Echuca railway station, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Echuca is a railway station on the Bendigo - Echuca - Deniliquin railway, located in the town of Echuca
, Victoria
, Australia
. It is the terminus of the V/Line
Echuca line passenger service, and is 249km (233km via Seymour
) from Southern Cross Station
in Melbourne
. Freight sidings and a silo exist at this station, which is located on Sturt Street.
and substantial urban growth in the 1870s. In 1876 the Deniliquin and Moama Railway Company
opened their 71 km (44.1 mi) long private railway northwards to Deniliquin, New South Wales.
The brick station building at Echuca was provided on opening of the line, along with a double gable roofed brick goods shed, and three road locomotive depot. The station building was expanded in 1877, a large water tower being erected in the same year, and the iron footbridge was added in 1880. The concrete rail bridge over the Murray River
to the north of the station opened in 1989, replacing a road and rail bridge opened in 1878.
A short branch line between Echuca and the port opened with the line, but was closed in 1971. $150,000 funding for the reconstruction of the line was provided in 2000, By 2002 work was underway, with the cost increased to $330,000. However by 2007 the branch was out of use and disconnected from the main line.
There are now 18 V/Line train services going to Bendigo since the 18th of February 2007. The train is only able to travel at 80km/h between Echuca and Bendigo, due to the poor track condition. Furthermore, the train is required to slow down at level crossings which increases travel time.
Echuca, Victoria
Echuca is a town located on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe river in Victoria, Australia. The Border town Moama is on the northern side of the Murray river in New South Wales. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Shire of Campaspe...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is the terminus of the V/Line
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
Echuca line passenger service, and is 249km (233km via Seymour
Seymour, Victoria
Seymour is a township in the Shire of Mitchell in the state of Victoria, Australia and is located north of Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Seymour had a population of 6,063...
) from Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross is a major railway station and transport hub in Melbourne Docklands, Victoria, Australia. It is located on Spencer Street between Collins and La Trobe Streets at the western edge of the central business district...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. Freight sidings and a silo exist at this station, which is located on Sturt Street.
Platforms and services
Platform 1:- Echuca line - terminating services; returning as intercity services to Southern Cross
History
The railway reached Echuca in 1864 and transformed the town into a major river port, with a famous wharfEchuca Wharf
Echuca Wharf is a historic timber wharf on the Murray River at Echuca in Victoria, Australia. The simultaneous construction of the wharf and the railway line between Echuca and Melbourne between 1865 and 1867 saw the Port of Echuca become the second largest port in Victoria and opened access to...
and substantial urban growth in the 1870s. In 1876 the Deniliquin and Moama Railway Company
Deniliquin and Moama Railway Company
The Deniliquin and Moama Railway Company was a railway company formed by a syndicate of Victorian capitalists to construct a railway from Moama to Deniliquin in New South Wales, Australia.- Background :...
opened their 71 km (44.1 mi) long private railway northwards to Deniliquin, New South Wales.
The brick station building at Echuca was provided on opening of the line, along with a double gable roofed brick goods shed, and three road locomotive depot. The station building was expanded in 1877, a large water tower being erected in the same year, and the iron footbridge was added in 1880. The concrete rail bridge over the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
to the north of the station opened in 1989, replacing a road and rail bridge opened in 1878.
A short branch line between Echuca and the port opened with the line, but was closed in 1971. $150,000 funding for the reconstruction of the line was provided in 2000, By 2002 work was underway, with the cost increased to $330,000. However by 2007 the branch was out of use and disconnected from the main line.
There are now 18 V/Line train services going to Bendigo since the 18th of February 2007. The train is only able to travel at 80km/h between Echuca and Bendigo, due to the poor track condition. Furthermore, the train is required to slow down at level crossings which increases travel time.