Railway Digest Magazine April 2022 Back Issue

Inland Rail update
Described by its protagonists as “the backbone of a modern network for a modern nation” and supported by both sides of politics, Inland Rail has not been without its detractors. John Hoyle reports on the recent progress, and some of the problems besetting this 1,727-kilometre, $14 billion “Nation building” rail project.

60 years of standard gauge
2022 marks 60 years of service for the Melbourne – Albury standard gauge line. Opened with much fanfare and positive interest from railway personnel and the general public alike in January 1962, the first freight train from Sydney to Melbourne that did not need to tranship its load at Albury was seen as heralding a new era in efficiency for the rail industry. However, history shows that the opening of the new standard gauge line occurred at a difficult time for railways, as Ken Date explains.

Sydney Inner West light rail service disrupted after cracks discovered in trams
On Friday 5 November 2021, the then NSW Transport Minister, Rob Stokes, announced that the inner west (L1) light rail service would be suspended for up to 18 months. The story began on Thursday 28 October, when initial alert to Transport for NSW staff stated that buses would replace trams on the Dulwich Hill Line until Sunday 31 October due to “Minor cracking to welding on a limited number of vehicles”. Dale Budd looks at how the story played out.