View source for Trans-Australian Railway

{{Short description|Railway between Port Augusta, South Australia and Kalgoorlie, Western Australia}}
{{For|the former passenger train between Western Australia and South Australia|Trans-Australian}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
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The '''Trans-Australian Railway''', opened in 1917, runs from [[Port Augusta railway station|Port Augusta]] in [[South Australia]] to [[Kalgoorlie railway station|Kalgoorlie]] in [[Western Australia]], crossing the [[Nullarbor Plain]] in the process. Built to {{Track gauge|1435mm|comma=off}} standard gauge, its length is {{convert|1691|km|mi|abbr=off|comma=off}}. As the only rail freight corridor between Western Australia and the eastern states, the line is economically and strategically important. The railway includes the world's longest section of completely straight track.

The inaugural passenger train service was known as the ''Great Western Express''; later, it became the ''[[Trans Australian|Trans-Australian]]''.

Until 1970, the Trans-Australian Railway had a {{Track gauge|1067mm|comma=off}} narrow-gauge line at each end. With the completion of a standardisation project in that year, it became a component of the {{convert|4352|km|mi|abbr=off|comma=off}} [[Sydney–Perth rail corridor]]. {{As of|2024}}, two passenger services use the line, both of them [[experiential travel|experiential tourism]] services: the ''[[Indian Pacific]]'' for the entire length of the railway, and ''[[The Ghan]]'' between [[Port Augusta]] and [[Tarcoola railway station|Tarcoola]], where it leaves the line to proceed north to [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]].

==History==
[[File:Looking east on the trans australia line from cook.jpg|thumb|250px|left|The single-track Trans-Australian Railway at [[Cook, South Australia|Cook]], once a major servicing point. When [[Railway track#Continuous welded rail|continuous welded rail]], reinforced [[concrete sleeper]]s and [[Pandrol|spring rail fasteners]] were installed on top of deeper [[Track ballast|ballast]], maintenance requirements were drastically reduced. Contractors using modern track maintenance machinery replaced onsite maintenance crews and employees did not need permanent accommodation, so the stations were closed.]]

In 1901, the six [[States and territories of Australia|Australian colonies]] federated to form the [[Commonwealth of Australia]]. At that time, [[Perth]], the capital of [[Western Australia]], was isolated from the remaining [[Australian states]] by thousands of miles of desert terrain and the only practicable method of transport was by sea. The voyage across the notoriously rough [[Great Australian Bight]] was time-consuming, inconvenient and often uncomfortable. One of the inducements held out to Western Australians to join the new federation was the promise of a federally funded railway line linking Western Australia with the rest of the continent.<ref>{{Citation |author=<!--Not stated-->|year= 2012 |title= A history of Australian road and rail |publisher= Department for Transport and Infrastructure, South Australia |publication-place= Adelaide |page= 2}}</ref>

In 1907, legislation was passed, allowing for the route to be surveyed. The survey, completed in 1909, endorsed a route from [[Port Augusta railway station|Port Augusta]] (the existing railhead at the head of [[Spencer Gulf]] in South Australia's wheatfields) via [[Tarcoola railway station|Tarcoola]] to the gold mining centre of [[Kalgoorlie railway station|Kalgoorlie]] in Western Australia, a distance of {{convert|1063|miles|km}}. The line was to be built to the [[standard gauge]] of {{RailGauge|4ft8.5in}}, even though the state railway systems at both ends were [[narrow gauge railway|narrow gauge]] at the time. Its cost was estimated at £4,045,000, equivalent to {{AUD|{{Inflation|AU|{{#expr:4045000/10^6}}|1909|r=0}}{{nbsp}}million|link=yes}} in {{Inflation/year|AU}}.

Legislation authorising the construction was passed in December 1911 by the [[Andrew Fisher|Fisher]] [[Government of Australia|Commonwealth Government]]. Work commenced in September 1912 in [[Port Augusta]].

Work proceeded eastwards from [[Kalgoorlie]] and westwards from Port Augusta through the years of the [[First World War]]. Tracklaying proceeded briskly when materials were available. At its peak, up to {{convert|2+1/2|mi}} of track were laid each day, and {{convert|442|mi}} were completed in one calendar year – both Australian tracklaying records.<ref>{{Anchen-Iron Roads}}{{rp|147}}</ref> By 1915, the two ends of the line were just over {{convert|600|mi|km|0}} apart with materials being delivered daily.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26939223 |title=The Federal line |newspaper=[[The West Australian]] |location=Perth |date=16 April 1915 |access-date=16 October 2013 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Construction progressed steadily as the line was extended through mainly dry and desolate regions until the two halves of the line met at [[Ooldea]] on 17 October 1917.<ref>Chambers, T.F. (1968) 'The Golden Jubilee of the Trans Australian Railway' [[Australian Railway History|Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin]] November 1968 pp267-275</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27457851 |title=The Last Link. |date=18 October 1917 |newspaper=[[The West Australian]] |access-date=17 October 2017 |issue=4,850 |location=Western Australia |volume=XXXIII |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

