Wooloongabba Branch railway line
The Wooloongabba Branch railway line was a branch line off the South Coast railway line in the inner southern suburbs of Brisbane, Australia. It opened on 2 June 1884 to serve the wharves and industries along the Brisbane River at Woolloongabba and South Brisbane. Queensland Railways always referred to the line as the Wooloongabba Branch, despite the official spelling of the suburb it ran through being Woolloongabba.
Approval and construction
A railway from the Western line to Woolloongabba was first proposed in 1878. A railway from South Brisbane Junction to Stanley Street railway station was approved by the Queensland Parliament on 17 September 1881. The first sod was turned in October 1882. The line was built to provide a connection for Ipswich area coal mines exporting from and/or refueling ships at the wharves.The South Brisbane Wharf Branch extension was proposed in 1889 and costings were made in 1892.
Route
The branch ran from Boggo Junction and ran under the Cleveland line. There was passenger station at Albert and a passenger terminus at Stanley Street near the South Brisbane Dry Dock. The major locomotive depot for the southern half of Brisbane's suburban network was at "Wooloongabba". The line was extended to the State Fish Market near Victoria Bridge, opening on 30 March 1897 with the first consignment of goods on 12 April.Stanley Street was the terminus for passenger trains south of the Brisbane River until the opening of Melbourne Street station.