Forrest railway line

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
Forrest railway line, Victoria
Line details
Opened 1889/1891
Closed 1957
Fate Removed with partial
conversion to rail trail
Length 19.5 mi (31 km)
Stations 9
Type Vic
Rail transport in Victoria

The Forrest railway line is a former branch railway in Victoria, Australia. It branched off the Port Fairy railway line at Birregurra, running through the Otway Ranges to the town of Forrest.

It opened to Deans Marsh on 19 December 1889, and to Forrest on 5 June 1891.[1] It had eight stations at opening: Whoorel, Deans Marsh, Arlett's Corner, Murroon, Dewing's Creek, Gerangamete, Barwon Downs, and Yaugher.[2] On 21 September 1891, four stations were renamed: Arlett's Corner became Pennyroyal, Dewing's Creek became Barwon Downs, Barwon Downs became Yaugher, and Yaugher became Forrest.[3] The timetable in 1940 stopped at the same eight stations as in September 1891, with the train taking fifty minutes to get from Forrest to Birregurra.[4] The line closed in 1957.[1]

The line was a key means of transport for the Otway Ranges timber and coal industries.[5] Prior to the opening of the Great Ocean Road, the Forrest railway with connecting coaches at Deans Marsh was also the primary means of reaching the coastal resort town of Lorne.[6]

An extension of the line from Forrest to Barramunga was debated from the 1890s until at least the 1910s. It initially received the support of the parliamentary Railways Committee in 1904, but did not proceed after an unfavourable report from an officer of the Railways Department.[7][8][9] Local campaigns for the extension continued for several years thereafter, but it was never built.[10][11]

The Birregurra-Forrest "Tiger" Rail Trail is a walking and cycling track following a section of the Forrest line's former alignment.[1]

Line guide

Forrest railway line
Port Fairy line at Birregurra Station
Whoorel
Deans Marsh
Pennyroyal
Murroon
Barwon Downs
Gerangamete
Yaugher
Forrest

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.