Under the aegis of the federal department of transport, the [[Commonwealth Railways]] was established in 1917 to operate the line. Once passenger trains started to run, maintenance staff found that the high mineral salt content of bore water available along the route was playing havoc with [[steam locomotive]] [[Boiler (power generation)|boilers]]: repairs to boilers at one time accounted for an extraordinary 87&nbsp;per cent of all locomotive maintenance. The problem was only arrested with the introduction of [[barium carbonate]] [[water treatment plant]]s at watering points.<ref name=Oberg>{{cite book |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8417717 |title= Locomotives of Australia, 1850s–2007 |first=Leon |last=Oberg |date=2007 |location= Dural, New South Wales |publisher=Rosenberg Publishing Pty Ltd |page=166 |isbn=9781877058547 }}</ref>

In 1937, the eastern end was extended {{convert|90|km|mi|sigfig=2|abbr=off}} south to [[Port Pirie Junction railway station|Port Pirie]].  Soon afterwards, the [[South Australian Railways]] extended its {{RailGauge|1600mm}} broad-gauge line {{convert|47|km|mi|sigfig=2|abbr=on}} north to Port Pirie from [[Redhill, South Australia|Redhill]].  These two projects made redundant the indirect {{convert|290|km|mi|sigfig=2|abbr=off}}, {{RailGauge|1067mm}} narrow-gauge connection from Terowie via Peterborough and Quorn, resulting in a much shorter and more comfortable journey to [[Adelaide]]. These two projects eliminated one [[break of gauge]] in the journey across Australia, but they turned [[Port Pirie Junction railway station|Port Pirie Junction]] yard into a complex three-gauge facility.<ref name= Fitch>{{cite book |first= Ronald J. |last= Fitch |date= 2006 |title= Australian Railwayman: from cadet engineer to railways commissioner |location= Dural, New South Wales |publisher= Rosenberg Publishing Pty Ltd |isbn= 1877058483 }}</ref>{{rp|109}} Railway engineers, however, were able to construct the new yards with no more than minimal dual-gauge track and the complex signalling that would have been incurred.<ref name= muddle>{{cite web |url= http://natrailmuseum.org.au/downloads/documents/Multi_Gauge_Muddle.compressed.pdf |title= South Australia's mixed gauge muddle |first=Graham |last=Vincent |date= 2013 |website= National Railway Museum (South Australia)  |publisher= National Railway Museum |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160228020700/http://natrailmuseum.org.au/downloads/documents/Multi_Gauge_Muddle.compressed.pdf |access-date= 29 July 2021 |archive-date= 28 February 2016 }}</ref>{{rp|25–26}}

The long-anticipated conversion of the entire [[East-West rail corridor|line]] between Sydney and Perth to [[standard gauge]] occurred in 1970.

In 2004, the gap in standard gauge connections between the mainland state capitals was finally closed with a connection between [[Port Pirie railway station (Mary Elie Street)|Port Pirie]] and Adelaide, thence [[Melbourne, Australia|Melbourne]], and by completion of the northern component of the [[Adelaide–Darwin railway line]], which diverges from the Trans–Australian Railway at Tarcoola.

In 2008, the engineering heritage of the railway was recognised by the [[Engineers Australia#Engineering Heritage Recognition Program|Engineering Heritage Recognition Program]] of [[Engineers Australia]] when markers were installed on the platform at the Port Augusta station in South Australia and the ticket office at Kalgoorlie station in Western Australia.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/portal/heritage/trans-australian-railway-1917 |title=Trans-Australian Railway, 1917 |publisher=Engineers Australia |work=Engineering Heritage Recognition Program |access-date=19 June 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630044107/https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/portal/heritage/trans-australian-railway-1917 |archive-date=30 June 2016}}</ref>

