Wangaratta railway station, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Wangaratta is a railway station on the North East railway in the city of Wangaratta
, Victoria
, Australia
. Passenger services are provided by V/Line
trains Albury-Wodonga service, as well as CountryLink
XPT services between Melbourne
and Sydney
.
. A footbridge is located at both the south end of the platform and over the northern end of the yard.
The main platform and station building is located to the east by the standard gauge "West" line. The original standard gauge
line runs in a concrete walled cutting located between the station and adjoining street, with a number of bridges crossing this cutting to provide station access. The platform on the standard gauge "East line" is located in the cutting at the Melbourne end of the station. Alumatta Loop is currently located to the south of the station on the standard gauge line.
- intercity services all active stations to Southern Cross
- intercity services to Springhurst, Chiltern, Wodonga and Albury
Platform 2
Countrylink XPT
-interstate services to Southern Cross
Countrylink XPT
-interstate services to Sydney (Central)
A small locomotive depot was provided in 1882, with a dual gauge 50 feet (15.2 m) long turntable provided in 1898. The narrow gauge Wangaratta - Whitfield line opened in 1899, branching off from the main line at the Melbourne end. The line closed in 1953.
When the standard gauge line was constructed through the station in 1962, extensive works were required to thread it through the narrow railway reserve. The locomotive depot and turntable was relocated from the east to west side of the line, and new grade separation
s were provided at Rowan Street to the north and Roy Street to the south.
During the re-gauging of the broad gauge track all sidings were disconnected or removed. The station now has no loop or non-platform tracks and essentially is now only a "through" station.
Wangaratta is also an interchange station for V/Line
bus services to Beechworth, Bright, Wahgunyah and Corowa (NSW)
| last = Turton
| first = Keith W.
| title = Six And A Half Inches From Destiny
| publisher = Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division)
| year = 1973
| isbn = 0 85849 012 9
| page = page 127
}}
Wangaratta, Victoria
Wangaratta is a cathedral city of almost 17,000 people in the northeast of Victoria, Australia, about from Melbourne along the Hume Highway, with Benalla to the southwest, and Albury-Wodonga to the northeast. It is located at the junction of the Ovens and King rivers which flow from the...
, 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...
. Passenger services are provided by 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...
trains Albury-Wodonga service, as well as CountryLink
CountryLink
CountryLink 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...
XPT services between 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...
and 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...
.
Facilities
The station is staffed, ( 6.00 am to 6.00 pm) and once had a large yard. A goods shed located across from the main platform remains but has no siding. Dock platforms were also once located at both ends of the station. Wangaratta was once the junction for the Wangaratta - Whitfield narrow gauge railwayNarrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways
The former Victorian Railways, the state railway authority in Victoria, Australia built a number of experimental narrow gauge railway lines around the beginning of the 20th century. Although all were closed by the early 1960s, parts of two have been reopened as heritage railways.- Background :A...
. A footbridge is located at both the south end of the platform and over the northern end of the yard.
The main platform and station building is located to the east by the standard gauge "West" line. The original standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
line runs in a concrete walled cutting located between the station and adjoining street, with a number of bridges crossing this cutting to provide station access. The platform on the standard gauge "East line" is located in the cutting at the Melbourne end of the station. Alumatta Loop is currently located to the south of the station on the standard gauge line.
Platforms and services
Platform 1:- intercity services all active stations to Southern Cross
- intercity services to Springhurst, Chiltern, Wodonga and Albury
Platform 2
Countrylink XPT
CountryLink XPT
The XPT is the main long-distance passenger train used in regional New South Wales, Australia. It operates on key eastern seaboard routes including the Sydney-Melbourne and Sydney-Brisbane services...
-interstate services to Southern Cross
Countrylink XPT
CountryLink XPT
The XPT is the main long-distance passenger train used in regional New South Wales, Australia. It operates on key eastern seaboard routes including the Sydney-Melbourne and Sydney-Brisbane services...
-interstate services to Sydney (Central)
History
Wangaratta station opened as the terminus of the line from Benalla on 28 October 1873, the extension to Wodonga being opened on 21 November 1873. Initial facilities included a goods shed and temporary station building, a brick station building identical to that at Benalla station being erected in 1874, with a two storied brick tower added to the Melbourne end in 1897. The large signal box was provided in 1887 and then extended in 1908, when the goods yard was enlarged, and the current goods shed provided.A small locomotive depot was provided in 1882, with a dual gauge 50 feet (15.2 m) long turntable provided in 1898. The narrow gauge Wangaratta - Whitfield line opened in 1899, branching off from the main line at the Melbourne end. The line closed in 1953.
When the standard gauge line was constructed through the station in 1962, extensive works were required to thread it through the narrow railway reserve. The locomotive depot and turntable was relocated from the east to west side of the line, and new grade separation
Grade separation
Grade separation is the method of aligning a junction of two or more transport axes at different heights so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other. The composition of such transport axes does not have to be uniform; it can consist of a...
s were provided at Rowan Street to the north and Roy Street to the south.
During the re-gauging of the broad gauge track all sidings were disconnected or removed. The station now has no loop or non-platform tracks and essentially is now only a "through" station.
Wangaratta is also an interchange station for 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...
bus services to Beechworth, Bright, Wahgunyah and Corowa (NSW)
| last = Turton
| first = Keith W.
| title = Six And A Half Inches From Destiny
| publisher = Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division)
| year = 1973
| isbn = 0 85849 012 9
| page = page 127
}}