List of Australian railway companies
Encyclopedia
The railways of Australia
have historically operated as Government instrumentalities.
The earlier form of a single state government railway department in each state no longer exists - with complex relationships developed by state and federal government corporations operating in multiple locations and across borders between states.
They are further divided into 'above' and 'below' rail companies - track owners, and train operators. Some companies are both.
Rail transport in Australia
Rail transport in Australia is a crucial aspect of the Australian transport network, and an enabler of the wider Australian economy. Rail in Australia is to a large extent state-based. The Australian rail network consists of a total of 41,461 km of track of three major gauges, of which...
have historically operated as Government instrumentalities.
The earlier form of a single state government railway department in each state no longer exists - with complex relationships developed by state and federal government corporations operating in multiple locations and across borders between states.
They are further divided into 'above' and 'below' rail companies - track owners, and train operators. Some companies are both.
Track and Train
- Queensland RailQueensland RailQueensland Rail, also known as QR, is a government-owned railway operator in the state of Queensland. Under the control of the Queensland Government, Queensland Rail operates the inner-city and long-distance passenger services, as well as some freight operations and gives railway access to other...
- Pacific NationalPacific NationalPacific National is one of Australia's largest private rail freight businesses. Originally a joint venture between Patrick Corporation and Toll Holdings; it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Asciano Limited following the restructure of Toll Holdings....
(operations in all states, except Tasmania) - Rail Corporation New South WalesRail Corporation New South WalesRail Corporation New South Wales is a statutory authority of the New South Wales government. RailCorp owns, operates and maintains the Sydney suburban and interurban rail network which is marketed under the CityRail brand; in addition to operating rural passenger services under the CountryLink...
(urban passenger lines in SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, NewcastleNewcastle, New South WalesThe Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
and WollongongWollongong, New South WalesWollongong is a seaside city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 82 kilometres south of Sydney...
area, other New South Wales lines are controlled or maintained under contract by Australian Rail Track CorporationAustralian Rail Track CorporationAustralian Rail Track Corporation is a federal government owned corporation established in 1997 that owns, leases, maintains and controls the majority of main line standard gauge railway lines on the mainland of Australia, known as the Defined Interstate Rail Network .-History:The Interstate...
) - FreightLinkFreightLinkFreightLink is a railway freight operator in Australia that operates over the Adelaide–Darwin railway.-History:In 2000, the AustralAsia Rail Corporation awarded the contract to build and operate the Adelaide to Darwin railway as a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer back project to the Asia Pacific...
(Darwin-Tarcoola Railway) - Genesee and Wyoming AustraliaGenesee and Wyoming AustraliaGenesee and Wyoming Australia is an Australian rail freight operator based in Adelaide, South Australia. It is a 100 percent owned subsidiary of Genesee and Wyoming Inc based in the USA, and was formed in June 2006 to run the South Australian operations of the Australian Railroad Group joint...
(South Australian rural branch lines) - Loocome Staine International (Mildura and other rural branch lines)
- V/LineV/LineV/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...
(manages all Victorian track owned by VicTrack, except the suburban and interstate networks) - MetroMetro Trains MelbourneMetro Trains Melbourne is the current franchise operator of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Australia. Metro Trains Melbourne is a joint venture led by Hong Kong based MTR Corporation together with John Holland Group and United Group Rail .Metro Trains Melbourne operates a fleet of 381...
(manager of suburban trackage owned by VicTrack)
Track Only
- Australian Rail Track CorporationAustralian Rail Track CorporationAustralian Rail Track Corporation is a federal government owned corporation established in 1997 that owns, leases, maintains and controls the majority of main line standard gauge railway lines on the mainland of Australia, known as the Defined Interstate Rail Network .-History:The Interstate...
(interstate network) - VicTrackVicTrackVicTrack is the Victorian Government agency which owns all railway and tram lines, associated rail lands and other related rail-related infrastructure in the state of Victoria, Australia....
(owner of Victorian networkRail transport in VictoriaRail transport in Victoria, Australia, is provided by a number of railway operators who operate over the government-owned railway lines. Victorian lines use broad gauge, with the exception of a number of standard gauge freight and interstate lines, a few experimental narrow gauge lines, and...
) - WestNet RailWestNet RailWestNet Rail is the operator of approximately 5000 kilometres of former WAGR railway track in Western Australia, leased from the State of Western Australia following the sale of Westrail in 2000....
