Stockinbingal- Parkes railway line, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
The Stockinbingal- Parkes railway line (also known as the 'Forbes line') is a railway line in New South Wales
, Australia
which connects Stockinbingal
on the Main South line
with Parkes
on the Main West line
. The line has come to be part of the main route for goods trains travelling between Sydney
and the west of NSW and beyond, allowing trains to bypass the steep grades and passenger services on the Blue Mountains section of the Main West line.
Western goods trains were rescheduled to operate over this line in lieu of the Blue Mountains from 1993 when the now-defunct National Rail company commenced interstate freight haulage. The line opened between Parkes and Forbes
in 1893, and Forbes and Stockinbingal in 1918. Passenger services were operated by CPH railmotors until their withdrawal between Stockinbingal and Forbes in October 1974. Services operated between Parkes and Forbes until 1983, consisting of a Mail train and a rail-motor service.
No regular passenger services use the line, although Main West line passenger services occasionally divert over the line when trackwork closes the regular route. The line is owned by the Rail Infrastructure Corporation
of New South Wales, however it is leased by the Australian Rail Track Corporation
who are responsible for the maintenance and operation of the line.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, 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...
which connects Stockinbingal
Stockinbingal, New South Wales
Stockinbingal is a village in Cootamundra Shire in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia. It is also a part of the Riverina, and is on the Burley Griffin Way...
on the Main South line
Main Southern railway line, New South Wales
The Main Southern Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Southern Highlands, Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes and the Riverina regions.- Description of route :...
with Parkes
Parkes, New South Wales
- Transport :Parkes has a local bus service provided by Western Road Liners, which acquired Harris Bus Lines in March 2006. The Indian Pacific also stops twice a week, as well as the Broken Hill Outback Xplorer service, run by CountryLink, which heads to Broken Hill on Mondays and Sydney on...
on the Main West line
Main Western railway line, New South Wales
The Main Western Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Blue Mountains, Central West, North West Slopes and the Far West regions.- Description of route :...
. The line has come to be part of the main route for goods trains travelling between Sydney
Sydney
Sydney 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...
and the west of NSW and beyond, allowing trains to bypass the steep grades and passenger services on the Blue Mountains section of the Main West line.
Western goods trains were rescheduled to operate over this line in lieu of the Blue Mountains from 1993 when the now-defunct National Rail company commenced interstate freight haulage. The line opened between Parkes and Forbes
Forbes, New South Wales
-Notable residents:*Carolyn Simpson - Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales; Member of the first all-female bench to sit in an Australian court*NSW Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt was born and raised in Forbes....
in 1893, and Forbes and Stockinbingal in 1918. Passenger services were operated by CPH railmotors until their withdrawal between Stockinbingal and Forbes in October 1974. Services operated between Parkes and Forbes until 1983, consisting of a Mail train and a rail-motor service.
No regular passenger services use the line, although Main West line passenger services occasionally divert over the line when trackwork closes the regular route. The line is owned by the Rail Infrastructure Corporation
Rail Infrastructure Corporation
The Rail Infrastructure Corporation is a New South Wales government owned corporation with responsibility for the management of the railway network in rural New South Wales, Australia....
of New South Wales, however it is leased by the Australian Rail Track Corporation
Australian Rail Track Corporation
Australian 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...
who are responsible for the maintenance and operation of the line.