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Geelong line will see a new platform and track added to [[Waurn Ponds railway station|Waurn Ponds station]] and the investigation of a rail line to [[Armstrong Creek, Victoria|Armstrong Creek]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://regionalrailrevival.vic.gov.au/geelong|title=Geelong Line Upgrade|website=regionalrailrevival.vic.gov.au|language=en|access-date=24 August 2019|archive-date=14 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614005720/https://regionalrailrevival.vic.gov.au/geelong|url-status=live}}</ref> The Gippsland line will have its signalling upgraded, some track duplicated, a new stabling facility built and platforms added to some stations.<ref name=":0" /> The North East, Shepparton and Warrnambool lines will see upgrades to allow VLocity trains to run on those corridors.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://regionalrailrevival.vic.gov.au/warrnambool|title=Warrnambool Line Upgrade|website=regionalrailrevival.vic.gov.au|language=en|access-date=24 August 2019|archive-date=26 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726005119/https://regionalrailrevival.vic.gov.au/warrnambool|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://regionalrailrevival.vic.gov.au/northeast|title=North East Line Upgrade|website=regionalrailrevival.vic.gov.au|language=en|access-date=24 August 2019|archive-date=14 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614002832/https://regionalrailrevival.vic.gov.au/northeast|url-status=live}}</ref> The project will also include track speed and signalling upgrades to the Bendigo-Echuca line, with all projects aimed to be completed by 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/update-on-the-victorian-regional-rail-revival/|title=Update on the Victorian Regional Rail Revival|date=8 June 2018|website=Premier of Victoria|language=en-US|access-date=24 August 2019|archive-date=8 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200408051350/https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/update-on-the-victorian-regional-rail-revival/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Faster rail ===
{{See also|High-speed rail in Australia}}
There have been numerous proposals for higher-speed passenger rail to regional Victoria. In 2018, the State Government allocated $50 million to plan for a high speed rail line to Geelong, and appointed a Fast Rail Reference Group of technical advisors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/geelongs-high-speed-rail-on-the-fast-track/|title=Geelong's High-Speed Rail on the Fast Track|date=26 September 2018|website=Premier of Victoria|language=en-US|access-date=24 August 2019|archive-date=9 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509235432/https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/geelongs-high-speed-rail-on-the-fast-track/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Government suggested trains could run to Geelong and Ballarat at speeds up to 250&nbsp;km/h, an increase on the 160&nbsp;km/h limit of current VLocity trains.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/geelong-to-melbourne-in-45-minutes-under-labor-s-regional-rail-plan-20181016-p509uu.html|title=Geelong to Melbourne in 45 minutes under Labor's regional rail plan|last=Jacks|first=Timna|date=15 October 2018|website=The Age|language=en|access-date=24 August 2019|archive-date=9 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509235425/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/geelong-to-melbourne-in-45-minutes-under-labor-s-regional-rail-plan-20181016-p509uu.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2019, the Federal Government pledged $2 billion for a fast rail line to Geelong, promising a travel time of 32 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/fast-rail-between-melbourne-and-geelong-would-slash-travel-time-in-half-20190322-p516fu.html|title=Fast rail between Melbourne and Geelong would slash travel time in half|last=Koob|first=Simone Fox|date=21 March 2019|website=The Age|language=en|access-date=24 August 2019|archive-date=9 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509235423/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/fast-rail-between-melbourne-and-geelong-would-slash-travel-time-in-half-20190322-p516fu.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Business cases for faster rail to Albury-Wodonga and Greater Shepparton are currently being prepared for the [[National Faster Rail Agency]], a federal body established in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/federal-budget-2019-fast-rail-solution-to-traffic-congestion-20190402-1o24yc|title=Federal budget 2019: fast rail solution to traffic congestion|date=2 April 2019|website=Australian Financial Review|language=en|access-date=24 August 2019|archive-date=24 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190824043154/https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/federal-budget-2019-fast-rail-solution-to-traffic-congestion-20190402-1o24yc|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nfra.gov.au/projects|title=Projects|last=Agency|first=National Faster Rail|website=National Faster Rail Agency (NFRA)|language=en|access-date=24 August 2019|archive-date=19 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719034452/https://www.nfra.gov.au/projects|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Infrastructure==
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; clear:right; margin:10px; text-align:right;"
|- style="text-align:left;"
! colspan="3" | Route-kilometres of open railway (December 2019)<ref name="BITRE yearbook p112">{{cite book |title=Australian Infrastructure Statistics Yearbook |date=2019 |publisher=Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics |isbn=9781925843361 |pages=112–113 |url=https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/BITRE_2019_YEARBOOK.pdf |access-date=1 September 2020 |archive-date=15 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200315140115/https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/BITRE_2019_YEARBOOK.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
|- style="text-align:left;"
! Gauge
! Electrified
! Non-electrified
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | 1067 mm (narrow)
| 0 km
| 16 km
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | 1435 mm (standard)
| 0 km
| 1912 km
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | 1600 mm (broad)
| 383 km
| 1974 km
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Dual (standard/broad)
| 0 km
| 32 km
|}

The trunk railway lines of Victoria are double track, some built as such, and others duplicated later on. Early sections of the suburban network were [[double track]], with later additions being [[Single track (rail)|single track]] that were later duplicated.

The [[Bendigo railway line|Bendigo]] and [[Geelong-Ballarat railway line|Geelong–Ballarat]] mainlines were both built as double track in the 1860s, but were singled in the 1930s and first decade of the 21st century respectively. The [[North East railway line|north-east line]] to [[Seymour railway station|Seymour]] was duplicated in the mid-1880s<ref name="somerton">{{cite web
| title = Somerton
| work = Victorian Station Histories
| author = Andrew Waugh
| url = http://www.vrhistory.com/Locations/Somerton.pdf
| access-date = 8 February 2008
| archive-date = 19 July 2008
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080719035748/http://www.vrhistory.com/Locations/Somerton.pdf
| url-status = live
}}</ref> and remains so today, the [[Orbost railway line|Gippsland]] line to [[Moe railway station|Moe]] was duplicated in the 1950s in conjunction with increased briquette traffic,<ref name="elect91" >{{cite book
  | last = S.E. Dornan and R.G. Henderson
  | title = Electric Railways of Victoria
  | publisher = Australian Electric Traction Society
  | page = 91
  | year = 1979
  | isbn = 0-909459-06-1 }}</ref> and the busiest country line in the state to [[Geelong]] was progressively duplicated from 1959 to 1981.<ref name="rg"/>

Few [[Railway Tunnels in Victoria, Australia|railway tunnels]] exist in Victoria, with the exception of the Melbourne [[City Loop]]. The longest tunnel before the opening of the loop was on the [[Fyansford Cement Works Railway]] (near Geelong), where a 1300-metre-long tunnel existed on a narrow gauge quarry railway.<ref>{{cite web | title = Fyansford Line | work = Rail Geelong | publisher = Marcus Wong | url = http://www.railgeelong.com/lineguide.php?line=fyansford | access-date = 8 February 2008 | archive-date = 13 February 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080213063446/http://www.railgeelong.com/lineguide.php?line=fyansford | url-status = live }}</ref> Of those open today the longest is the single track 422-metre long Geelong Tunnel,<ref>{{cite web | title = Geelong Tunnel | work = Rail Geelong | publisher = Marcus Wong | url = http://www.railgeelong.com/locations.php?name=Geelong%20Tunnel | access-date = 8 February 2008 | archive-date = 6 November 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071106215907/http://www.railgeelong.com/locations.php?name=Geelong%20Tunnel | url-status = live }}</ref> followed by the double track 385-metre Elphinstone and the 390-metre-long Big Hill Tunnels on the [[Bendigo railway line|Bendigo line]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Bendigo Line | work = Vicsig Lineguides | url = http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=infrastructure&line=Bendigo | access-date = 8 February 2008 | archive-date = 30 August 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160830083830/http://vicsig.net/index.php?page=infrastructure&line=Bendigo | url-status = live }}</ref> A 154-metre-long tunnel also exists on the [[Healesville railway line|Healesville line]], as well as three tunnels on the suburban [[Hurstbridge railway line|Hurstbridge line]], and another on the [[Freight railways in Melbourne|freight lines]] under Footscray station.<ref name="hisvic">{{cite web
 |title       = The Railway Top 20!
 |work        = Royal Historical Society of Victoria
 |url         = http://www.historyvictoria.org.au/pdf/questions.pdf
 |access-date  = 5 February 2008
|url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20080719030654/http://www.historyvictoria.org.au/pdf/questions.pdf
 |archive-date = 19 July 2008
|df          = dmy-all
}}</ref>

On the interstate railway corridors, there are independent sections of track due to the use of both broad and standard gauges in the state, these sections being from Melbourne to Seymour and on to Albury (constructed in the 1960s), and Melbourne to Geelong (completed in 1995). The gauge issue also sees [[dual gauge]] track used, in areas including [[Maryborough railway station, Victoria|Maryborough]], North Geelong, and various freight terminals in Melbourne.

