Wangaratta railway station

Wangaratta railway station is located on the North East line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the town of Wangaratta. It was opened in 1873.

Wangaratta
Northbound view in August 2011
LocationSpearing Street, Wangaratta
Coordinates36°21′18″S 146°19′01″E
Owned byVicTrack
Operated byV/Line
Line(s)North East
Distance234.00 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms2 side
Tracks2
Construction
Structure typeGround
Other information
StatusStaffed
Station codeWAG
Fare zoneMyki zone 20
WebsitePublic Transport Victoria
History
Opened28 October 1873
Services
Preceding station   V/Line   Following station
Benalla
Albury line
Springhurst
towards Albury
Preceding station   NSW TrainLink   Following station
towards Melbourne
NSW TrainLink Southern
Melbourne XPT
Albury
towards Sydney

History

The station opened on 28 October 1873, as the temporary terminus of the line from Benalla, before it was extended to Wodonga on 21 November 1873.[1]

A goods shed is located across from the main platform, but has no siding, with the goods shed office itself demolished in 1978.[2] Dock platforms were also once located at both ends of the station. Wangaratta was once the junction for the Whitfield 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge railway. Footbridges are located at both the south end of the platform and over the northern end of the yard.

The main platform and station building is located to the east of the standard gauge "West" line. The original standard gauge line runs in a concrete walled cutting, located between the station and adjoining street, with a number of bridges crossing this cutting to provide station access. The platform on the standard gauge "East" line is located in the cutting at the Melbourne end of the station. Alumatta Loop is currently located to the south of the station on the standard gauge line.

Initial facilities included a goods shed and a temporary station building, with a brick station building, identical to that at Benalla, erected in 1874, with a two storied brick tower added to the Melbourne end in 1897. The large signal box was provided in 1887, and then extended in 1908, when the goods yard was enlarged, and the current goods shed provided.[3]

A small locomotive depot was provided in 1882, with a dual gauge 50-foot (15 m) long turntable provided in 1898. The narrow gauge Whitfield line opened in 1899, branching off from the main line at the southern end of the station. The line closed in 1953.[4]

When the standard gauge line was constructed through the station in 1962, extensive works were required to thread it through the narrow railway reserve. The locomotive depot and turntable were relocated from the east side of the line to the west side of the line, and new grade separations were provided at Rowan Street, to the north, and Roy Street, to the south.

During 1984, the passenger facilities in the main station building were refurbished.[5] The upgraded facilities re-opened on 9 November of the same year.[6]

During June/July 1997, the signal box at Wangaratta was abolished. Signalling and interlocked points were also abolished during this time.[7]

During the 2011 conversion of the broad gauge line to standard gauge, all sidings were disconnected. The station now has no loop or non-platform tracks, and essentially is now only a "through" station.

Former stations Winton and Glenrowan were located between Wangaratta and Benalla, while former station Bowser was located between Wangaratta and Springhurst.

Platforms & services
View of the eastern platform, built to serve Sydney to Melbourne passenger train services on the original standard gauge line. Which is currently not in use due to Inland rail to commence in late 2021

Wangaratta has two platforms. But only one is in use due to the Inland Rail project with upgrade works to start work late 2021. It is serviced by V/Line Albury line services and NSW TrainLink XPT Sydney to Melbourne services.[8][9]

Platform 1
Platform 2

No passenger service running on Platform 2 until further notice:- It has been used on the occasion if Works are going ahead on the main platform

V/Line operate road coach services from Wangaratta station to Bendigo,[10] Corowa,[11] Bright,[12] and Beechworth.

References
  1. "Wangaratta". Vicsig.
  2. "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. December 1978. p. 268.
  3. Turton, Keith W. (1973). Six And A Half Inches From Destiny. Australian Railway Historical Society. pp. 102–103. ISBN 0-85849-012-9.
  4. Brown, Sid (March 1990). "Tracks Across the State". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. pp. 71–76.
  5. "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. March 1985. p. 90.
  6. "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. May 1985. p. 147.
  7. "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. November 1997. p. 354.
  8. "Albury - Melbourne". Public Transport Victoria.
  9. "Southern timetable". NSW Trainlink. 7 September 2019.
  10. "Wangaratta - Bendigo". Public Transport Victoria.
  11. "Corowa - Wangaratta". Public Transport Victoria.
  12. "Bright - Melbourne". Public Transport Victoria.
Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Junction   Whitfield line   Towards Whitfield
  List of closed railway stations in Victoria  
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