Morkalla railway line

Morkalla railway line
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 To Mildura 342 1⁄4 miles (550.8 km) Red Cliffs Mildura railway line To Melbourne 348 3⁄4 miles (561.3 km) Thurla 351 miles 42 chains (565.7 km) Mildura shire siding 353 1⁄4 miles (568.5 km) 10 miles 66 chains (17.4 km) local Ballast siding 355 miles (571 km) Benetook 360 1⁄2 miles (580.2 km) Pirlta 366 miles (589 km) Merrinee 372 1⁄4 miles (599.1 km) Karawinna 378 miles (608 km) Werrimull 383 1⁄2 miles (617.2 km) Bambill 388 miles (624 km) Yarrara 393 1⁄4 miles (632.9 km) Meringur reversing triangle (1928-1968) 397 1⁄2 miles (639.7 km) Karween 402 3⁄4 miles (648.2 km) Morkalla This diagram:

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: