Rail transport in Tasmania
Encyclopedia
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, 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...
. Today, rail services are focussed primarily on bulk freight, with no commercial passenger services being operated. The mainline railways of Tasmania are currently operated by TasRail
TasRail (2009)
Tasrail is the Government of Tasmania-owned corporation that has operated the mainline railways in Tasmania since 2009....
, a Government of Tasmania
Government of Tasmania
The form of the Government of Tasmania is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
-owned Corporation, who owns and maintains both rollingstock, locomotives, and track infrastructure.
Traffic
The Tasmanian system is small and currently carries no regular passenger services and its freight services are not profitable without government subsidies. The main cargo carried is cement, which is carried from RailtonRailton, Tasmania
Railton is a town situated 20km inland from Devonport on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia's island state. At the 2006 census, Railton had a population of 900. It was first known as Redwater Creek and became known as Railton after the construction of a tramway line in the 1860s...
to the port at Devonport
Devonport, Tasmania
-Sport:The Devonport Football Club is an Australian Rules team competing in the Tasmanian Statewide League. The Devonport Rugby Club is a Rugby Union team competing in the Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide League...
. Other major commodities carried are coal, logs, containers and newsprint.
Routes
Deloraine, Tasmania
Deloraine is a town on the Meander River, in the central north of Tasmania, Australia. It lies 50 km west of Launceston and 52 km south of Devonport along the Bass Highway. It is part of the Meander Valley Council. At the 2006 census, Deloraine had a population of 2,243.The region was...
and Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
on 10 February 1871 by the private Launceston and Western Railway, on the basis of debt guarantees from landowners who stood to benefit. The line went bankrupt in 1872 and was taken over by the Tasmanian Government on 31 October 1873, which then attempted to recover the debt from the guarantors, leading to civil unrest.
On 1 March 1876, another private railway, the Tasmanian Main Line Company
Tasmanian Main Line Company
The Tasmanian Main Line Company was a private railway that opened a narrow gauge line from Hobart to Evandale, near Launceston, where it connected with the Launceston and Western Railway.- Initial proposals :...
, which was guaranteed by the Tasmanian Government, opened a narrow gauge (1067 mm) line from Hobart to Evandale
Evandale, Tasmania
Evandale is a small town in northern Tasmania, Australia. It sits on the banks of the South Esk River 18 km south of Launceston. A classified historic town, many of its buildings remain largely in original condition...
, near Launceston. A further extension, opened on 1 November 1876, connected with the Launceston and Western Railway at a break-of-gauge
Break-of-gauge
With railways, a break-of-gauge occurs where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded...
at Western Junction with the line to Deloraine, however the line between Western Junction and Launceston was made dual gauge. The line between Western Junction and Deloraine was converted to dual gauge on 17 March 1885. On 30 May 1885, the line was extended to Devonport
Devonport, Tasmania
-Sport:The Devonport Football Club is an Australian Rules team competing in the Tasmanian Statewide League. The Devonport Rugby Club is a Rugby Union team competing in the Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide League...
.
The Launceston - Deloraine was converted to solely narrow gauge on 18 August 1888, creating a single narrow gauge network. On 1 October 1890 the Tasmanian Government bought the Tasmanian Main Line Company, creating the Tasmanian Government Railways
Tasmanian Government Railways
The Tasmanian Government Railways was the former Government of Tasmania managed operator of mainline railways in Tasmania, Australia...
. On 15 April 1901 the Devonport line was extended to Burnie
Burnie, Tasmania
- Sport :Australian rules football is popular in Burnie. The city's team is the Burnie Dockers Football Club in the Tasmanian State League.Rugby union is also played in Burnie. The local club is the Burnie Rugby Union Club. They are the current Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide Division Two Premiers...
, connecting with the Emu Bay Railway's line to Zeehan
Zeehan, Tasmania
Zeehan is a town on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It lies southwest of Burnie. At the 2006 census, Zeehan had a population of 845. It is part of the Municipality of West Coast....
, which was completed on 21 December 1900. The government railway was extended to Wynyard
Wynyard, Tasmania
Wynyard is a rural town on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It lies west of Burnie on the Bass Highway at the mouth of the Inglis River....
on 1 February 1913. The line was extended to Wiltshire Junction on 12 July 1922, connecting with the already existing line between Stanley
Stanley, Tasmania
Stanley is a town on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. Travelling west, Stanley is the second-last major township on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Smithton being the larger township in the Circular Head municipality...
and Smithton
Smithton, Tasmania
Smithton is a town in the far north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It lies on the Bass Highway, 85 km north-west of Burnie. At the 2006 census, Smithton had a population of 3,361. Smithton is the administrative centre of the Circular Head Council...
.
Principal branch lines
- Mole Creek Line - A branch line was opened from Deloraine (Lemana Junction) to Mole CreekMole Creek, TasmaniaMole Creek is a town in the upper Mersey Valley, in the central north of Tasmania, Australia. At the 2006 census, Mole Creek had a population of 223. The town primary school also services the surrounding districts including Chudleigh and Caveside. The nearest high school and regional centre is...
on 5 April 1890. This line closed on 6 February 1985.
- Scottsdale Line - Opened from Launceston to ScottsdaleScottsdale, TasmaniaScottsdale is a town in the north-east of Tasmania, Australia. It lies on the Tasman Highway, around north-east of Launceston and south-east of the coastal town of Bridport. It is part of the Dorset Council....
on 9 August 1889 and extended to BranxholmBranxholm, TasmaniaBranxholm is a small town in northeastern Tasmania. Located 93 km north east of Launceston on the Tasman Highway.Branxholm is a typical north-east Tasmania timber town nestled into the rolling hills. It is notable for its saw mills and its hop fields...
on 12 July 1911 and Herrick on 15 March 1919.
- Fingal Line - Opened from Conara Junction (on the Hobart - Launceston lineSouth Line, TasmaniaThe South Line, also known as the Main Line and sometimes the North/South Line or the North–South Line, is a freight rail corridor connecting Hobart to the northern ports of Tasmania. The Railway Line was built by the Tasmanian Main Line Company...
) to St MarysSt Marys, TasmaniaSt Marys is a small township nestled at the junction of the Tasman Highway and the Esk Highway on the East Coast of Tasmania, Australia just 10 kilometres from the coast....
on 29 June 1886.
- Oatlands Line - Opened from ParattahParattah, TasmaniaParattah is a small township in Tasmania, located about 6 kilometres southeast of the town of Oatlands. At the 2006 census, Parattah had a population of 105....
to OatlandsOatlands, TasmaniaOatlands is an important historical village built on the shores of Lake Dulverton in the centre of Tasmania, Australia. Oatlands is located 84 km north of Hobart and 115 km south of Launceston on the Midland Highway...
on 13 May 1885. The line closed on 10 June 1949.
- Derwent Valley LineDerwent Valley Railway (Tasmania)The Derwent Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Tasmania, Australia. It operates from New Norfolk. It is 3' 6" narrow gauge.-History:Tasmanian Government Railways opened the Derwent Valley Line in 1886. Initially, it ran from the junction at Bridgewater along the main north-south Hobart to...
- Opened from BridgewaterBridgewater, TasmaniaBridgewater, Tasmania, is one greater Hobart's northern-most suburbs, located 19 km from the city. It is situated on the eastern shore of the Derwent River. It is a suburb of the local government area of the Municipality of Brighton....
to New NorfolkNew Norfolk, Tasmania-References:5. Fellowship of First Fleeters.6. New Norfolk's History and Achievements by Joe Cowburn and Rita Cox 1986-External links:* has extensive local information, history, photographs, resources and attractions...
on 1 September 1887 and was extended to Glenora on 22 July 1888. The ultimate terminus of Derwent Valley line was Kallista which was reached on 6 July 1936.