On 17 October 2017, centenary celebrations were held at Ooldea.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Celebrating rail's united nation, 100 years on |last=Taylor |first=Paige |date=17 October 2017 |work=[[The Australian]]}}
[[File:Lock-red-alt-2.svg|9px|link=|alt=Paid subscription required|Paid subscription required]] <code>subscription</code>: the source is only accessible via a paid subscription ("[[paywall]]")</ref>
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==Named services==
When the line was inaugurated, the passenger service was named as the ''Great Western Express''.<ref name=R1917>{{cite news|title=Linking the Capitals - The East-West line|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164141505|access-date=24 November 2015|work=Observer|date=24 November 1917|location=Adelaide, SA|page=24}}</ref> Later, the train became known as the ''[[Trans Australian|Trans-Australian]]'' or, colloquially, "The Trans". After the Sydney–Perth [[East-West rail corridor|route]] was converted to [[standard gauge]] in 1970, the railway was no longer flanked at both ends by narrow-gauge lines and an all-through service, called the [[Indian Pacific]], was started. Although passengers no longer had to move to different carriages at change-of-gauge localities, Commonwealth Railways remained responsible for the service where it operated between [[Port Pirie (Mary Elie Street) railway station|Port Pirie]] and [[Kalgoorlie railway station|Kalgoorlie]], with its crews and locomotives taking over at those stations. In 1975, Commonwealth Railways was absorbed into an enlarged [[Government of Australia|federal government]] corporation, [[Australian National Railways Commission]], branded as Australian National Railways and later as "Australian National", which continued to operate the Trans Australian.<ref>"Interstate cutbacks" ''Railway Digest'' July 1991 page 231</ref> In 1993, [[Australian National Railways Commission|Australian National]] took over operation of the entire [[East-West rail corridor|coast-to-coast]] service following agreement with the governments of [[Government of Western Australia|Western Australia]] and [[Government of New South Wales|New South Wales]].<ref>"IP to come under sole control of AN" ''Railway Digest'' March 1992</ref>

In 1997, following the [[privatisation]] of Australian National, the Indian Pacific was sold to a company, [[Journey Beyond Rail Expeditions|Great Southern Rail]] (as of 2020 trading as "Journey Beyond").<ref>[http://www.serco.com/Images/311097GSRacquiresRailwayBusiness_tcm3-673.pdf Great Southern Railway Consortium completes acquisition of Australian National Railways passenger business] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110410044645/http://www.serco.com/Images/311097GSRacquiresRailwayBusiness_tcm3-673.pdf |date=10 April 2011 }} Serco Group plc 31 October 1997</ref> {{As of|2020}}, the Indian Pacific is a weekly, all-through, [[experiential travel|experiential tourism]] service.<ref>[http://www.greatsouthernrail.com.au/fares_and_timetables/timetables/indian_pacific_timetables_2016_2017/ Indian Pacific Timetables 2016-2017] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160525230400/http://www.greatsouthernrail.com.au/fares_and_timetables/timetables/indian_pacific_timetables_2016_2017/ |date=25 May 2016 }} Great Southern Rail</ref>

From the start of construction until 1996, the ''[[Tea and Sugar Train|Tea and Sugar]]'' supply train carried vital provisions to the work sites and localities, all of them isolated, along the route: a butcher and banking and postal services were among the facilities provided.

==Terrain==
The length of the line, as constructed, was {{convert|1051.73|mi|km|2|abbr=on|comma=off}}, slightly less than the original survey.

Although there are several hundred curves and gradients on the line, the route includes the longest length of straight track in the world – {{convert|478.193|km|mi|sigfig=6|abbr=off}}.{{refn|group=note| In the original survey of the track in the early 1900s, the length was recorded as 297 miles, 8.5 chains – equating to {{convert|478.147|km|mi|sigfig=6|abbr=off}}. In 1990, using recently acquired [[Global Positioning System]] (GPS) capabilities, [[Geoscience Australia]] measured the length as 478.193 kilometres, a difference of only {{convert|46|m|yd|abbr=off}}.<ref>{{cite conference |url= https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/6937092|title= History of the Australian National Railways Commission, part 1: 1978–1990 |last= Ramsey |first= John |date= 2008 |book-title= Proceedings of the 2008 convention  |location=Adelaide |conference=Modelling the Railways of South Australia }}</ref>}} A [[c:Trans-Australian Railway map provided to passengers circa 1960.png|Commonwealth Railways map]] marked the western end as {{convert|793|mi}} from Port Augusta, between Loongana and Nurina, and states: "The 'Long Straight' extends from this point for a distance of 297 miles and terminates at the 496 miles [sic] between Ooldea and Watson."{{refn|group=note| The metric equivalents to the mileages on the map are: western end 1276.2&nbsp;km from Port Augusta, eastern end 798.2&nbsp;km from Port Augusta; length 478.0&nbsp;km. Details measured via Google Earth are: western end {{coord|30.975912|S|126.668499|E|format=dms}}, eastern end {{coord|30.469521|S|131.627055|E|format=dms}}<ref>Google Earth (searches for "Ooldea, Cook SA" and "Loongana, Forrest WA")</ref> – a distance of 478.193&nbsp;km.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://edwilliams.org/gccalc.htm| title= Great Circle Calculator|first=Ed|last=Williams |date= 2020 |website= edwilliams.org |access-date=12 September 2021 }}</ref>}}

