Tocumwal railway line, Victoria

Route map
	Legend
	Tocumwal line
	to Tocumwal
	Toolamba–Echuca line
	to Echuca
	Rushworth line
	to Colbinabbin
	North East line
	to ● Albury & Central (Sydney)
	Mansfield line
	to Mansfield
	Heathcote line
	to Tooborac
	Upfield line
	to North Melbourne
	Broadstore line
	to Maygar Barracks
	Albion–Jacana line
	to Albion
	North East line
	to ● Southern Cross
	Flemington Racecourse line
	to ● Flemington Racecourse
	Deniliquin line
	●●●●●●●●●● via South Kensington
	Upfield line
	to ● Upfield
	North East and Western lines
	to ● Albury, Central (Sydney) & Adelaide Parklands
	City Loop
	●●●●●●●●●●●●●● via Flagstaff
	City Loop
	●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● via Flinders Street

Shepparton
Overview
Service type	Regional rail
Status	Operational
Locale	Victoria, Australia
Current operator(s)	V/Line
Route
Start	Shepparton
Stops	16
End	Southern Cross
Distance travelled	184.84 km (114.85 mi)
Average journey time	2 hour 32 minutes
Service frequency	5 Southern Cross-bound services, 5 Shepparton-bound services on weekdays; 3 services on weekends each direction;
Line(s) used	Tocumwal
On-board services
Class(es)	First and economy
Disabled access	No
Catering facilities	Most services
Technical
Rolling stock	Locomotive hauled N type carriage
Track gauge	1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Electrification	None
Operating speed	Shepparton services: 115 km/h (71 mph) Maximum; Seymour Vlocity services: 130 km/h (80 mph) Maximum;
Track owner(s)	VicTrack
Route map
Route map
	Legend
	Tocumwal line
	to Tocumwal
	Toolamba–Echuca line
	to Echuca
	Rushworth line
	to Colbinabbin
	North East line
	to ● Albury & Central (Sydney)
	Mansfield line
	to Mansfield
	Heathcote line
	to Tooborac
	Upfield line
	to North Melbourne
	Broadstore line
	to Maygar Barracks
	Albion–Jacana line
	to Albion
	North East line
	to ● Southern Cross
	Flemington Racecourse line
	to ● Flemington Racecourse
	Deniliquin line
	●●●●●●●●●● via South Kensington
	Upfield line
	to ● Upfield
	North East and Western lines
	to ● Albury, Central (Sydney) & Adelaide Parklands
	City Loop
	●●●●●●●●●●●●●● via Flagstaff
	City Loop
	●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● via Flinders Street

Tocumwal
Tocumwal
Overview
Status	Operational; freight-only beyond Shepparton
Owner	VicTrack
Locale	Victoria, Australia
Termini	Tocumwal; Southern Cross
Service
Services	Craigieburn; Seymour; Shepparton; Upfield;
Operator(s)	Passenger: Metro Trains, V/Line; Freight: Pacific National;
Depot(s)	Southern Cross
History
Opened	1860
Technical
Line length	251.4 km (156.2 mi)
Number of tracks	1 (between Tocumwal and Seymour); 2 (between Seymour and Southern Cross);
Track gauge	1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Electrification	1500 V DC overhead between Craigieburn and Southern Cross
Signalling	Automatic block from Southern Cross to Craigieburn; Double line block to Seymour; Train order to Tocumwal;
Route map
	Legend
	Tocumwal line
	to Narrandera
	bridge over
	Murray River
	New South Wales
	Victoria
	Cobram line
	to Cobram
	Picola line
	to Picola
	Toolamba–Echuca line
	to Echuca
	Rushworth line
	to Colbinabbin
	North East line
	to Albury
	Mansfield line
	to Mansfield
	Heathcote line
	to Tooborac
	Upfield line
	to North Melbourne
	Broadstore line
	to Maygar Barracks
	Albion–Jacana line
	to Albion
	North East line
	to Southern Cross
	Flemington Racecourse line
	to Flemington Racecourse
	Deniliquin line
	to
	Upfield line
	to Roxburgh Park
	North East and Western lines
	to Albury & Serviceton
	City Loop
	via Flagstaff
	City Loop
	via Flinders Street
	This diagram: view; talk; ;

The Tocumwal railway line (also known as the Shepparton line) is a 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) gauge railway line in Victoria, Australia. The line runs between the border town of Tocumwal in New South Wales to Southern Cross on the western edge of the Melbourne central business district. The line is utilised by various passenger and freight trains serving the northern suburbs of Melbourne and northern regions of Victoria.

History[]

The Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company opened the first section of the Tocumwal railway line from North Melbourne to Essendon in 1860. Following its take over by the Victorian Government in 1867, the line was extended to Tallarook and Mangalore in 1872.

A line was built from Mangalore to Toolamba and Shepparton in 1880 and extended to Numurkah in 1881, Strathmerton in 1905 and connecting with the New South Wales Government Railways at Tocumwal at a break-of-gauge in 1908.