- Bellerive-Sorell Line - This isolated line was built between BelleriveBellerive, TasmaniaBellerive is a suburb of the City of Clarence, part of the greater Hobart area, Tasmania, Australia. It stretches from Kangaroo Bay where it borders Rosny Park, around the curved shoreline of Bellerive Esplanade to Kangaroo Bluff, then down to Bellerive Beach and east to Second Bluff, where...
and SorellSorell, TasmaniaSorell is a town in Tasmania, Australia, north-east of Hobart. It is on the Tasman Highway which continues up the east coast of Tasmania. At the 2006 census, Sorell had a population of 1,546....
on the eastern shore of the Derwent River on 2 May 1892. It closed on 30 June 1926.
- Strahan–Zeehan Line - This isolated line was built between ZeehanZeehan, TasmaniaZeehan is a town on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It lies southwest of Burnie. At the 2006 census, Zeehan had a population of 845. It is part of the Municipality of West Coast....
and Regatta PointRegatta Point, TasmaniaRegatta Point is the location of a port and rail terminus in West Coast Tasmania, Australia- Port :Regatta Point is often assumed into the name of the locality across the bay in Macquarie Harbour, Strahan, Tasmania...
opened on 4 February 1892. The line was fully closed on 25 January 1963.
- Don River LineDon River RailwayThe Don River Railway is a vintage railway in Don, a suburb of Devonport, Tasmania. It runs a short train ride from Don to Coles beach, about ten minutes away. Work is in progress to restore an M class steam locomotive. A few running diesel locomotives and a railcar are in use until the steamer is...
- Opened between Don Junction and Paloona on 10 April 1916 and extended to Barrington on 23 September 1923. The line was completely closed back to the junction on 16 October 1963, but the section from Don Junction to Don Township was reopened on 20 November 1976 by the Don River Railway.
- Bell Bay LineBell Bay LineThe Bell Bay Line is a freight rail corridor connecting the port of Bell Bay to the main rail network of Tasmania. The Railway Line was built in 1973 to connect the Longreach sawmill to the rail network, and was extended to Bell bay in 1974....
- Built between Launceston and Bell BayBell Bay, TasmaniaBell Bay is an industrial centre and port located on the eastern shore of the Tamar River, in northern Tasmania, Australia. It lies just south of George Town.- Industry :It hosts an aluminium smelter and a power station.- Transport :...
on 17 May 1974 to access the industries established there, including shipping. This Line was included in the Federal Government's AusLink initiative. It is the proposal that this line be converted to standard gauge to facilitate the transfer of mainland railway wagons direct to Bell Bay and Launceston, however no further action has been forcoming to date.
The former Emu Bay Railway
The earlier lines of the West Coast, TasmaniaWest Coast, Tasmania
The West Coast of Tasmania is the part of the state that is strongly associated with wilderness, mining and tourism, rough country and isolation...
were independent of the main Tasmanian Railway system when built, but most connected to the Emu Bay Railway. The North Mount Lyell Railway
North Mount Lyell Railway
The North Mount Lyell Railway was built to service the North Mount Lyell mine in West Coast Tasmania at the start of the Twentieth century to take ore from Gormanston east of the West Coast Range to the Crotty smelters, and then on to Pillinger in the Kelly Basin of Macquarie Harbour, from where...
and a few other smaller lines were not connected to the Emu Bay line.
The Emu Bay Railway was purchased by Australian Transport Network on 22 May 1998, thus merging that line with the remainder of the system that company then operated. Today known as the Melba line, it was excluded from the 2007 lease arrangement.
Operators
Historically the mainline railways were operated by the Tasmanian Government RailwaysTasmanian Government Railways
The Tasmanian Government Railways was the former Government of Tasmania managed operator of mainline railways in Tasmania, Australia...