(Western Australia - WestrailWestrailWestrail was the name of Western Australia’s public rail service between 1975 and 2000.It had its origins in 1877 as the Department of Works and Railways. This became Western Australian Government Railways in 1890 — a name that persisted for almost a century...
Ceased to Exist in 2000)
Suburban
- CityRailCityRailCityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
- CitytrainCityTrainCitytrain is the brand name of urban, suburban and inter-urban electric passenger railway services in South East Queensland, Australia. Its network, centering in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, is approximately in route length...
- MetroMetro Trains MelbourneMetro Trains Melbourne is the current franchise operator of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Australia. Metro Trains Melbourne is a joint venture led by Hong Kong based MTR Corporation together with John Holland Group and United Group Rail .Metro Trains Melbourne operates a fleet of 381...
- TransAdelaideTransAdelaideTransAdelaide was a publicly owned corporation which provided suburban train and tram services in Adelaide, South Australia, under contract to the Government of South Australia....
- TransperthTransperthTransperth is the brand name of the public transport system in Perth, Western Australia. It is operated by the Public Transport Authority.-History:...
Regional
- CountryLinkCountryLinkCountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity...
- TraveltrainTravelTrainTraveltrain provides long range passenger rail services in Queensland, run by Queensland Rail. Its flagships are the electric and diesel Tilt Trains, servicing Brisbane – Rockhampton and Brisbane – Cairns respectively...
- Great Southern RailwayGreat Southern Railway (Australia)Great Southern Railway , owned by Serco Asia Pacific, is a tourism business and rail transport operator in Australia.GSR operates interstate passenger trains aimed at the tourist market:* The Indian Pacific...
- TranswaTranswaTranswa is Western Australia's regional public transport provider, linking 275 destinations within Western Australia, from Kalbarri in the north to Augusta in the south to Esperance in the east along with the regional centres of Bunbury, Kalgoorlie, Northam, Geraldton and Albany.Transwa is...
- Vline
Freight
- Pacific NationalPacific NationalPacific National is one of Australia's largest private rail freight businesses. Originally a joint venture between Patrick Corporation and Toll Holdings; it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Asciano Limited following the restructure of Toll Holdings....
- QRNational
- Australian Railroad GroupAustralian Railroad GroupAustralian Railroad Group was one of Australia's largest private rail operators, operating across almost 10,000 kilometres of track and began operating in Western Australia on 17 December 2000 following its purchase of the Westrail freight business. It was acquired by QR National...
- FreightLinkFreightLinkFreightLink is a railway freight operator in Australia that operates over the Adelaide–Darwin railway.-History:In 2000, the AustralAsia Rail Corporation awarded the contract to build and operate the Adelaide to Darwin railway as a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer back project to the Asia Pacific...
- Genesee and Wyoming AustraliaGenesee and Wyoming AustraliaGenesee and Wyoming Australia is an Australian rail freight operator based in Adelaide, South Australia. It is a 100 percent owned subsidiary of Genesee and Wyoming Inc based in the USA, and was formed in June 2006 to run the South Australian operations of the Australian Railroad Group joint...
- Southern Shorthaul RailroadSouthern Shorthaul RailroadSouthern Shorthaul Railroad was established in December 2003, when the remains of Great Northern Rail Services were purchased from CFCL Australia Pty Ltd. Jason Ferguson was then the Fleet Manager for CFCL Australia, and this company was facing a $1.3M write-off of a bad-debt from the previous...
- South Spur Rail ServicesSouth Spur Rail ServicesSouth Spur Rail Services is a Western Australian owned railway company that provides terminal operations and short haul rail services to the rail transport industry. It is a family owned and operated business formed in 1997 whose shareholders come from a Westrail background.South Spur Rail have a...
- Southern and Silverton Rail
- Specialised Container TransportSpecialised Container TransportSCT Logistics is an interstate transport company in Australia, with facilities in Melbourne, Adelaide, Parkes, and Perth. The company was founded in 1974.- History :...
Manufactures
- Commonwealth EngineeringCommonwealth EngineeringThe Commonwealth Engineering Company Limited is the brand name of a former Australian Engineering Company that designed Locomotives, Electrical Multiple Units , Diesel Multiple Units and Trams.-History:...
(now part of Bombardier TransportationBombardier TransportationBombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
) - Downer EDI Rail
- United Group Rail