Passenger services to Tocumwal ended on 8 November 1975 with the last train operated by T class diesel locomotive T324 and passenger carriages 3AS - 31BE - 2AE - 22CE. Before this time the Strathmerton - Cobram section was operated as the 'branch line' with a 102hp Walker railmotor connecting with the main line train. A bus service was then introduced for the Tocumwal branch, connecting with the Cobram service. By 1977/78 the service between Cobram and Tocumwal was being operated by a VicRail owned station wagon driven by the Cobram station master.^[1]

The last passenger service from Toolamba station to Echuca ran on 2 March 1981 with Y class diesel locomotive Y161, an ABE carriage and a C van. This consist had only been introduced a few months prior, with a DERM usually being rostered.^[1] Toolamba finally closed as a station on 20 December 1987.^[2]

The passenger service from Numurkah north to Cobram was withdrawn on 24 April 1981 but was restored on 14 August 1983.^[1] The service from Melbourne to Shepparton then to Cobram was again withdrawn on 21 August 1993, with Hoys Roadlines taking control of the train as far as Shepparton from 22 August,^[1] hiring locomotives, carriages and train crews from V/Line. This arrangement remained until 2004.^[3]

There have been calls for the line to be standardised as part of the proposed Melbourne to Brisbane 'Inland Railway'. In April 2008 it was announced that the Shepparton – Tocumwal section of the line would also be upgraded, as part of the Victorian core grain network in a A$23.7 million package with 6 other lines.^[4]

On 20 February 2020, a NSW TrainLink XPT passenger train on the adjacent North East railway line towards Sydney derailed at Wallan, resulting in suspension of freight, V/Line and NSW TrainLink services on the North East and Tocumwal railway lines. V/Line services resumed on 1 and 2 March 2020.^[5]

Branch lines[]

A branch line was subsequently built from Murchison East to Rushworth and Colbinabbin, with another branch from Rushworth to Stanhope and Girgarre. A cross-country line between Toolamba and Echuca was completed in 1887.^[6]

A short branch line was opened from Shepparton to Dookie in 1888. A tramway, built and operated by the Shire of Tungamah, was opened between Dookie and Katamatite in 1890. It was taken over by the Victorian Railways in 1896.^[7] Another short branch line was opened from Strathmerton to Cobram in 1888.

Passenger services[]

Craigieburn passenger services operate on the line within the Melbourne region between Craigieburn and Southern Cross. Upfield line services also utilise a small section of the line between North Melbourne and Southern Cross. Regional services from Seymour (as the Seymour line) and Shepparton also operate to Southern Cross, skipping most metropolitan stations. The line between Tocumwal and Shepparton is no longer served by passenger services.

Shepparton services[]

V/Line operates five return services between Shepparton and Melbourne's Southern Cross Station on weekdays, with 3 return services running on Saturdays & Sundays.

Services generally stop at all stations between Shepparton and Donnybrook in both directions, with some services not stopping at Donnybrook, Heathcote Junction and Tallarook. Within the metropolitan network, limited services make stops at Essendon and North Melbourne on weekdays, while all services stop at Broadmeadows. At these stations, Shepparton-bound services only pick up passengers and Southern Cross-bound services only drop off. No services stop at any other station served by a metropolitan service.

Shepparton V/Line Service

Legend

h:mm
0:00	0.0 km	Southern Cross	Zone 1
0:04	1.7 km	North Melbourne	Zone 1
0:18	16.9 km	Broadmeadows	Zone 2
0:30	33.2 km	Donnybrook	Zone 2
0:40	47.5 km	Wallan	Zone 2
0:47	57.3 km	Wandong	Zone 2
0:54	65.5 km	Kilmore East	Zone 3/4
1:02	77.2 km	Broadford	Zone 4/5
1:18	101.7 km	Seymour	Zone 6
		continues as Albury V/Line Service
1:42	128.1 km	Nagambie	Zone 9
1:58	149.2 km	Murchison East	Zone 11
2:18	179.0 km	Mooroopna	Zone 14
2:32	184.8 km	Shepparton	Zone 15

Standard timetabled journey
from Southern Cross

References[]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Chris Banger (March 1997). "Rail Passenger Service Withdrawals Since 1960". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division). pp. 77–82.
^ Bob Whitehead (2008). Tocumwal Railway Centenary.
^ "Track Record: 19 April to June 2004" (PDF). doi.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 13 July 2008.
^ "$43m to upgrade rail freight lines". The Age. Archived from the original on 6 December 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2008.
^ "Resumption of V/Line train services in North East Victoria". V/Line. Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
^ Toolamba-Echuca railway line
^ "Katamatite". arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer. Australian Places. Archived from the original on 21 August 2006. Retrieved 7 June 2006.

External links[]

http://www.vline.com.au
Official map
Statistics and detailed schematic map at the vicsig enthusiast website

[nrs-1] Chris Banger (March 1997). "Rail Passenger Service Withdrawals Since 1960". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division). pp. 77–82.

[toc-2] Bob Whitehead (2008). Tocumwal Railway Centenary.

[3] "Track Record: 19 April to June 2004" (PDF). doi.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 13 July 2008.

[4] "$43m to upgrade rail freight lines". The Age. Archived from the original on 6 December 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2008.

[5] "Resumption of V/Line train services in North East Victoria". V/Line. Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.

[6] Toolamba-Echuca railway line

[7] "Katamatite". arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer. Australian Places. Archived from the original on 21 August 2006. Retrieved 7 June 2006.

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