Railway Digest Magazine Aug-15 Back Issue

Victoria’s Regional Rail Link completed.
The final section of the Regional Rail Link (RRL), from Deer Park Junction, on the Ballarat Line, to Manor Junction on the Geelong Line, was opened for revenue services on Sunday, 21 June. Victoria’s RRL is testament to the huge growth in V/Line interurban travel in recent years, with a 150 per cent increase experienced on the Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo lines in the six years to 2012. . John Hoyle reports.

Gunnedah to Werris Creek
The North-West region of New South Wales is a very active railway route. The Gunnedah Basin plays host to seven coal mines which are serviced by Pacific National (with triple TT/92/93 Class combinations and a single rake with triple 82 Class), Aurizon (with double 5000/5020/5040 Class) and Whitehaven (operated by Pacific National with triple WH Class, or replacements from Pacific National). While the majority of services north of Werris Creek comprise coal trains, other trains that can been seen include the NSW TrainLink Moree/Armidale Xplorer passenger service, Pacific National-operated grain and flour services, which run to and from the Manildra mill at Gunnedah, Qube-operated container services from Narrabri, and Freightliner (recently purchased by GWA) operated cotton trains from Wee Waa. John Scott took his camera there over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, and this marvellous photo-essay was the result.

East Perth Terminal
Located two kilometres from Perth station, on a standard-gauge spur off the suburban Midland line, what is now known as East Perth Terminal welcomed its first standard-gauge interstate passenger train on 15 June 1969, inaugurating a fiv