, which was absorbed into the Australian National Railways Commission
Australian National Railways Commission
The Australian National Railways Commission was a government owned railway operator in Australia. ANRC was also known as Australian National Railways in its early years and was later rebranded as Australian National .-History:...
in 1978 and renamed TasRail. In November 1997, TasRail was sold to the Australian Transport Network, a partnership of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
based Tranz Rail
Tranz Rail
Tranz Rail, formally Tranz Rail Holdings Ltd , was the main rail operator in New Zealand from 1991 until it was purchased by Toll Holdings in 2003.- Formation :...
and United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
railroad Wisconsin Central. This sale also included a 50 year lease of the Crown land on which the Tasmanian railway network was situated. Tasrail was granted the exclusive right to use and occupy the land, but owned the infrastructure situated on that land and was obliged to maintain at its own cost.
In 2004 the railway was purchased by Pacific National
Pacific National
Pacific 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....
following the purchase of Tranz Rail
Tranz Rail
Tranz Rail, formally Tranz Rail Holdings Ltd , was the main rail operator in New Zealand from 1991 until it was purchased by Toll Holdings in 2003.- Formation :...
by Toll Holdings
Toll Holdings
TOLL , properly TOLL Holdings Limited, is Australia's largest transport company, based in Melbourne, Victoria. The company has operations in road, rail, sea and air in 55 countries....
, and the sale of Wisconsin Central's overseas investments as a result of that railroads takeover by Canadian National. In September 2005 Pacific National angered the Tasmanian State Government
Government of Tasmania
The form of the Government of Tasmania is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
and the Australian Federal Government as it threatened to 'withdraw all services' unless the governments paid a $100 million subsidy
Subsidy
A subsidy is an assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more labor A subsidy (also...
. This alarmed people of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
because a pullout of rail services would result in thousands more trucks on already busy roads. Initially the governments refused to act on the issue claiming they would not be "held to mercy" by Pacific National, owned by Toll
Toll Holdings
TOLL , properly TOLL Holdings Limited, is Australia's largest transport company, based in Melbourne, Victoria. The company has operations in road, rail, sea and air in 55 countries....
and Patrick Corporation
Patrick Corporation
Patrick Corporation Ltd was an Australian publicly listed logistics conglomerate. Headed by CEO Chris Corrigan before it was absorbed by Toll Holdings in 2006, Patrick had interests in shipping, rail and aviation, including a 62% shareholding in airline Virgin Blue...
, "which are extremely profitable multi-national companies". However, state infrastructure minister Bryan Green
Bryan Green
Bryan Alexander Green is a Tasmanian Labor politician and member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly in the electorate of Braddon. In July 2006 he was forced to step down as Deputy Premier and Minister for Economic Development and Resources pending an enquiry into deal made with the TCC...
and federal counterpart transport minister Warren Truss
Warren Truss
Warren Errol Truss , Australian politician, is the current leader of the National Party of Australia in the Parliament of Australia. He has held the House of Representatives seat of Wide Bay since the 1990 election...
announced a $120 million rescue package hoping the board will continue operation in the state.
In May 2007 the Tasmanian Government, the Federal Government and Pacific National came to an agreement regarding the funding, ownership and operation of the Tasmanian railway network; with the State of Tasmania acquiring the railway infrastructure previously leased to Pacific National, who would continue to provide above rail services on the network. In addition the Federal Government via the AusLink
AusLink
AusLink was an Australian Government land transport funding program, established in June 2004 and administered by the Department of Transport and Regional Services. In 2009 it was replaced with the Nation Building Program under the Nation Building Program Act 2009...
program provided $78 million in funding for capital works, and the Tasmanian Government agreed to provide $4 million funding each year for maintenance.
In September 2009 the Tasmanian Government and Pacific National formally entered into a business sale agreement for purchase of the Tasmanian rail business, with rail infrastructure and railway operations to be maintained, managed and owned by a new State-owned rail company, Tasmanian Railway Pty Ltd trading as TasRail
TasRail (2009)
Tasrail is the Government of Tasmania-owned corporation that has operated the mainline railways in Tasmania since 2009....
.