The maximum speed of suburban [[electric multiple unit]]s and locomotive hauled trains is 115&nbsp;km/h, with [[diesel multiple unit]]s permitted up to 130&nbsp;km/h on the same track, and up to 160&nbsp;km/h on specified lines.<ref name="vlpnspaddenda" /> The maximum axle loading of freight wagons is 20 tonnes,<ref name="vlpnspnoc" /> with locomotives of up to 22 tonne axle loading operating.<ref name="vlpnspaddenda">{{cite web | publisher = V/Line Regional Network and Access | title = Addenda | work = V/Line Network Service Plan | url = http://www.vline.com.au/pdf/rna/addenda.pdf| access-date = 10 September 2007 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080721153634/http://www.vline.com.au/pdf/rna/addenda.pdf | archive-date = 21 July 2008}}</ref> Train lengths are limited to 1200 metres, except on the main interstate lines where 1500 metre long trains are permitted.<ref name="vlpnspnoc" />

===Track gauge===
[[File:Mixed-gauge-trackwork-north-geelong.jpg|thumb|Dual gauge (broad and standard) track work]]
{{see also|Rail gauge in Australia}}
The majority of the railways of Victoria are of {{RailGauge|1600mm}} [[Victorian broad gauge|broad gauge]], presenting [[break-of-gauge]] difficulties when connections were made with New South Wales which uses {{RailGauge|1435mm}} [[standard gauge]]. In addition, the [[Victorian Railways]] experimented with four short [[Narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways|narrow gauge]] lines of {{RailGauge|762mm}} in the early 20th century. Efforts to eliminate the gauge issue were proposed many times in the intervening years, with a [[List of Australian Royal Commissions|Royal Commission]] in 1921 deciding "''that the gauge of 4-ft. 8.5-in. 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. 8.5-in.''"<ref>{{cite web
| title = Standardisation of Railway Gauges
| work = Year Book Australia, 1967
| publisher = Australian Bureau of Statistics
| date = 25 January 1967
| url = http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/dc057c1016e548b4ca256c470025ff88/f7d0f9dda8f0a320ca2569de0028b414!OpenDocument
| access-date = 8 February 2008
| archive-date = 5 June 2008
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080605233006/http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/dc057c1016e548b4ca256c470025ff88/f7d0f9dda8f0a320ca2569de0028b414!OpenDocument
| url-status = live
}}</ref>

By the 1950s, interstate traffic was suffering from the break-of-gauge at the [[New South Wales]] state border, and a parallel standard gauge line was opened from the Melbourne to join the New South Wales system in 1962, along with a [[bogie exchange]] depot to allow wagons to operate across the broad and standard gauge networks.<ref name="rtsa"/> The second interstate link from Victoria to Adelaide (the oldest single-gauge inter-capital line dating from 1887) was converted from broad to standard gauge in 1995 enabling rail traffic from Victoria to access the rest of the nation without disruption.<ref name="rtsa" />

Today, the standard gauge network consists of the two main interstate lines, and a number of branch lines in the far west of the state.<ref name="vrmap">{{cite web | author = Mark Bau | title = RAILWAY MAP VICTORIAN LINES | url = http://steam4me.railpage.org.au/files/vrmap.pdf| access-date = 1 October 2005 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050718213925/http://steam4me.railpage.org.au/files/vrmap.pdf | archive-date = 18 July 2005 | url-status = dead}}</ref> Gauge conversion 
of 2000 kilometres of track was announced in May 2001 by the Victorian Government under the [[Linking Victoria]] program, but did not proceed due to the difficulty of achieving any agreement with then track manager, [[Freight Australia]].<ref name="rtsa" /> The works would have covered 13 lines,<ref name="agrg">{{cite web
 |title       = Rail Gauge Standardisation Project
 |work        = Victorian Auditor General's Office
 |date        = August 2006
 |url         = http://www.audit.vic.gov.au/reports_mp_psa/psa1603.html
 |author      = Victorian Auditor General
 |access-date  = 8 February 2008
|url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20060918160934/http://www.audit.vic.gov.au/reports_mp_psa/psa1603.html
 |archive-date = 18 September 2006
|df          = dmy-all
}}</ref> including the [[Mildura railway line|Mildura line]] via Geelong, Ballarat, and Maryborough; the north western Victorian grain network; and the lines centred upon Seymour and Benalla in the north east. Conversion of the regional and suburban passenger networks is not envisioned.<ref name="agrg" /> In 2008, the conversion of the [[North East railway line|North East line]] was announced, with the conversion of {{convert|200|km|mi}} of broad gauge track to standard gauge between Seymour and Albury providing double track along the section.<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=571907
 |title       = $500m rail link upgrade for Victoria
 |publisher   = news.ninemsn.com.au
 |access-date  = 30 May 2008
|url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110605130538/http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=571907
 |archive-date = 5 June 2011
|df          = dmy-all
}}</ref>

The [[Murray Basin Rail Project]], commenced in 2014, aimed to convert the [[Yelta railway line, Victoria|Mildura]], [[Manangatang railway line|Manangatang]], and [[Sea Lake railway line|Sea Lake]] lines to standard gauge, in order to allow the grain traffic in the state's north-west to access the ports of Portland, [[Port of Geelong|Geelong]], and [[Port of Melbourne|Melbourne]], and to enable other freight on the lines to access the national standard gauge network. The converted Mildura line reopened in 2018, but standardisation of the Sea Lake and Manangatang lines was deferred until 2020 due to the collapse of the major works contract.

===Loading gauge===
The Victorian [[loading gauge]] for vehicles is sized between that of British and American practices. Wagons may be up to {{convert|22.85|m|ft|abbr=off}} long, {{convert|2.97|m|ftin|abbr=off}} wide, and carry loads up to 4.27 metres above the rail height.<ref name="vlpnspnoc">{{cite web | publisher = V/Line Regional Network and Access | title = Network Operating Requirements | work = V/Line Network Service Plan | url = http://www.vline.com.au/pdf/networkaccess/networkserviceplan/network_operating_requirements.pdf/network_operating_requirements| access-date = 30 June 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110307165342/http://www.vline.com.au/pdf/networkaccess/networkserviceplan/network_operating_requirements.pdf/network_operating_requirements | archive-date = 7 March 2011 | url-status = dead}}</ref> [[Containerization#Double-stack containerization|Double stacking of container wagons]] is not possible under these limits, with {{convert|2655|mm|ftin|abbr=on}} high containers the largest permitted, with the exception of {{convert|3200|mm|ftin|abbr=on}} high containers on some routes.<ref name="vlpnspnoc" /> Trials were made with the [[4D (train)|4D double deck passenger train]] on some suburban lines, requiring alterations to overhead bridges and structures, but no double deck trains are used today.

===Signalling===
[[File:Mechanical-signalling-north-geelong.jpg|thumb|Former mechanical two-position semaphore signalling at [[North Geelong railway station|North Geelong]]]]
[[File:Mechanical-interlocking-frame-avenel.jpg|thumb|Former mechanical [[interlocking]] frame for signal control at [[Avenel railway station, Victoria|Avenel]]]]
[[File:Led-colour-light-signal.jpg|thumb|Modern LED colour light ''3 position'' signalling]]

{{Hatnote|Compare with [[Australian railway signalling]]}}<!-- update there as well please, then here too -->

Victoria uses a mix of [[railway signalling]] practices: British route signalling with home and distant signals (''2 position signalling'') and American speed signalling (''3 position signalling'').<ref name="sigx" >{{harvnb|Fisher|2007|p=x}}</ref>

[[Railway semaphore signal|Semaphore signals]] were used on the very first railway lines, but only a bare minimum were provided as the time interval system being relied upon instead.<ref name="sig39" >{{Harvnb|Fisher|2007|pp=39}}</ref> The first [[interlocking]] of signals to protect trains was provided in 1874,<ref name="vrhist" /> as before this time conflicting moves could be made. The design of the signals also progressed, with the ''disc'' type siding signals first introduced in 1885,<ref name="sig62" >{{Harvnb|Fisher|2007|pp=62}}</ref> and the lower quadrant ''somersault'' type main line signals adopted in 1887,<ref name="sigx" /> both of which are still in use today. Green was not adopted as the ''All Right'' colour until 1898, with white being used before this time.<ref name="sig62" /> Red was the usual colour of all signal arms, until yellow was chosen as the colour for distant signals in 1926, with full adoption made in 1930.<ref name="sig62" /> Colour light signals first appeared in 1918, and by 1924 they were the standard for new installations.<ref name="sigx" />

The safeworking of trains between stations on the early lines was time interval working,<ref name="sig39" /> where a train would be allowed to leave a given time after the train before it. With heavier traffic this method became unsafe, with [[Staff and Ticket]] working on single lines adopted from 1873, and telegraph block working from 1878 on double lines.<ref name="sig64" >{{Harvnb|Fisher|2007|pp=64}}</ref> Both of these systems ensured that only one train would be in a section of track at one time. Telegraphic block working was then replaced with ''Winters Block'' working between 1883 and 1888,<ref name="sig66" >{{Harvnb|Fisher|2007|pp=66}}</ref> a system that is a predecessor of the ''Double line Block'' system which is still used today. Later years saw variations made to the ''Staff and Ticket'' system, with busier lines provided with [[Electric Staff]] working which provided greater safely when more trains ran.

