Wheatbelt railway lines of Western Australia explained

The wheatbelt railway lines of Western Australia were, in most cases, a network of railway lines in Western Australia that primarily served the Wheatbelt region.

Maps of the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) system in the 1930s show that in the main wheatbelt region, any railway line was within 30miles of the harvest location, facilitating ease of access to rail transport. Most of the larger extent of the network has since been closed.

In the current railway management systems, many of the remaining operating lines are primarily for the haulage of grain.[1]

1900s

See also: Agricultural railways of Western Australia.

In 1905 the report of the Royal Commission into Immigration in Western Australia[2] stated:

All considerable areas of agricultural land must have a 15 mile rail service

In 1947, the Royal Commission into railway management stated of the 1905 and after era of construction:

... to construct railways in agricultural areas as cheaply as possible, lines were built with 45 lb. rail sections which practically followed the surface of the ground with (a) earth ballasting (b) half-round timber sleepers (c) providing the bare minimum station facilities only

1930s

Transport of wheat on the WAGR system was identified by station/siding early in annual reports, as a commodity of importance to the railways.[3]

Early transport of grain was organised through the railways and growers with the Cooperative Wheat Pool of Western Australia as a main player.

The feasibility of bulk handling and storage, and the relationship with the railway networks then in place, was a concern of Westralian Farmers in the 1930s, as well as that of the Western Australian government of the time.

In 1932, five sidings in the Western Australian Government Railway System were the first locations of bulk handling of wheat by rail:[4]

From the time of creation of specific railway branches or sections, most railway lines in the era of the WAGR carried mixed services of freight, and passenger services.

1950s

A number of lines of considerable length were closed in 1957 in the larger railway system.[5]

However, not that many lines closed as a result of the 1957 decisions in the actual wheatbelt region:[6]

Following the decline of passenger services in the 1950s, many branch lines ceased to have specific passenger services and the WAGR road bus services replaced rail passenger facilities.

1970s

In the decade of the creation of the brand Westrail, many branch lines had sidings removed, and had ceased to operate as mixed freight lines. They became in many cases oriented to single commodity lines; timber, woodchip, iron ore or grain haulage became the main orientation of many of the branch lines in the narrow gauge network.

Agreements

In the 1980s a range of agreements between the rail operator and CBH were reached.

Current network

The current wheatbelt railway lines are linked to the extensive network of CBH grain receival points that are serviced by CBH Group[10] as part of the co-operative bulk handling business.

CBH has invested in its own grain haulage rolling stock and locomotives. In 2012 it took delivery of the CBH class locomotives.

Tiers

The Western Australian Minister for Transport, Simon O'Brien, created the Freight and Logistics Council of WA in 2009,[11] composed of individuals involved in transport industries in Western Australia.[12] The Minister commissioned Strategic design + Development Pty Ltd, under the guidance of the Strategic Grain Network Committee (also appointed by the Minister), to conduct a study into the rail network serving the wheatbelt. A report was delivered in December 2009.[13] In the 2009 report, and the state government's response to it, the rail network has been identified as having "tiers" - the Tier 1 and Tier 2 grain haulage railway lines have been deemed to be essential to the operations of the grain freight network.[14] The position taken by the government recommended the closing of the Tier 3 railway lines[15] and developing the "Brookton Strategy", which involves CBH Group investing in rapid grain loading facilities at Brookton and Merredin.[16]

The Tier network is identified on the maps as the railway lines (Tier 2 and 3 as extensions beyond the main Tier 1 network) as following:

Closures

The government decided in 2012 to close the Tier 3 lines and upgrade local and state roads.[17]

Considerable concern was raised as to the closure proposals of the Tier 3 lines,[18] and the expected consequent increase in road traffic.[19]

The Wheatbelt Railway Retention Alliance[20] and the Save Grain on Rail website continued to state the case for retention of the network.

