Rail transport in Australia


Rail transport in Australia is a component of the Australian transport system. It is to a large extent state-based, as each state largely has its own operations, with the interstate network being developed ever since Australia's federation in 1901. The Australian heavy rail system was built to three track gauges: broad gauge, standard gauge, and narrow gauge. As delineated in the infobox, total route-kilometres of these gauges as of 2024 were respectively about 8%, 56% and 35% of the grand total of. Less than 1% was dual gauge and about 11% was electrified. About 87% of the network is single-tracked.
Not included in the above figures are about of narrow gauge lines supporting the sugar-cane industry.
Except for a small number of [|private railways], including the very heavy haul mineral railways in the north of Western Australia, most of the Australian railway network infrastructure is government-owned, either at the federal or state level. The Australian federal government is involved in the formation of national policies, and provides funding for national projects.

National issues

Uniform gauge

Very little thought was given in the early years of the development of the colony-based rail networks of Australia-wide interests. The most obvious issue to arise was determining a track gauge. Despite advice from London to adopt a uniform gauge, should the lines of the various colonies ever meet, gauges were adopted in different colonies, and indeed within colonies, without reference to those of other colonies. This has caused problems ever since.
Attempts to fix the gauge problem are by no means complete.

Electrification

With the electrification of suburban networks, which began in 1919, a consistent electric rail traction standard was not adopted. Electrification began in Melbourne in 1919 using 1500 V DC. Sydney's lines were electrified from 1926 using 1500 V DC, Brisbane's from 1979 using 25 kV AC, and Perth's from 1992 using 25 kV AC. There has also been extensive non-urban electrification in Queensland using 25 kV AC, mainly during the 1980s for the coal routes. From 2014 Adelaide's lines are being gradually electrified at 25 kV AC. 25 kV AC voltage has now become the international standard.

History

The first railways in Australia were built by private companies, based in the then colonies of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
The first railway was privately owned and operated and commissioned by the Australian Agricultural Company in Newcastle in 1831, a cast-iron fishbelly rail on an inclined plane as a gravitational railway servicing A Pit coal mine. The first steam-powered line opened in Victoria in 1854. The four km long Flinders Street to Sandridge line was opened by the Melbourne & Hobson's Bay Railway Company at the height of the Victorian gold rush.
In these early years there was very little thought of Australia-wide interests in developing the colony-based networks. The most obvious issue to arise was determining a uniform gauge for the continent. Despite advice from London to adopt a uniform gauge, should the lines of the various colonies ever meet, gauges were adopted in different colonies, and indeed within colonies, without reference to those of other colonies. This example has caused problems ever since at the national level.
In the 1890s, the establishment of an Australian Federation from the six colonies was debated. One of the points of discussion was the extent that railways would be a federal responsibility. A vote to make it so was lost narrowly; instead the new constitution allowed "the acquisition, with the consent of a State, of any railways of the State on terms arranged between the Commonwealth and the State" and "railway construction and extension in any State with the consent of that State". However, the Australian Government is free to provide funding to the states for rail upgrading projects under Section 96.
Suburban electrification began in Melbourne in 1919. Sydney's lines were electrified from 1926, Brisbane's from 1979, and Perth's from 1992. Mainline electrification was first carried out in Victoria in 1954, closely followed by New South Wales which continued to expand their network. These networks have fallen into decline, in contrast to Queensland where 25 kV AC equipment was introduced from the 1980s for coal traffic.
Diesel locomotives were introduced to Australian railways from the early 1950s. Most units were of local design and construction, using imported British or American technology and power equipment. The three major firms were Clyde Engineering partnered with GM-EMD, Goninan with General Electric, and AE Goodwin with the American Locomotive Company. The major British company was English Electric; Swiss firm Sulzer also supplied some equipment. This continues today, with Downer Rail and UGL Rail the modern incarnations of Clyde and Goninan respectively.

Milestones

Note: In the list below, narrow gauge is, standard gauge is and broad gauge is.
While Australian federal governments have provided substantial funding for the upgrading of roads, since the 1920s they have not regularly funded investment in railways except for their own railway, the Commonwealth Railways, later Australian National Railways, which was privatised in 1997. They have considered the funding of railways owned by State Governments to be a State responsibility.
Nevertheless, Australian governments have made loans to the states for gauge standardisation projects from the 1920s to the 1970s. From the 1970s to 1996, the Australian Government has provided some grant funding to the States for rail projects, particularly the Keating Government's One Nation program, announced in 1992, which was notable for standardising the Adelaide to Melbourne line in 1995. Significant government funding was also made available for the Alice Springs to Darwin line, opened in 2004. Substantial funding is now being made available for freight railways through the Australian Rail Track Corporation and the AusLink land transport funding program.