Heavier suburban traffic on the [[Railways in Melbourne|Melbourne network]] saw a greater strain on the block working then used, which required a large number of staffed signal boxes to enable trains to run close together.<ref name="elect20" >{{cite book
  | last = S.E. Dornan and R.G. Henderson
  | title = Electric Railways of Victoria
  | publisher = Australian Electric Traction Society
  | page = 20
  | year = 1979
  | isbn = 0-909459-06-1 }}</ref> As a result, it was decided to adopt power signalling under the [[Automatic Block Signal|Automatic Block System]] (ABS) of safeworking, where the presence of trains automatically control the signals after them, providing a safe distance between trains. Introduced from 1915, the system was based on American speed signalling practice with GRS2A upper quadrant mechanical signals with two arms able to indicate up to 5 different speed aspects to train drivers.<ref name="sigx" /> These signals were later replaced by colour light signals which are the standard today, but the old mechanical style remained until 2001.<ref name="sig89" >{{Harvnb|Fisher|2007|pp=89}}</ref>

A variant of the ''Automatic Block System'', ''Automatic and Track Control'' (ATC) has since been introduced, which provides the same benefits as ABS on single lines of track, while still ensuring only one train in a section at a time. [[Centralized traffic control|Centralised Traffic Control]] was also introduced in the 1960s on the new standard gauge line to Albury,<ref name="somerton" /> and then on the main interstate line to Adelaide, allowing trains to be directed from a distance.

Today, little mechanical signalling remains, with local [[signal box]]es controlling signals abolished from many areas as part of the [[Regional Fast Rail project]].<ref name="sigx" /> The suburban network and busier regional lines use variants of Automatic Block Signalling, while quieter lines use the [[Token (railway signalling)|Train Staff and Ticket]] or [[Train order operation|Train Order]] systems of safeworking.<ref>{{cite web | title = Safeworking in Victoria | work = Vicsig | url = http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=infrastructure&section=safeworking | access-date = 8 February 2008 | archive-date = 6 June 2004 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040606021950/http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=infrastructure&section=safeworking | url-status = live }}</ref> [[Train protection system|Train protection]] has also progressed, with the [[Train Protection & Warning System]] also introduced on major passenger lines as part of the [[Regional Fast Rail project]].<ref name="sigx" />

==Rolling stock==
Rollingstock in Victoria has used air braking since tests of [[Brake (railway)|continuous train brakes]] were carried out in 1884.<ref name="vrhist" /> Initially, screw couplings were used to connect wagons, but from 1924, automatic [[Railway coupling|knuckle couplers]] were introduced, with [[buffer (rail transport)|buffers]] removed from freight wagons by 1960.<ref name="wagons" />

===Locomotives===
{{see also|Category:Victorian Railways locomotives|l1=Victorian Railways locomotives}}
[[File:R707-loco-victorian-railways.jpg|thumb|Preserved [[Victorian Railways R class|R class]] steam locomotive]]
In Victoria, groups of [[locomotive]]s of the same design are classed together by letter, in a system introduced in 1886.<ref name="railmac3" /> Initially, low letters were given to passenger classes, and high letters for goods classes, but from about 1916, this pattern was discarded.<ref name="railmac3" /> Within classes locomotives are individually numbered, in a continuous number block which is unique to the class. In some cases, locomotives have been renumbered to keep number blocks continuous, and in some cases there is no correlation between the number blocks used for the steam and diesel locomotives of the same class letter.<ref name="power=parade">Examination of all classes in {{cite book
 | year = 1981	
 | title = Power Parade
 | author = VicRail Public Relations
 | isbn = 0-7241-3323-2
 | publisher = VicRail Public Relations Division
 | location = Melbourne, Vic.
 }}</ref> In addition, some classes start the number series with a ''0'', while others start with a ''1''.<ref name="power=parade" />

The first locomotives used in the state were small [[steam locomotives]], and by the end of the 19th century [[0-6-0]] tender engines were used on goods, and [[4-4-0]] configurations for passenger workings.<ref name="railmac2" >{{cite book
  | author = Railmac Publications
  | title = Australian Fleetbooks: V/Line locomotives
  | publisher = Kitchner Press
  | year = 1992
  | page = 2
  | isbn = 0-949817-76-7 }}</ref> The majority of locomotives were imported from Britain, from companies such as [[Beyer, Peacock & Company]], [[Robert Stephenson & Company]], [[R & W Hawthorn]] and [[George England and Co.]]<ref name="railmac2" /> The [[Williamstown Workshops]] also built locomotives locally, as did the [[Phoenix Foundry]] in [[Ballarat]].<ref name="railmac2" />

As the size of trains increased, so did the locomotives. The [[4-6-0]] wheel arrangement became popular for passenger and mixed traffic work with the [[Victorian Railways Dd class|D3]] and [[Victorian Railways A2 class|A2]] classes, and the [[2-8-0]] arrangement on goods with the [[Victorian Railways K class|K]], [[Victorian Railways J class (1954)|J]] and [[Victorian Railways C class|C]] classes lasting into the 1960s.<ref name="railmac2" /> These were then followed by the [[4-6-2]] [[Victorian Railways S class|S class]] ''Pacifics'' for the ''[[Spirit of Progress]]'' express, and the single [[4-8-4]] [[Victorian Railways H class|H class]] locomotive H220, the biggest Victorian Railways steam locomotive.<ref name="arhs">{{cite web|url=http://www.railwaymuseum.org.au/whattosee_h220.html|title=What to see – H220|work=[[Newport Railway Museum]]|access-date=5 February 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080125200629/http://www.railwaymuseum.org.au/whattosee_h220.html|archive-date=25 January 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> The final steam locomotives built for the Victorian Railways were the [[4-6-4]] [[Victorian Railways R class|R class]] and [[2-8-0]] [[Victorian Railways J class (1954)|J]] classes. Although they were of more modern design, their advantages were overshadowed by the simultaneous arrival of the first diesels.<ref name="railmac3" >{{cite book
  | author = Railmac Publications
  | title = Australian Fleetbooks: V/Line locomotives
  | publisher = Kitchner Press
  | year = 1992
  | page = 3
  | isbn = 0-949817-76-7 }}</ref>

Electric locomotives were first acquired with the [[railway electrification system|electrification]] of the suburban railways, the [[Victorian Railways E class (electric)|E class]] suburban engines acquired in 1923 and 1928–29, followed by the [[Victorian Railways L class (electric)|L class]] from 1953 when the mainline to [[Traralgon railway station|Traralgon]] was electrified for [[Energy in Victoria|briquette]] traffic.<ref name="railmac3" />

[[Dieselisation]] occurred from 1951 with the [[Victorian Railways F class (diesel)|F class shunter]], but the [[Victorian Railways B class (diesel)|B]] and [[Victorian Railways S class (diesel)|S]] classes of 1952 and 1957 revolutionised main line operations.<ref name="railmac3" /> They were then followed by the [[Victorian Railways T class|T]] and [[Victorian Railways Y class (diesel)|Y]] classes in 1955 and 1963 which displaced steam from the branch lines and yards.<ref name="railmac3" /> Apart from the F class, [[Clyde Engineering]] has had a monopoly on Victorian diesel-electric locos.<ref name="locopage">{{cite web | title = VR – V/Line – VLP/ FA Locomotives | work = Locopage | url = http://locopage.railpage.org.au/vline.html | access-date = 5 February 2008 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080208233046/http://locopage.railpage.org.au/vline.html | archive-date = 8 February 2008}}</ref> as the Australian licensee of [[General Motors]] [[Electro-Motive Diesel|EMD]] engines and traction motors, fitting them into locally designed bodies. By the 1980s the first generation locomotives were approaching the end of their lives, with the electric locomotives withdrawn by 1988,<ref name="railmac3" /> and the modern [[V/Line N class|N]] and [[V/Line G class|G]] classes allowing the withdrawal of lower power T and Y classes.<ref name="railmac12" >{{cite book
  | author = Railmac Publications
  | title = Australian Fleetbooks: V/Line locomotives
  | publisher = Kitchner Press
  | year = 1992
  | page = 12
  | isbn = 0-949817-76-7 }}</ref>