According to South Australian astronaut [[Andy Thomas]], the line is identifiable from space because of its unnatural straightness: "It's a very fine line, it's like someone has drawn a very fine pencil line across the desert".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Debelle|first1=Penelope|title=Adelaide's own spaceman Andy Thomas|url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/lifestyle/sa-lifestyle/adelaides-own-spaceman-andy-thomas/story-fnizi7vf-1227086757447|access-date=19 October 2014|work=The Advertiser|location=Adelaide|date=10 October 2014}}</ref>

At no point along the route does the line cross a permanent fresh watercourse. Bores and reservoirs were established at intervals, but the water was often brackish and unsuitable for steam locomotive use, let alone human consumption, so water supplies had to be carried on the train. In the days of steam locomotion, about half the total load was water for the engine. In later years, condenser plants were built at several major stations.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

==Names of stopping places==
{{Main|Localities on the Trans-Australian Railway}}

[[File:Trans-Australian Railway map provided to passengers circa 1960.png|thumb|upright 1.4|A map on one side of a leaflet provided to passengers showing all localities on the Trans-Australian Railway at the time and the origins of their names (click to enlarge)]]

Reflecting the line's ownership by the [[Government of Australia|Commonwealth Government]], eight of the localities were named (or renamed) after [[Prime Minister of Australia|Australian Prime Ministers]]. Other prominent people's names were also allocated, as shown on the adjacent map.

==Operations==
[[File:Trans-Australian train westbound from Port Pirie Junction to Port Augusta, Sep 1938 -- loco Ga 24 (John Buckland).jpg|250px|thumb|The ''Trans-Australian'' proceeding from Port Pirie Junction to Port Augusta and Western Australia in 1938, soon after the Trans-Australian Railway was extended to Port Pirie]]

[[File:GM29 Rawlinna, 1986.JPG|250px|thumb|In 1986 the ''Trans-Australian'' at [[Rawlinna]], [[Western Australia|WA]] is bound for [[Port Pirie railway station (Mary Elie Street)|Port Pirie]]. It would be another 18 years before all mainland state capitals were connected by standard gauge tracks.]]

Because of the inevitable problems of finding suitable water for [[steam locomotive]]s in a desert, the original engineer, [[Henry Deane (engineer)|Henry Deane]] envisaged [[diesel locomotive]]s for the line and made inquiries with potential manufacturers, although the technology was not well developed at the time. Unfortunately, a scandal involving the supply of [[Railroad tie|sleepers]] led to Deane's resignation before the proposal had advanced.<ref>{{cite book |last= Burke |first= David |date= 1991 |title= Road through the wilderness: the story of the Transcontinental Railway, the first great work of Australia's Federation |location= Kensington NSM |publisher= New South Wales University Press |isbn= 0868401404}}</ref>{{page needed |date=May 2020}}

Initially trains were hauled by [[Commonwealth Railways G class|G class]] locomotives and from 1938 by [[Commonwealth Railways C class|C class]] locomotives, both steam.<ref name=LOberg>{{cite book |last=Oberg |first=Leon |title=Locomotives of Australia 1850's – 1980's |year=1984 |publisher=Reed Books |location=Frenchs Forest |isbn=0-730100-05-7 |pages=122, 164}}</ref> From 1951, diesel-electric locomotives hauled passenger services, using the new [[Commonwealth Railways GM class|GM class]] locomotives.<ref>''New Train Service Across Australia'' [[The West Australian]] 12 November 1951</ref>

The railway originally had {{convert|400|m|ft|abbr=on}}-long [[crossing loop]]s (passing sidings) every {{convert|100|km|mi|abbr=on}} or so. As traffic increased the number of crossing loops increased. To handle longer trains, crossing loops were lengthened so that in 2008 they were all at least {{convert|1800|m|ft|abbr=on}} long and spaced about {{convert|30|km|mi|abbr=on}} to {{convert|60|km|mi|abbr=on}} apart.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.artc.com.au/uploads/ARTCS3090005_EW_SA.pdf |title=East west corridor network diagram – 3 |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |publisher=[[Australian Rail Track Corporation]]|access-date=21 May 2023}}</ref>

