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Morkalla railway line

Morkalla railway line
Meringur Railway Station 001.JPG
Meringur Railway Station, relocated to Meringur Pioneer Village
Overview
Status Closed
Locale Millewa
Coordinates 34°18′28″S 142°11′10″E / 34.3077°S 142.1861°E / -34.3077; 142.1861Coordinates: 34°18′28″S 142°11′10″E / 34.3077°S 142.1861°E / -34.3077; 142.1861
Termini Red Cliffs
Morkalla
Operation
Opened 1924 (1924) (to Werrimul)
Closed 1988 (1988)
Owner Victorian Railways
Events
Extended to Meringur October 1925 (1925-10)
Extended to Morkalla 1931 (1931)
Technical
Line length 97.4 km (60.5 mi)
Number of tracks Single track
Track gauge 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Morkalla railway line
342 14 miles (550.8 km)
Red Cliffs
348 34 miles (561.3 km)
Thurla
351 miles 42 chains (565.7 km)
Mildura shire siding
353 14 miles (568.5 km)
10 miles 66 chains (17.4 km) local
Ballast siding
355 miles (571 km)
Benetook
360 12 miles (580.2 km)
Pirlta
366 miles (589 km)
Merrinee
372 14 miles (599.1 km)
Karawinna
378 miles (608 km)
Werrimull
383 12 miles (617.2 km)
Bambill
388 miles (624 km)
Yarrara
393 14 miles (632.9 km)
Meringur
reversing triangle
(1928-1968)
397 12 miles (639.7 km)
Karween
402 34 miles (648.2 km)
Morkalla

The Morkalla railway line was a railway line in the Millewa region of northwestern Victoria, Australia. It extended west from Red Cliffs railway station on the Mildura railway line into the wheat farming areas established as soldier settlements after World War I.

The line opened initially to Werrimull in 1924 and was later extended to Meringur in October 1925 then Morkalla in 1931. As the towns along the line shrank with reduced populations due to increased farm size and mechanisation, the line became less used and was eventually closed completely in 1988.

There were several proposals to extend the line across the border into South Australia to connect with the Mallee railways either on the line to Renmark near Paringa or to extend the Peebinga railway line, however none of these proposals eventuated to extend the line beyond Morkalla. There was support from South Australians in the Riverland region to gain this connection for trade, however it appears not to have been supported by the state government of the day.

The line began at Red Cliffs, 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) south of Mildura. It ran roughly west, 10-12 km south of what is now the Sturt Highway.

Towns and settlements along the line included:


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Wikipedia

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