Today, the former Victorian Railways locomotive fleet has been split into two, with the [[V/Line N class|N class]] utilised by [[V/Line]] on passenger services, with the remainder with [[Pacific National]] or other private operators in freight use.<ref name="locopage" /> No new passenger locomotives have been built since the 1980s, with [[Diesel Multiple Unit]]s being acquired instead. Freight operations have seen the re-powering of the G and [[Victorian Railways X class (diesel)|X]] classes, as well as the restoration to service of stored locomotives, now up to 50 years old.<ref name="cfcla">{{cite web | title = Mainline Locomotives | work = [[Rail First Asset Management|Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia]] | url = http://www.cfcla.com.au/mainline.htm | access-date = 5 February 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071102172422/http://cfcla.com.au/mainline.htm | archive-date = 2 November 2007 | url-status = dead}}</ref>

===Passenger===
{{see also|Category:Victorian Railways railmotors|l1=Victorian railmotors|Category:Victorian Railways carriages|l2=Victorian carriages}}
[[File:Vlocity train at lara victoria.jpg|thumb|Modern [[V/Line VLocity]] diesel train purchased for the [[Regional Fast Rail project]]]]
[[File:V-Line annual rail patronage by line.png|thumb|V/Line rail passenger totals by line from 2004 to 2018.]]
[[File:Metropolitan train patronage in melbourne.jpg|thumb|Metropolitan train patronage 2000–2009 based on official state government figures.]]

Early passenger services were operated with 4 and 6 wheeled "dogbox" passenger carriage with small compartments and no side corridors. Later years saw the provision of side corridors to provide access down the train, and onboard toilets. Sleeping carriages was first introduced in 1887,<ref name="hisvic"/> and dining cars from 1908.<ref name="pjvover">{{cite web
| title = Victorian Railways – Loco hauled Passenger Carriages
| work = Peter J. Vincent's Website
| url = http://www.pjv101.net/cd/pages/type_car.htm
| access-date = 8 February 2008
| archive-date = 11 December 2018
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181211230621/http://www.pjv101.net/cd/pages/type_car.htm
| url-status = live
}}</ref>

Larger bogie rollingstock started to appear from the turn of the 20th century,<ref name="pjvover" /> with the [[Victorian Railways E type carriage|E type carriage stock]] introduced on ''[[The Overland]]'',<ref>{{cite web
| title = V&SAR Joint Stock Sleeping Cars
| work = Peter J. Vincent's Website
| url = http://www.pjv101.net/cd/pages/c191m.htm
| access-date = 8 February 2008
| archive-date = 9 November 2007
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071109054153/http://www.pjv101.net/cd/pages/c191m.htm
| url-status = live
}}</ref> and smaller [[Victorian Railways Short W type carriage|W type carriage stock]] on intrastate trains. The first air conditioned carriage was introduced in 1935, when one of the E type carriages was fitted.<ref>{{cite web
 |title        = AE 1st class wooden compartment pass. cars
 |author       = Mark Bau
 |url          = http://www.victorianrailways.net/pass%20cars/pass%20car%20pages/ae.html
 |access-date   = 8 February 2008
|archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20080512024016/http://www.victorianrailways.net/pass%20cars/pass%20car%20pages/ae.html
 |archive-date = 12 May 2008
|url-status     = dead
 |df           = dmy-all
}}</ref> All steel carriages came to the Victorian Railways in 1927, with the construction of the "Avoca" and "Hopkins" dining cars,<ref>{{cite web
 |title        = Avoca dining car
 |author       = Mark Bau
 |url          = http://www.victorianrailways.net/pass%20cars/pass%20car%20pages/avoca.html
 |access-date   = 12 February 2008
|archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20071220221350/http://www.victorianrailways.net/pass%20cars/pass%20car%20pages/avoca.html
 |archive-date = 20 December 2007
|url-status     = dead
 |df           = dmy-all
}}</ref> followed by the [[S type carriage|S type carriage stock]] for the new ''[[Spirit of Progress]]'' in 1937.<ref name="arhs2" />

On the Melbourne suburban network, [[Electric Multiple Unit]]s were introduced speeding up services. Experiments were also made with [[:Category:Victorian Railways railmotors|various diesel and petrol railcars]] for use smaller branch lines, with the DERM being the most successful, remaining in service from 1928 to 1991. A fleet of Walker railcars was also introduced in the 1950s, along with [[Z type carriage|Z type]] saloon carriage stock<ref name="pjvover" /> for both intra and interstate trains.

By the 1980s, country passenger services were run down, and older wooden rolling stock was now approaching their use by date. As a result, the [[N type carriage]]s were introduced from 1981,<ref name="pjvover" /> followed by the converted [[H type carriage|H type stock]] from 1984.<ref name="pjvover" /> Since then, [[diesel multiple unit]]s have become the norm for new purchases, with the [[V/Line Sprinter|Sprinter]] introduced in 1992, and the [[V/Line VLocity|VLocity]] from 2005.

===Freight===
[[File:Wagons-north-melbourne.jpg|thumb|Various Victorian bogie wagons]]
Early wagons were of all-wood construction, followed by wooden bodies on steel underframes, then all-steel wagons.<ref name="wagons" /> They were built on four-wheeled underframes, but in 1871 [[bogie]] vehicles began to appear.<ref name="bogie"/> Groups of wagons of the same design are classed together by a multiple character alphabetical code, initially in a system restricted to Victoria only, but from 1979, the [[Railways of Australia]] four letter coding was introduced.<ref name="bogie" /> Under this system, the first letter represents the owner of the wagon, the second represents the general type of wagon, the third separates different classes of the same general type, and the fourth letter indicates the maximum running speed.<ref name="bogie" />

The last four-wheeled open wagons were built in 1958,<ref name="wagons" /> but were not scrapped in large numbers until the 1980s, when new bogie wagons replaced them.<ref name="newsrail-wagon">{{Victorian Rail-Newsrail|title=V/Line Freight Rollingstock Fleet – 1&nbsp;July 1987|month=7|year=1987|page=303}}</ref> In 1987, the bogie wagon fleet numbered about 5000: approximately 700 [[Covered hopper|grain hoppers]], 800 [[Flatcar|container flats]], 1000 [[Boxcar|louvred vans]], 700 [[Gondola (rail)|open wagons]], 400 [[tank car]]s, and 300 flat wagons.<ref name="newsrail-wagon" /> Today,{{When|date=April 2021}} the broad gauge intrastate fleet numbers about 2600,<ref name="wagons" /> with large numbers of louvred vans, open and flat wagons, and tank cars stored or scrapped due to the transfer of traffic to road following years of apathy by Governments.

