Nullarbor Railway Sidings

Stretching across 1693 kilometres of australia s driest and most isolated terrain the trans australian railway was completed on 17 october 1917 providing a link between the eastern states and western australia and helping to give the newly formed commonwealth a sense of.

Nullarbor railway sidings.

Most are named after past australian prime ministers premiers and vice regal personalities. The switch from steam to diesel powered locomotives in the 1960s improved conditions for the train crews considerably but heralded the beginning of the end for the nullarbor railway townships. Forrest this siding is named after the premier of western australia in the 1890s sir john forrest who was a major driving force behind the building of the trans continental railway. In 1912 work began on a new railway line between port augusta in south australia and kalgoorlie in western australia.

The siding is today a drop off point for mail to a nearby station that carries both cattle and camels. The trans australian railway opened in 1917 crosses the nullarbor plain of australia from port augusta in south australia to kalgoorlie in western australia as the only rail freight corridor between western australia and the eastern states the line is strategically important. There is also of course a maintenance track road that runs beside the railway track right across the nullarbor. The tea and sugar train s last trip was made on 30th august 1996 ending a colourful chapter in railway operations in australia.

On the trans australian railway. Three of the 200 passengers were injured and they were flown from forrest to adelaide. Station buildings and most infrastructure has been dismantled at the 50 localities. Aborigines converge on the trans nullarbor train near the wa sa border in the early 1940s.

On 24th december 1975 14 of the 25 carriages on the eastbound indian pacific train derailed due to a collapsed bogie on the leading carriage between the remote nullarbor sidings of haig and nurina. The only passenger train to traverse the entire railway the indian pacific stops at cook rawlinna seasonally and on the nullarbor plain as part of the outback experience around which the train is marketed. It includes the world s longest section of completely straight track. On 24th december 1975 14 of the 25 carriages on the eastbound indian pacific train derailed due to a collapsed bogie on the leading carriage between the remote nullarbor sidings of haig and nurina.