In October 2012, the WA Treasurer Troy Buswell announced a delay in closure of the Tier 3 railway lines, and a move of the onus for upgrading onto the operators, and not for the government to fund or maintain.[21] [22] [23] [24]

The January 2013 report by the Western Australian Auditor General Colin Murphy was critical of the Public Transport Authority and its management of the rail freight network lease.[25] [26] [27]

In early 2013, the Western Australian state election campaign saw increased activity in relation to the issue.

The Wheatbelt Railway Retention Alliance[28] and The West Australian reproduced the map of WA's grain rail network, outlining the context of the three tiers of the rail network.[29]

In September 2013, Buswell repeated his lack of interest in supporting the Tier 3 network, by responding to an issue on the Quairading line.[30]

In October 2013 Brookfield Rail announced closure of two of the Tier 3 railway lines (Merredin-Trayning and York-Quairading), with others not decided upon.[31] [32]

The remaining Tier 3 lines were closed in June 2014.[33]

Arc Infrastructure

In July 2017, Brookfield Rail changed its name to Arc Infrastructure.

Over three years of drawn out mediation and arbitration was carried out between Brookfield/Arc and CBH.

Despite the time and negotiation of a rail access agreement, over of Tier 3 railways remained closed.[34]

November 2019

On 1 November 2019, an agreement was finalised between Arc Infrastructure and CBH, after over seven years of actions and negotiations. The agreement involved keeping the Miling railway line open, and all other tier 3 railways closed, and allowing CBH access until 2026.[35] [36] [37] [38] [39]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: About the rail network. 90-95% of Wheatbelt Grain transported on Rail. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130114083037/http://savegrainonrail.com.au/about-the-rail-network/. 14 January 2013. Save Grain on Rail.
  2. News: The Immigration Commission. . Western Australia. 14 August 1905. 3 July 2015. 4. National Library of Australia.
  3. - usually in appendices to the report that identify goods carried by the railways
  4. WAGR Annual report 1932
  5. Web site: AU WA A658 - ROYAL COMMISSION TO ENQUIRE INTO AND REPORT UPON THE ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS IN WA. State Records of Western Australia.
  6. - narrow gauge lines of Western Australia
  7. News: TAMBELLUP- GNOWANGERUP-ONGERUP RAILWAY. Gnowangerup Times. 1. 44. Western Australia. 26 July 1913. 26 February 2019. 2. National Library of Australia.
  8. News: RAILWAY OPENING . The Southern Cross Times . VI . 426 . Western Australia . 24 August 1929 . 26 February 2019 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  9. News: NYABING TO PINGRUP . . XXXIX . 6,686 . Western Australia . 29 October 1923 . 26 February 2019 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  10. In current CBH terminology known as Receival locations, known colloquially and earlier as the "bins"
  11. Web site: About the Council. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130415024731/http://freightandlogisticscouncil.wa.gov.au/about-the-council/. 15 April 2013. Freight and Logistics Council of Western Australia.
  12. Web site: Membership. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130415024752/http://freightandlogisticscouncil.wa.gov.au/membership/. 15 April 2013. Freight and Logistics Council of Western Australia.
  13. Web site: Report prepared for Freight and Logistics Council of WA on behalf of the Strategic Grain Network Committee. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120401185345/http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/mediaFiles/freight_Strategic_Grain_Network_Report.pdf. 1 April 2012. December 2009. Strategic design + Development Pty Ltd. 21 April 2013.
  14. Web site: Grain Rail Network Upgrade. 12 October 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121212152408/http://www.brookfieldrail.com/OurProjects/Wheatbelt/GrainRailNetworkUpgrade.html . 12 December 2012. State and Federal government funding announced in November 2010 and January 2011 respectively, underwrites the $164.5 million Tier 1 and 2 narrow gauge grain rail re-sleepering program, which will see around 1,265 kilometres of rail lines dedicated to grain freight re-sleepered over the next four years.