==Operations==
===Commodities===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; clear: right; margin:10px; text-size:80%; text-align:right"
! Commodity
! colspan="3"| Percentage of freight<br /> traffic (see notes)
|-
| Year
| 1987{{efn-lr|Percentages for 1987 are calculated by freight tonnes consigned to the V/Line network.<ref name="newsrails-grain" />}}
| 1998{{efn-lr|Percentages for 1998 are calculated by freight tonnes consigned to the V/Line network.<ref name="rtsa" />}}
| 2018{{efn-lr|Percentages for 2018 are calculated by Gross Tonne Kilometres (GTKs) of freight train traffic on the V/Line network, which excludes interstate operations.<ref name="Annual report 2018 p11">{{cite book |title=Annual Report 2017-18 |date=September 2018 |publisher=V/Line Corporation |page=11 |url=https://corporate.vline.com.au/getattachment/affab6c5-4be8-4a24-9a29-cd331ccec900/Annual-Report-2017-18 |access-date=13 January 2019 |archive-date=14 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114153246/https://corporate.vline.com.au/getattachment/affab6c5-4be8-4a24-9a29-cd331ccec900/Annual-Report-2017-18 |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
|-
| Bulk grain
| 31.4%
| 50.8%
| 51.9%
|-
| Containers
| 10.6%
| 19.6%
| 44.3%
|-
| Freight forwarders
| 9.5%
| N/A
| rowspan="4" | 3.8%
|-
| Mining &<br /> quarry products
| 7.9%
| 14.7%
|-
| Cement
| 6.8%
| 4.9%
|-
| Iron & steel
| 6.3%
| N/A
|-
| Petroleum
| 4.4%
| 3.2%
| 0%
|-
| colspan="4" style="width: 400px;" | Percentages are indicative only and not directly comparable.
{{notelist-lr}}
|}

Victoria does not have a dominant mining base as in other states, and has traditionally been more dependent on agriculture for rail freight traffic.<ref name="newsrails-grain"/> In the early 20th century, rail was a "[[common carrier]]" and was required to carry almost any freight offered. After World War I, road competition increased, until in 1933, legislation was passed to regulate road vehicles competing with rail on specific routes.<ref name="rtsa" /> From 1974 to the 1980s, intrastate road freight was deregulated, and the Victorian Railways' "common carrier" obligations were removed, resulting in the loss to road of much non-bulk freight.<ref name="rtsa" /> In 1987, 10.51&nbsp;million tonnes of freight was carried by rail, with bulk grain being the main commodity, consisting of 31.4% of traffic.<ref name="newsrails-grain" />{{Update inline|date=April 2021}}

By 2016, the only remaining general containerised freight services on the intrastate network were operated to Warrnambool, to Dooen, to Merbein and Donald, and to Tocumwal, all originating from the Port of Melbourne and running between three and five times per week. Other intrastate rail traffic was primarily specialised bulk freight, including mineral sands between Hopetoun, Hamilton and Portland in the state's west; export rice between Deniliqiun and the Port of Melbourne; paper between [[Australian Paper Mills]] in Maryvale and Melbourne; and steel to [[BlueScope]] steel plants at Hastings and Somerton.<ref name="RFI freight p4">{{cite book |title=Getting freight back on track in Victoria |date=June 2016 |publisher=Rail Futures Institute |page=4 |url=http://www.railfutures.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/160609-Rail-Futures-Freight-Paper-FINAL.pdf |access-date=17 January 2019 |archive-date=10 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190310032444/http://www.railfutures.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/160609-Rail-Futures-Freight-Paper-FINAL.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Companies===
[[File:Pacific national cement train at geelong.jpg|thumb|[[Pacific National]] operated freight train]]
[[File:Restored victorian railways train.jpg|thumb|Heritage train in the Victorian Railways livery]]
{{see also|Victorian Railways|Public Transport Corporation}}
The first railways in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] were operated by private companies, but when the companies failed or defaulted, the [[Government of Victoria|state government]] took over. The government agency was known as the "Department of Railways" from 1856 to 1883, when the ''Victorian Railways Commissioners Act'' established the [[Victorian Railways]].<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web | title = ARHS Railway Museum: Victoria 1839–1900 | work = ARHS Railway Museum | url = http://www.railwaymuseum.org.au/history.html | access-date = 5 February 2008 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090929200801/http://www.railwaymuseum.org.au/history.html | archive-date = 29 September 2009}}</ref> In 1973 the ''Railways (Amendment) Act 1972'' passed management of the Railways from the Victorian Railways Commissioners to a Victorian Railways Board.<ref name="arhs3" /> In 1976 the railways were rebranded as [[Victorian Railways|VicRail]].

In 1983, VicRail was split into the [[State Transport Authority (Victoria)|State Transport Authority]] for country rail and road, passenger and freight services under the [[V/Line]] brand; and the [[Metropolitan Transit Authority (Victoria)|Metropolitan Transit Authority]], taking over [[Railways in Melbourne|suburban passenger]] operations.<ref name="arhs3" /> In 1989, these authorities were merged into the [[Public Transport Corporation]] and suburban services were rebranded as "[[Metlink|The Met]]".

In 1993, long-distance country rail services previously run by the government-owned operator V/Line were offered to private operators. Several rail services were replaced by road coach services. The first private operator in Victoria was the [[West Coast Railway (Victoria)|West Coast Railway]], which successfully tendered to operate the railway to [[Warrnambool railway station|Warrnambool]].<ref name=Age>{{cite news | author = Philip Hopkins | title = End of the line for West Coast Rail | url = http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/07/18/1090089033538.html?from=storylhs | work = The Age | date = 19 July 2004 | access-date = 5 February 2008 | archive-date = 6 June 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080606014637/http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/07/18/1090089033538.html?from=storylhs | url-status = live }}</ref> In 1993 Professor [[Fred Hilmer]] presented the findings of the [[National Competition Policy (Australia)|National Competition Policy Review Committee]], known as the Hilmer Report, leading to the introduction of a [[National Competition Policy (Australia)|National Competition Policy]] in 1995. One effect was to allow new rail freight operators to establish operations in Victoria. [[SCT Logistics|Specialised Container Transport]] began operating trains to [[Perth]] in 1995<ref name="artc"/> and [[Great Northern Rail Services]] started intrastate operations.

Privatisation of the Public Transport Corporation commenced under the [[Jeff Kennett|Kennett]] Government of the 1990s. V/Line was split into separate freight and passenger divisions, and "The Met" was divided into Hillside Trains and Bayside Trains. These separate bodies were all sold separately in 1999: V/Line Freight and the rural intrastate network to [[Freight Australia|Freight Victoria]], a consortium led by American operator [[RailAmerica]]; Hillside Trains and track lease to [[Connex Melbourne]]; and V/Line Passenger and Bayside Trains, renamed [[M-Train|M>Train]] and with its track lease, to British operator [[National Express]].<ref name="arhs3" />

On 16 December 2002, National Express announced their intention to withdraw financial support from their rail operations in Victoria, including V/Line Passenger and M>Train. The government temporarily resumed control of its systems through receivers and decided to retender the metropolitan rail network to a single operator; Connex won the contract and took control of the entire metropolitan system in February 2004.<ref name="Mees 2005">{{cite journal |last1=Mees |first1=Paul |title=Privatization of Rail and Tram Services in Melbourne: What Went Wrong? |journal=Transport Reviews |date=July 2005 |volume=25 |issue=4 |pages=433–449 |doi=10.1080/0144164042000335779|s2cid=59046845 }}</ref> Meanwhile, in July 2003, the government announced its intention to retain V/Line Passenger in public ownership,<ref name="HS 10 May 2003">{{cite news |last1=Masanauskas |first1=John |title=No new transport tenders |work=Herald Sun |date=10 May 2003 |page=18}}</ref> and set up the state-owned V/Line Corporation, which bought the operator out of receivership on 1 October 2003.<ref name="V/Line annual report 2004">{{cite book |title=Annual Report 2003-04 |date=September 2004 |publisher=V/Line Corporation |url=https://corporate.vline.com.au/getattachment/3596df5f-ca10-48b0-a620-85afc52579c1/Annual-Report-2003-04 |access-date=18 January 2019 |archive-date=15 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315125334/https://corporate.vline.com.au/getattachment/3596df5f-ca10-48b0-a620-85afc52579c1/Annual-Report-2003-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

16 August 2004 saw the [[Freight Victoria]] business and rural track lease was purchased by [[Pacific National]],<ref>{{cite web
 |title        = SALE OF FREIGHT AUSTRALIA TO PACIFIC NATIONAL
 |work         = OFFICE OF THE PREMIER (Media Release)
 |date         = 16 August 2004
|url          = http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/b0222c68d27626e2ca256c8c001a3d2d/a9042091d2782e61ca256ef2007af392!OpenDocument
 |access-date   = 17 February 2008
|archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20080606065046/http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/b0222c68d27626e2ca256c8c001a3d2d/a9042091d2782e61ca256ef2007af392!OpenDocument
 |archive-date = 6 June 2008
|url-status     = dead
 |df           = dmy-all
}}</ref> but by November 2006 they entered into an agreement to sell the track lease back to the Victorian Government for $133.8 million,<ref>{{cite news | title = Toll sells rail lease |page=17 | newspaper = [[Canberra Times]] | date = 2 November 2006 }}</ref> with the sale completed on 7 May 2007 and [[V/Line]] becoming track manager.<ref>{{cite web
 |title       = RAIL BUY BACK DEAL COMPLETE
 |work        = MINISTER FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT (Media Release)
 |url         = http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/b0222c68d27626e2ca256c8c001a3d2d/6f0846798c60e597ca2572d4007d9d99!OpenDocument
 |date        = 7 May 2007
|access-date  = 5 February 2008
|url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20080507071621/http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/b0222c68d27626e2ca256c8c001a3d2d/6f0846798c60e597ca2572d4007d9d99!OpenDocument
 |archive-date = 7 May 2008
|df          = dmy-all
}}</ref>

