Bendigo railway line
| Bendigo | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Type | V/Line passenger service | ||
| Stations | 11 | ||
| Operation | |||
| Rolling stock | VLocity | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 164.24 km (102 mi) | ||
| Number of tracks | Four tracks to Footscray, double track to Kyneton, single line with crossing loops beyond | ||
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The Bendigo railway line is a regional railway in Victoria, Australia, running from Melbourne to Bendigo, on which there are currently 11 stations open. The line was upgraded as part of the Regional Fast Rail project between 2005 and 2006. The Sunbury line is an electrified section of the Bendigo line within metropolitan Melbourne.
Construction of the line was begun by the Melbourne, Mount Alexander and Murray River Railway Company, which was incorporated in 1852. The first thirteen sections of the line were constructed by contractors Cornish and Bruce, who gained a reputation for trying to reduce costs by taking shortcuts on materials and reducing worker's wages.
The Company made almost no progress on the construction of the railway due to an inability to raise sufficient funds, and in 1856 it was purchased by the Victorian Government. Because Isambard Kingdom Brunel was at that time the Inspecting Engineer in Britain for the Victorian Government, some people have claimed that he was responsible for the railway's design. An examination of reports published by the Victorian Parliament has shown that this claim is erroneous. The route and structures were the work of the Victorian Railways Department, under the supervision of Engineer in Chief George Christian Darbyshire, and completed under Thomas Higginbotham.
The line was designed with two broad gauge tracks, high speed alignments cutting through the landscape, substantial bridges and railway stations built of bluestone, and double-headed rail.
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