  15. Web site: Tier 3 Rail Lines. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111113054426/https://wafarmers.org.au/tier-3-rail-lines. 13 November 2011. 13 October 2011. The Western Australian Farmers Federation. Noting that the WA Farmers Federation clarify their arguments against the recommendations
  16. Web site: End of the line for Tier 3 says Buswell. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110921043839/http://fw.farmonline.com.au/news/state/agribusiness-and-general/general/end-of-the-line-for-tier-3-says-buswell/2247563.aspx. 21 September 2011. Bobbie. Hinkley. 4 August 2011. Farm Weekly.
  17. Web site: Wheatbelt calls on WA Nationals to stand up and fight for tier three rail. 23 August 2012. Belinda. Varischetti. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 23 April 2013.
  18. Web site: Wheatbelt determined to fight State Government decision to close tier three rail lines. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120824072857/http://www.abc.net.au/rural/wa/content/2012/08/s3573582.htm. 24 August 2012. Belinda. Varischetti. Owen. Grieve. 22 August 2012. ABC Rural.
  19. Web site: Rail line closures to lead to spike in truck numbers. WA Today. 22 August 2012.
  20. Web site: York rail meeting builds on alliance momentum. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120409172245/http://fw.farmonline.com.au/news/state/grains-and-cropping/general/york-rail-meeting-builds-on-alliance-momentum/2512312.aspx. 9 April 2012. Tom. Clapin. 6 April 2012. Farm Weekly.
  21. Web site: Tier 3 railway freight lines to remain operational. https://archive.today/20121126235100/http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Lists/Statements/DispForm.aspx?ID=151170. 2012-11-26. dead.
  22. Web site: Tier 3 rail network to remain open. 11 October 2012. ABC News.
  23. Web site: Buswell backflips on rail closure. 11 October 2012. Business News Western Australia.
  24. Web site: Tier 3 lines to stay open in WA. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131031164230/http://www.farmingahead.com.au/Articles/storyView/StoryID/9639378. 31 October 2013. 12 October 2012. Farming Ahead Online.
  25. Web site: Management of the Rail Freight Network Lease: 12 Years down the Track. 3 January 2013. ABC News.
  26. Web site: Rail freight audit finds trouble. https://archive.today/20130403204101/http://wa.psnews.com.au/Page_WApsn1675.html. 2013-04-03. dead. PSnews.
  27. Web site: Funding needed for rail freight: report. Kent. Acott. The West Australian. 3 January 2013. Yahoo! News.
  28. Web site: Membership. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130409052330/http://savegrainonrail.com.au/sample-page/. 9 April 2013. Save Grain on Rail. 21 April 2013.
  29. News: Tier 3 may derail WA election. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131030091755/http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/business/a/-/national/16179159/tier-3-may-derail-wa-election/. 30 October 2013. 2. The West Australian. 19 February 2013. Yahoo! News.
  30. News: Buswell washes hands of Tier 3. Brad. Thompson. The West Australian. 25 September 2013. Yahoo! News.
  31. News: Wheatbelt farmers concerned rail freight line closure will hit their back pockets. 3 October 2013. ABC News.
  32. News: Wheatbelt rail lines to close. Yahoo! News. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131005005452/http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/19223720/wheatbelt-rail-lines-to-close/. 5 October 2013. Brad. Thompson. The West Australian. 3 October 2013.
  33. News: Nalder snared in train wreck. Brad. Thompson. The Weekend West. 1 November 2014. 127.
  34. News: Cally. Dupe. Hark! Its an arc for WA Rail. 9. the Countryman. 20 July 2017. News: 5. We've changed our name. the Countryman. 20 July 2017.
  35. News: WA grain-train dispute over, but hopes of Tier 3 reopening derailed. Hamish. Hastie. 4 November 2019. The Sydney Morning Herald.
  36. Web site: Standoff between CBH and Arc ends in breakthrough grain rail freight deal. Daniel. Mercer. 3 November 2019. ABC News.
  37. Web site: Farmers want tougher oversight after six-year rail war. Brad. Thompson. 4 November 2019. Financial Review.
  38. Web site: CBH, Arc rail deal on track. Mal. Gill. 7 November 2019. Farm Weekly.
  39. Web site: CBH secures Western Australia access to grain rail network. 11 April 2019. Holly. Demaree-Saddler. World-Grain.com.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Wheatbelt railway lines of Western Australia".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.