In December 2007, Pacific National announced plans to sell or close its grain transport and Portlink rural container business operations in Victoria.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/12/2116312.htm
|title=Pacific National to sell or close rail freight business
|date=12 December 2007
|work=ABC News website
|access-date=17 December 2007
|archive-date=14 December 2007
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214222413/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/12/2116312.htm
|url-status=dead
}}</ref> The decision has been criticised as it will force grain growers to use higher cost road transport to transport the annual grain harvest from rural silos to the ports.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22909741-664,00.html
|title=Asciano delivers grain haulage shock to farmers
|date=12 December 2007
|work=Herald and Weekly Times website
|access-date=17 December 2007
|first=Geoff
|last=Easdown
|archive-date=6 June 2008
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080606055836/http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22909741-664,00.html
|url-status=live
}}</ref> The decision has seen many commentators accuse Pacific National of only acquiring the operations of [[Freight Australia]] in 2004 for the purposes of [[asset stripping]] and eliminating competition in rail freight.<ref>{{cite web
 |title       = Loco Lines
 |date        = May 2007
 |work        = Newsletter for Locomotive Enginemen of the Rail, Tram & Bus Union – Victoria
 |url         = http://www.rtbuvicloco.com.au/locolines/LL%202%2007.pdf
 |access-date  = 17 December 2007
|url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20070830044546/http://www.rtbuvicloco.com.au/locolines/LL%202%2007.pdf
 |archive-date = 30 August 2007
|df          = dmy-all
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11336862-0-asc-s0.htm
|title=Freight Australia Exiting
|date=12 December 2007
|work=Railpage Australia forums
|access-date=17 December 2007
|archive-date=6 June 2008
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080606024820/http://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11336862-0-asc-s0.htm
|url-status=live
}}</ref> In 2008 [[El Zorro (railway)|El Zorro]] took over the [[Warrnambool]] – [[Melbourne]] container service from Pacific National,<ref>{{cite web
 |url        = http://warrnambool.yourguide.com.au/news/local/general/rail-freight-deal-new-operator-avoids-closure/1198056.html
 |title      = Rail freight deal New operator avoids closure
 |work       = The Warrnambool Standard
 |date       = 7 March 2008
|publisher  = warrnambool.yourguide.com.au
 |access-date = 4 April 2008
}}{{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and moved into broad gauge grain services, while [[Aurizon]] has taken over the Melbourne – [[Horsham, Victoria|Horsham]] container service.<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://wimmera.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/rail-to-roll-on/1229118.aspx
 |title       = Rail to roll on
 |work        = Wimmera Mail Times
 |date        = 28 July 2008
|publisher   = yourguide.com.au
 |access-date  = 30 July 2008
|url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20080729035412/http://wimmera.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/rail-to-roll-on/1229118.aspx
 |archive-date = 29 July 2008
|df          = dmy-all
}}</ref>

==Lines==
Victoria's first railway was a 4&nbsp;km [[Victorian broad gauge]] line between the [[Melbourne]] (or City) Terminus (on the site of modern-day Flinders Street station) and Sandridge (now [[Port Melbourne]]), constructed by the [[Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company]] and opened in September 1854. Today, [[Railways in Melbourne|Melbourne's suburban railway network]] consists of 16 [[Railway electrification system|electrified]] lines, the central [[City Loop]] subway, and 218 [[Train station|stations]], with a total length of 372&nbsp;km of the electrified lines, operated by Metro Trains Melbourne under [[Franchising|franchise]] to the [[Government of Victoria]].

In [[Gippsland]], the [[Orbost railway line|Orbost line]] was constructed as an extension of suburban lines between 1877 and 1888 to [[Bairnsdale railway station|Bairnsdale]], and extended eastwards to [[Orbost railway station|Orbost]] in 1916.<ref name="newsrail-line" /> The line between Dandenong and Traralgon was electrified in 1954, but electrification was cut back progressively to [[Pakenham railway station|Pakenham]] between 1987 and 2001. [[V/Line]] passenger trains now run as far as Bairnsdale.

The [[South Gippsland railway line|South Gippsland line]] was opened from Dandenong to [[Cranbourne railway station|Cranbourne]], [[Leongatha railway station|Leongatha]] and [[Port Albert railway station|Port Albert]] between 1888 and 1892.<ref name="newsrail-line" /> A number of branch lines were also built, with almost all closed in stages between the early 1970s and 1994, except for part has since been electrified and re-opened as part of the suburban network, and between Nyora and Leongatha where the [[South Gippsland Tourist Railway]] operated heritage services, until they folded in 2016. The entirety of the line is now closed beyond Cranbourne, with the section beyond [[Nyora railway station|Nyora]] fully dismantled

The [[North East railway line|North East line]] originated from a suburban line to [[Essendon railway station|Essendon]] in 1860, being extended to [[Wodonga railway station|Wodonga]] by 1873, connecting with the [[New South Wales Government Railways]] at [[Albury railway station|Albury]] at a [[break-of-gauge]] in 1883.<ref name="newsrail-line" /> A standard gauge track was completed parallel with the broad gauge track from Albury to Melbourne in 1962.<ref name="arhs3"/> The broad gauge track has been converted to standard gauge between Seymour and Albury.

The [[Shepparton railway line|Shepparton line]] was built from Mangalore to [[Shepparton railway station|Shepparton]] in 1880 and extended to the New South Wales Government Railways at [[Tocumwal railway station|Tocumwal]] at a [[break-of-gauge]] in 1908.<ref name="newsrail-line" /> [[V/Line]] passenger services run as far as Shepparton.

The [[Yungera railway line|Bendigo line]] was completed in 1862, with extensions were opened to [[Echuca railway station|Echuca]] in 1864, and [[Swan Hill railway station|Swan Hill]] in 1890,<ref name="newsrail-line" /> followed by a number of lines throughout the north-west corner of the state. Only these lines continue to see [[V/Line]] services, with other lines in the region only seeing freight traffic.

The [[Serviceton railway line|Main Western line]] had its beginnings in the first railway line from Melbourne to Ballarat, the [[Geelong-Ballarat railway line|Geelong-Ballarat line]] that opened in 1862.<ref name="rg" /> The line extended from Ballarat to [[Ararat, Victoria|Ararat]] between 1874 and 1875,<ref name="newsrail-line" /> but it was not until 1889 that the direct line between Melbourne and Ballarat was opened, built from both ends in stages until they met at [[Ballan, Victoria|Ballan]]. Further branch lines followed to [[Portland, Victoria|Portland]] and other western towns. The line formed the [[Melbourne-Adelaide railway|first intercolonial railway line in Australia]], when it was extended to the [[South Australian Railways]] at [[Serviceton railway station|Serviceton]] in 1887. Up until the 1990s, the Ballarat line was on the main route between Melbourne and Adelaide, as well as ''[[The Overland]]'' services to Adelaide, until the [[One Nation (Infrastructure)|One Nation Program]] rerouted the main interstate line via [[Geelong]] and [[Maroona, Victoria|Maroona]] as standard gauge.<ref name="rtsa"/>

The [[Warrnambool railway line|Warrnambool line]] was started when the [[Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company]] opened the Geelong line to [[Newport railway station, Melbourne|Newport]] in 1857, being extended to [[Southern Cross railway station|Spencer Street station]] in 1859.<ref name="rg" /> The line was taken over by Victorian Railways in 1860 and a line was opened from Geelong to Ballarat in 1862,<ref name="rg" /> and later extended south-east from 1876, reaching [[Warrnambool railway station|Warrnambool]] and [[Port Fairy]] in 1890.<ref name="rg" /> Branch lines also existed to [[Queenscliff, Victoria|Queenscliff]], [[Beech Forest, Victoria|Beech Forest]], and a number of other towns.<ref name="rg" />

==Private railways==
[[File:Overburden-dredge-yallourn.jpg|thumb|Trains on the [[Yallourn 900mm Railway]]]]
A small number of private railways have also existed at various times. Some, such as the [[Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company]], and the [[Melbourne and Suburban Railway Company]], [[Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company]], [[Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company]] and [[St Kilda and Brighton Railway Company]] were acquired by the [[Victorian Railways]] and made part of the core state network in 1860 and 1878 respectively. Other country branch lines were also built by private companies: namely the [[Kerang-Koondrook Tramway]] and the [[Deniliquin and Moama Railway]],<ref name="absrail">{{cite web|url=http://abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/b4005c38619c665aca25709000203b8d/73d48ba2d3c1bb9bca2569de0028b417!OpenDocument|title=Feature Article – Private Railways (Feature Article)|first=c=AU; o=Commonwealth of Australia; ou=Australian Bureau of|last=Statistics|date=25 January 1920|website=abs.gov.au|access-date=17 February 2008|archive-date=5 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080605233002/http://abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/b4005c38619c665aca25709000203b8d/73d48ba2d3c1bb9bca2569de0028b417!OpenDocument|url-status=live}}</ref> both not being acquired until the 20th century.

