Girgarre railway line

Former railway line in Victoria, Australia

Victorian Railways (VR) (1917–1974)
VR as VicRail (1974–1978)
STA (V/Line) (1983–1987)

LocaleLoddon Mallee (region), Victoria, AustraliaTermini

Rushworth
Girgarre

Former connectionsColbinabbinStations4 former stationsHistoryOpened15 May 1917 (1917-05-15)Completed15 May 1917 (1917-05-15)Closed12 October 1987 (1987-10-12)TechnicalLine length23.000 km (14.292 mi)Number of tracksSingle trackTrack gauge1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)

Route map

Legend

Colbinabbin line

to Murchison East

168.40

Rushworth

169.44

Colbinabbin line

to Colbinabbin

184.08

Karook

189.79

Stanhope

197.20

Girgarre

The Girgarre railway line is a closed 23-kilometre (14 mi)^[2]^[3] branch railway line situated in the Loddon Mallee region of Victoria, Australia. Constructed by the Victorian Railways, it branches from the Colbinabbin line at Rushworth station, and runs north from the town of Rushworth to Girgarre. The line was primarily built to serve the livestock and other farm industries as well as providing a general goods and passenger service to townships in the area.

History

The line was opened in May 1917,^[4]^[5]^[6] and closed in 2 stages from March 1975 to October 1987.^[4]

Special trains

As part of the 23rd tour, the Better Farming Train visited on 29 August 1928.^[7]^[8]
19 November 1924 - Joined with a train from Colbinabbin to form the Rushworth great picnic train (1300 passengers). It we the longest train, drawn by two engines, that officials had seen at Flinders Street Station.^[9]

Stations

Station Histories
Station	Opened	Closed	Age
Rushworth	1 September 1890	12 October 1987	97 years
Karook	15 May 1917	21 October 1965	48 years
Stanhope	15 May 1917	12 October 1987	70 years
Girgarre	15 May 1917	1 March 1975	57 years

Accidents

1929 - 28 January - The engine of the mixed train from Rushworth to Girgarre failed at Rushworth.^[10]

References

^ "Girgarre Stanhope Rail Trail – Rail Trails Australia".
^ Victorian Railways Diagram of Gradients &Curves. Victoria, Australia: Victorian Railways. c. 1927. p. 99.
^ "VICTORIAN RAILWAYS". Argus. 9 May 1917.
^ ^a ^b "Girgarre line". Vicsig. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
^ "Opening of the RushworthStanhope Railway". Murchison Advertiser and Murchison, Toolamba, Mooroopna and Dargalong Express. 18 May 1917.
^ Harrigan, Leo J. (1962). Victorian Railways to '62. Melbourne: Victorian Railways Public Relations and Betterment Board. p. 287.
^ "BETTER FARMING TRAIN". Shepparton Advertiser. 27 August 1928.
^ "BETTER-FARMING TRAIN". Age. 30 August 1928.
^ "RUSHWORTH COMES TO TOWN". Weekly Times. 22 November 1924.
^ "GOODS TRAIN BREAKS DOWN". Argus. 29 January 1929.

Railway lines in Victoria

Main lines
Deniliquin Gippsland Mildura North East Piangil Port Fairy Portland Robinvale Serviceton South Gippsland Tocumwal Western standard gauge (Melbourne–Adelaide)

Branch lines

Metropolitan District	Albion–Jacana Belgrave Broadstore Deer Park–West Werribee Flemington Racecourse Frankston Gembrook Glen Waverley Healesville Hurstbridge Inner Circle Kew Lilydale Mont Park Mornington Newport–Sunshine Outer Circle Port Melbourne Powelltown Red Hill Rosstown Railway Sandringham South Kensington–West Footscray Stony Point Spring Vale Cemetery St Kilda St Kilda–Windsor Upfield Warburton Webb Dock Williamstown Whittlesea
Western & Southwestern District	Alvie Ballarat–Daylesford Balmoral (Hamilton to East Natimuk) Bolangum Buninyong Carpolac Casterton Colac–Ballarat Coleraine Crowes Forrest Fyansford Gheringhap–Maroona Hamilton–Koroit Hopetoun Mortlake Mount Gambier Navarre Pinnaroo Queenscliff Skipton Timboon Wensleydale Yanac Yaapeet
Northern & Midland District	Balranald Cohuna Daylesford Koondrook Kulwin Lancefield Morkalla Redesdale Shelbourne Stony Crossing
North Eastern District	Alexandra Bright Cobram Colbinabbin Cudgewa Girgarre Katamatite Mansfield Oaklands Peechelba East Tatong Wahgunyah Whitfield Yackandandah
Eastern District	Barry Beach Briagolong Maffra Mirboo North Noojee Outtrim Strzelecki Thorpdale Walhalla Wonthaggi Woodside Yallourn
Narrow gauge branch lines	Beech Forest Gembrook Powelltown Tyers Valley Walhalla Welshpool Jetty Whitfield
Cross country lines	Avoca Eaglehawk–Inglewood Geelong–Ballarat Heathcote Moolort Toolamba–Echuca

V/Line services
Albury Ballarat inc Ararat and Maryborough Bendigo inc Echuca and Swan Hill Geelong Warrnambool Gippsland Traralgon and Bairnsdale Seymour inc Shepparton

Metro Trains Melbourne services

Alamein Belgrave Craigieburn Cranbourne Flemington Racecourse Frankston Glen Waverley Hurstbridge Lilydale Mernda Pakenham Sandringham Stony Point Sunbury Upfield Werribee Williamstown
Major pieces of shared infrastructure	City Loop Flinders Street Viaduct

Tourist railways

Operational	Bellarine Railway Daylesford Spa Country Railway Mornington Railway Puffing Billy Railway Victorian Goldfields Railway Walhalla Goldfields Railway Yarra Valley Railway
Former	South Gippsland Railway