Commonwealth Railways
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Preserved GM class at the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide in July 2010
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| Industry | Railway operator |
|---|---|
| Successor | Australian National |
| Founded | 1917 |
| Defunct | June 1975 |
| Headquarters | Adelaide |
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Area served
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Northern Territory South Australia Western Australia |
| Parent | Government of Australia |
The Commonwealth Railways were established in 1917 by the Government of Australia with the Commonwealth Railways Act to administer the Trans-Australia and Port Augusta to Darwin railways. It was absorbed into Australian National in 1975.
Construction of the standard gauge Trans-Australian Railway between Port Augusta and Kalgoorlie commenced in 1912. Despite the inhospitable nature of the terrain and wartime supply problems, satisfactory progress was made, and the two tracklaying machines, one working from each end, met near Ooldea on 17 October 1917.
The promise to construction the Trans-Australian Railway had been one of the principal inducements to Western Australia to join the Commonwealth of Australia during federation, and it was for the purpose of surveying and constructing this railway that the Commonwealth Railways Department was initially formed. It was a matter of misfortune that its two termini were break of gauge stations connecting with narrow gauge lines that formed part of the transcontinental link.
In 1937 the eastern end was extended south to Port Pirie, thereby effecting a reduction of one break of gauge in the trip across Australia, but at the same time establishing a three-gauge junction at Port Pirie, with the South Australian Railways line to Adelaide being 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad gauge.
Gauge-wise, the Trans-Australian Railway remained isolated as part of the transcontinental link until 1968 when the Kalgoorlie to Perth standard gauge line opened, followed in 1970 by the Port Pirie to Broken Hill standard gauge line with line from Perth to Sydney now one gauge.
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Wikipedia