Orbost railway line
| Orbost | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Type | V/Line passenger service | ||
| System | V/Line passenger services, freight traffic | ||
| Operation | |||
| Commenced | 1877 | ||
| Completed | 1916 | ||
| Closed | 1987 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Track gauge | 5'3" (Broad gauge) | ||
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The Orbost railway line (also known as the Gippsland line) was a railway serving the Latrobe Valley and Gippsland regions of Victoria, Australia. It ran east from the state capital Melbourne through the cities of Moe, Morwell, Traralgon, Sale and Bairnsdale until reaching the eventual terminus at Orbost.
Today the line ends at Bairnsdale, with the remaining section to Orbost now existing as the East Gippsland Rail Trail, a shared bicycle, walking, and horseriding track.
Metro Trains Melbourne operates suburban passenger services along the inner section of the line as the Pakenham Line, while V/Line services operate as the Interurban Traralgon Line and the Intercity Bairnsdale Line. Freight services also use the line, operated by Pacific National.
Rail lines were built to Gippsland in the 1870s and initially played a crucial role in developing agricultural industries in Gippsland as well as tourism. It also played a crucial role in the development of coal mining in the Latrobe Valley in the 1920s. At its peak, the railway travelled as far east as Orbost and there are still frequent services to many of the towns. Some of the disused rail lines have been turned into tourist railways and/or rail trails.
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