In addition to the main Victorian rail network of the Victorian Railways and successors, a number of narrow gauge private railways and tramways have also existed for logging and mining purposes. These included the [[Yallourn 900mm Railway]] in the [[Latrobe Valley]] open cut coal mines, the [[Fyansford Cement Works Railway]] near [[Geelong]], the [[Tyers Valley Tramway]] at [[Mount Baw Baw]], and the [[Powelltown Tramway]] from [[Yarra Junction railway station|Yarra Junction]].

Most logging tramways operated in the [[Otway Ranges]], [[Gippsland]],<ref name="lr">{{cite web
|url=http://www.lrrsa.org.au/log_diff.pdf
|title=Australian and New Zealand Logging Tramways – Differences from North American Practice
|author=Frank Stamford
|date=14–15 April 2001
|access-date=22 December 2007
|archive-date=29 August 2007
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070829093552/http://lrrsa.org.au/log_diff.pdf
|url-status=live
}}</ref> and the inner east of the [[Great Dividing Range]]; primarily between the 1850s and the 1950s, with only one surviving into the 1960s.<ref name="lr" /> They were primarily of {{RailGauge|3ft6in}} or {{RailGauge|3ft}} gauge, with {{RailGauge|2ft}}, {{RailGauge|2ft6in}}, {{RailGauge|4ft}}, {{RailGauge|5ft3in}} and variants also used.<ref name="lr" />

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|row11-12-style=styleFade8
|row11-13-to=1916.9918
|row11-13-style=styleFade9
|row11-14-text=[[Rosstown Railway]] (1875–1904~1916)

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|row13-6-text=VR
|row13-7-text=Altona Beach Estates (1887–1923)

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|row14-1-to=1889.5
|row14-2-to=1952.0877
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|row14-1-text=Shires of [[Shire of Swan Hill|Swan Hill]]/[[Shire of Kerang|Kerang]] ([[Kerang–Koondrook Tramway]]) (1889–1952)

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|row15-3-text=[[Shire of Yarrawonga|Yarrawonga Shire Council]] ([[Katamatite railway line|Katamatite Tramway]]) (1890–1892)

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|caption=First 100 years<br>{{Legend inline|#FFC154|No operations|border=#E5AD4B}}{{·}}{{Legend inline|#47B39C|Operations|border=#3FA18C}}{{·}}{{Legend inline|#EC6B56|Operations by another company|border=#D4604D}}
}}

==Railway preservation==
Organised [[railway preservation]] commenced in Victoria with the formation of the [[Puffing Billy Railway|Puffing Billy Preservation Society]] in 1955, and operating under the Emerald Tourist Railway Board from 1977.<ref>{{cite web | title = Preservation | work = Puffing Billy | url = http://www.puffingbilly.com.au/fan/heritage/histpbps.htm | access-date = 19 February 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061008232730/http://www.puffingbilly.com.au/fan/heritage/histpbps.htm |archive-date = 8 October 2006}}</ref> Formed to operate the [[Narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways|narrow gauge]] {{convert|2|ft|6|in|mm|abbr=on}} gauge railway in the [[Dandenong Ranges]] near Melbourne, the group continues to operate the railway today.

The demise of the last of the steam locomotives in Victoria commenced in the 1960s, with the [[Australian Railway Historical Society]] and Association of Railway Enthusiasts working with the Victorian Railways to have a number of locomotives preserved for the future.<ref>{{cite book
  | publisher = A.R.H.S. (Victoria Div)
  | title = Excursion to Fyansford
  | date = 20 April 1965 }}</ref> In 1962 the [[Australian Railway Historical Society Museum]] was established at [[Williamstown North]] to house static exhibits,<ref>{{cite web | title = About us | work = ARHS Railway Museum | url = http://www.railwaymuseum.org.au/aboutus.html | access-date = 19 February 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090303040233/http://www.railwaymuseum.org.au/aboutus.html | archive-date = 3 March 2009 | url-status = dead}}</ref> and [[Steamrail Victoria]] was formed in 1965 to assist in the restoration of locomotives and carriages for use on [[Restored trains|special trains]].<ref>{{cite web | title = About Us | work = Steamrail Victoria | url = http://www.steamrail.com.au/srv_aboutus.html | access-date = 19 February 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080319000244/http://www.steamrail.com.au/srv_aboutus.html |archive-date = 19 March 2008}}</ref>

By the 1980s, a number of [[heritage railway]]s had been established in Victoria on closed [[branch lines]]. These railways serve both as tourist attractions, and to preserve the railway past. The work of railway preservation groups has since expanded to retired railway carriages, electric multiple units, rail motors, and diesel locomotives. In 2006, heritage railways carried 542,000 patrons over 161&nbsp;km of track; with 28 operational steam locomotives, 47 diesels, 14 railmotors, and 192 carriages.<ref>
{{cite web
| title = Statistics for Heritage and Tourist Railways in Victoria
| work = Association of Tourist Railways Inc.
| url = http://www.atr.org.au/statistics.htm
| access-date = 19 February 2008
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080719114833/http://www.atr.org.au/statistics.htm
| archive-date = 19 July 2008
| url-status = dead}}
</ref>

Heritage Railways and Operators include:
* [[707 Operations]], Newport
* [[Puffing Billy Railway]], Belgrave
* [[Bellarine Railway]], Queenscliff
* [[Daylesford Spa Country Railway]], Daylesford
* [[Victorian Goldfields Railway]], Maldon
* [[Mornington Railway]], Mornington
* [[Seymour Railway Heritage Centre]], Seymour
* [[Steamrail Victoria]], Newport
* [[Walhalla Goldfields Railway]], Walhalla
* [[Yarra Valley Railway]], Healesville
* [[South Gippsland Railway]], Leongatha
* [[Tramway Museum Society of Victoria]], Bylands

==Rail trails==
{{MelbourneTouristTrainLines}}

A number of former rail lines in Melbourne and regional Victoria have been converted into ''[[rail trail]]s'', for walking, cycling and horse riding. These make excellent tracks for beginners as the lines were originally designed to avoid steep gradients. Most lines are still in public ownership.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/DSE/nrenrt.nsf/LinkView/D81DE59D8CBF32444A2567E70026134002D27D699EC3FC914A256B890018E95D |title=Victoria's Rail Trails |author=Department of Sustainability and Environment |publisher=dse.vic.gov.au |access-date=3 June 2010 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Some sections of the track are specially leased to neighbouring farmers for stock grazing. This reduces maintenance costs.

Trails around Melbourne include:<ref>{{cite web | title = Railtrails Australia Home | url = http://www.railtrails.org.au/ | access-date = 20 January 2009 | archive-date = 23 January 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090123151916/http://railtrails.org.au/ | url-status = live }}</ref>
* Inner Circle (Rushall to Royal Park)
* Outer Circle (Fairfield to Hughesdale)
* Rosstown (Hughesdale to Elsternwick)
* Hawthorn to Kew
* Red Hill (Merricks to Red Hill)
* [[Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail]]

Trails around Victoria include:
* East Gippsland (Bairnsdale to Newmeralla)
* The Beechy (Colac to Beech Forest)
* Crater to Coast (Camperdown to Timboon)
* [[Ballarat–Skipton Rail Trail|Ballarat–Skipton]]
* Murray to the Mountains (Wangaratta to Beechworth and Bright)
* [[Great Victorian Rail Trail]] (Tallarook to Alexandra and Mansfield)
* [[Great Southern Rail Trail]] ([[Leongatha]]–[[Foster, Victoria|Foster]], future extension to [[Yarram]])
* [[Bass Coast Rail Trail]] (Anderson–[[Wonthaggi]], future extension to [[Nyora, Victoria|Nyora]])
* [[Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail]]

==Legislation, governance and access==
===Key statutes===
{{Main|Transport Integration Act}}
{{See also|Director of Public Transport|Public Transport Development Authority|V/Line|VicTrack}}
The prime rail statute in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] is the [[Transport Integration Act]]. The Act establishes the [[Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure (Victoria, Australia)|Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure]] as the integration agency for Victoria's transport system. The Act also establishes and sets the charters of the State agencies charged with providing public transport rail services and managing network access for freight services, namely the [[Director of Public Transport]] and [[V/Line]]. In addition, the Act creates [[VicTrack]] which owns the public rail network and associated infrastructure. Another important statute is the Rail Management Act 1996<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/LTObject_Store/LTObjSt3.nsf/DDE300B846EED9C7CA257616000A3571/742548D962C75039CA257761002C52FD/$FILE/96-79a050.pdf |title=Rail Management Act 1996<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=30 October 2010 |archive-date=19 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110319022403/http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/LTObject_Store/LTObjSt3.nsf/DDE300B846EED9C7CA257616000A3571/742548D962C75039CA257761002C52FD/$FILE/96-79a050.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> which confers powers on rail operators and provides for a rail access scheme for the State's rail network. As a result of recent changes<ref>See the Transport Legislation Amendment (Public Transport Development Authority) Act 2011.</ref> to the [[Transport Integration Act]], the responsibilities of the Director of Public Transport are being progressively assumed by the new [[Public Transport Development Authority]], a major initiative of the Bailieu Government.

===Safety===
====Regulation====
{{Main|Rail Safety Act}}
{{See also|Director, Transport Safety}}
The safety of rail operations in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] is regulated by the [[Rail Safety Act|Rail Safety Act 2006]] which applies to all commercial passenger and freight operations as well as tourist and heritage railways.<ref>Official copy of the [[Rail Safety Act]] from the Victorian Government legislation web site – http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/LTObject_Store/LTObjSt3.nsf/DDE300B846EED9C7CA257616000A3571/6D4190C62DE6207FCA257761002C568A/$FILE/06-9a016.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706122710/http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/LTObject_Store/LTObjSt3.nsf/DDE300B846EED9C7CA257616000A3571/6D4190C62DE6207FCA257761002C568A/$FILE/06-9a016.pdf |date=6 July 2011 }}</ref> The Act creates a framework containing safety duties for all rail industry participants and requires rail operators who manage infrastructure and rolling stock to obtain accreditation prior to commencing operations. Accredited rail operators are also required to have a [[Safety Management Systems|safety management system]] to guide their operations.

[[Sanctions (law)|Sanctions]] applying to the safety scheme established under the [[Rail Safety Act]] are contained in the Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Act 1983.<ref>See Part 7 of the Act. Official copy of the Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Act 1983 from the official Victorian Government legislation site – http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/LTObject_Store/LTObjSt5.nsf/DDE300B846EED9C7CA257616000A3571/7BB774D3E0245B77CA2577CE00030B90/$FILE/83-9921a153.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110317105704/http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/LTObject_Store/LTObjSt5.nsf/DDE300B846EED9C7CA257616000A3571/7BB774D3E0245B77CA2577CE00030B90/$FILE/83-9921a153.pdf |date=17 March 2011 }}</ref> The safety [[regulatory agency|regulator]] for the rail system in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] is the [[Director, Transport Safety]] (trading as [[Director, Transport Safety|Transport Safety Victoria]]) whose office is established under the [[Transport Integration Act|Transport Integration Act 2010]].

====Investigation====
{{Main|Chief Investigator, Transport Safety}}
Rail operators in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] can also be the subject of no blame investigations conducted by the [[Chief Investigator, Transport Safety]] or the [[Australian Transport Safety Bureau]] (ATSB). The Chief Investigator is charged by the [[Transport Integration Act]]<ref>[[Transport Integration Act 2010]], Part 7.</ref> with conducting investigations into rail safety matters including incidents and trends. ATSB, on the other hand, claims jurisdiction over the same matters where they occur on the Designated Interstate Rail Network.

===Ticketing and conduct===
Ticketing requirements for public transport in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] are mainly contained in the Transport (Ticketing) Regulations 2006<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/LTObject_Store/LTObjSt5.nsf/DDE300B846EED9C7CA257616000A3571/C6D777772BB02CD3CA2577A5007CB77B/$FILE/06-86sr004.pdf|title=Transport (Ticketing) Regulations 2006<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=30 October 2010|archive-date=7 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307161104/http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/LTObject_Store/LTObjSt5.nsf/DDE300B846EED9C7CA257616000A3571/C6D777772BB02CD3CA2577A5007CB77B/$FILE/06-86sr004.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> and the Victorian Fares and Ticketing Manual.<ref>[http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/fares-tickets/victorian-fares-and-ticketing-manual Victorian Fares and Ticketing Manual – Metlink – Your guide to public transport in Melbourne and Victoria<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514122346/http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/fares-tickets/victorian-fares-and-ticketing-manual/ |date=14 May 2011 }}</ref> Rules about safe and fair conduct on trains and trams in [[Melbourne]] are generally contained in the Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Act 1983<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubLawToday.nsf/a12f6f60fbd56800ca256de500201e54/6ff43affd338ea35ca2577c60082b59c!OpenDocument|title=Victorian Law Today Act|website=www.legislation.vic.gov.au|access-date=30 October 2010|archive-date=7 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307161208/http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubLawToday.nsf/a12f6f60fbd56800ca256de500201e54/6ff43affd338ea35ca2577c60082b59c!OpenDocument|url-status=live}}</ref> and the Transport (Conduct) Regulations 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubLawToday.nsf/b12e276826f7c27fca256de50022686b/2e01dcbed2e5778cca2574e20017da2c!OpenDocument|title=Victorian Law Today Statutory Rule|website=www.legislation.vic.gov.au|access-date=30 October 2010|archive-date=20 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920232220/http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubLawToday.nsf/b12e276826f7c27fca256de50022686b/2e01dcbed2e5778cca2574e20017da2c!OpenDocument|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Tourist and heritage railways===
{{Main|Tourist and Heritage Railways Act}}
Tourist and Heritage Railways in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] are governed by provisions in the [[Tourist and Heritage Railways Act|Tourist and Heritage Railways Act 2010]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubStatbook.nsf/f932b66241ecf1b7ca256e92000e23be/e2cbeabed816bbcdca2577c1001d6f7a!OpenDocument|title=Victorian Statute Book Act|website=www.legislation.vic.gov.au|access-date=30 October 2010|archive-date=12 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110312161246/http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubStatbook.nsf/f932b66241ecf1b7ca256e92000e23be/e2cbeabed816bbcdca2577c1001d6f7a!OpenDocument|url-status=live}}</ref> which commenced on 1 October 2011.

==See also==
{{Portal|Victoria|Trains|Transport}}
* [[Dandenong railway line triplication]]
* [[Narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways]]
*[[Railway accidents in Victoria]]
* [[Railways in Melbourne]]
* [[Regional Rail Link]]
* [[Victorian broad gauge]]
* [[Bradshaw's Guide to Victoria (Australia)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite book| last1 = Fisher| first1 = Peter| title = Victorian Signalling: by Accident or Design?| publisher = Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division)| year = 2007| isbn = 978-1-920892-50-0 }}
* {{cite book |last=Lee |first=Robert |title=The Railways of Victoria 1854-2004 |publisher=Melbourne University | year=2009 |isbn=978-0-522-85699-6}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Rail transport in Victoria, Australia}}
'''History''':
* [http://www.victorianrailways.net Mark Bau's Victorian Railways] - History of rolling stock, locomotives, and signalling
* [http://www.pjv101.net/ Peter J. Vincent] - History of rolling stock and wagons of the Victorian Railways
* [http://www.vrhistory.com/ Victorian Railways Resources] – Network maps and analysis at ten-year intervals, and histories of stations
* [http://signaldiagramsandphotos.com/ Signal Diagrams] – Digitised copies of Victorian Railways and V/Line signalling diagrams
* [http://www.railgeelong.com/ Rail Geelong] – History of the railways of the [[Geelong]] region
* [http://www.trainsandtrams.com/ Diagrammatic History of the Victorian Railways]

'''Today''':
* [http://www.vicrailstations.com/ Victorian Railway Stations] – photographs of stations of the Victorian network
* [http://www.vicsig.net Vicsig] – Information on present infrastructure, operations, signalling, and locomotives
* [https://www.vline.com.au/getattachment/f8a1e2c3-5d60-4abe-b608-2bc18e9f8197/V-Line-Network-Map Network Map] – current VLine rail and bus map

{{Victorian Railway Lines|state=autocollapse}}
{{Australian rail}}
{{Victoria}}
{{Navbox track gauge}}

[[Category:Rail transport in Victoria (state)|*]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Australia| ]]
[[Category:Transport in Victoria (state)]]