Most crossing loops are unattended and train crew operate the [[Railroad switch|turnouts]] as required. Crossing loops have self-restoring points, so that points are reset to the straight route when a train departs from a crossing loop. The loops are fitted with radio controls so that train crew can set the points as they approach. Locomotive cabs are fitted with an activated points system (ICAPS) to set the required route without having to stop the train.<ref name=atsb/>

[[Safeworking]] is by [[Train order operation|train orders]], using verbal communication.<ref name=atsb>{{cite web |title=Overrun of authority involving train 6MP5 |url=https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/4914756/ro-2013-019_final.docx |publisher=Australian Transport Safety Bureau |access-date=3 May 2017 |location=Canberra |date=7 July 2014}}</ref>

== Disruptions ==

In the time of the operation of the railway, 'washaways' and 'flooding' in most cases rendered the railway inoperable at a range of locations.  Washaways usually removed ballast, leaving rails suspended above the flooding areas.

In most cases the underlying ballast was removed, and required replacing. Significant events on the line were in 1921, 1930 1937 and 2022.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article34977960 |title=EXTENSIVE Washaways |newspaper=[[Western Argus]] |volume=43 |issue=2438 |location=Western Australia |date=9 March 1937 |accessdate=5 February 2022 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
The 1930 flooding had two trains held up on sections of the line.<ref>{{Citation | title=The Trans Australian Railway line flooded on the Nullarbor | publication-date=1930 | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/214296999 | access-date=5 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article149884920 |title=TRAINS DELAYED. |newspaper=[[Northern Herald (Queensland)|The Northern Herald]] |volume=XLVIII |issue=522 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=5 March 1930 |accessdate=5 February 2022 |page=22 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74899875 |title=TRANS-AUSTRALIAN trains held up |newspaper=[[Northern Times]] |volume=XXV |issue=1250 |location=Western Australia |date=27 February 1930 |accessdate=5 February 2022 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article67243219 |title=THE TRANS-AUSTRALIAN SERVICE |newspaper=[[Geraldton Guardian and Express]] |volume=II |issue=341 |location=Western Australia |date=25 February 1930 |accessdate=5 February 2022 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Select bibliography==
{{Refbegin}}
*Adam-Smith, Patsy (1974) ''The Desert Railway''. Adelaide: Rigby {{ISBN|0-85179-675-3}}
*{{Anchen-Iron Roads}}
*{{Avery-Freight}}
*Buckland, J.L. (1965) ''Canadian and American Locomotives in Wartime Service on the Trans-Australian Railway''  [[Australian Railway History|Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin]], September 1965.
*Burke, David, (1991) ''Road Through the Wilderness: The Story of the Transcontinental Railway, the First Great Work of Australia's Federation''. Kensington, N.S.W.: New South Wales University Press. {{ISBN|0-86840-140-4}}
*{{cite book|last=Cree|first=Patricia|title=The Trans-Australian Railway: Bringing the nation together|year=2012|location=Canberra Airport, ACT|publisher=Australasian Railway Association|isbn=9780646584249}}
*Henshaw, C.H. (1964) ''Overland to Perth in 1928'' [[Australian Railway History|Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin]], April 1964.
*{{Luke-Riders}}
*Spear, R. Clarke (1917) ''The Golden West: Trans-Australian Christmas number'' Perth, Western Australia "The Golden West, Vol. 13, December 1917."
{{Refend}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Trains|Railways|Australia}}
*[[Transcontinental railroad]]

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Trans-Australian Railway}}
*[https://www.railpage.com.au/news/s/centenary-of-the-joining-of-the-trans-australian-railway-line--october-17-2017 Centenary of the joining of the Trans Australian Railway Line - October 17, 2017]
*[https://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11386268.htm Railpage detailed discussion and facts on the Trans Australia Railway]
*[https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C1911A00007 Kalgoorlie to Port Augusta Railway Act 1911]
*[https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C1907A00004 Kalgoorlie to Port Augusta Railway Survey Act 1907]
*[http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/3ddce9d66e30df18ca2569de0028b415?OpenDocument Australian Bureau of Statistics article on federal railways].
*[http://australiaforeveryone.com.au/files/places_nullarbor_towns.html Australia for everyone: railway ghost towns of the Nullarbor Plain]
*[http://www.sa-trackandsignal.net/Pdf%20files/ARTC/ARXE1.pdf Port Augusta – Kalgoorlie rail map] SA Track & Signal

{{Towns Nullarbor}}
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[[Category:Trans-Australian Railway| ]]
[[Category:Nullarbor Plain]]
[[Category:Railway lines in South Australia]]
[[Category:Railway lines in Western Australia]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1917]]
[[Category:1917 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Standard-gauge railways in Australia]]
[[Category:Recipients of Engineers Australia engineering heritage markers]]