Western Victorian Railfan Guide

The following companies operate trains on the Melbourne to Adelaide railway line...
Click on a logo to view an operators services.

QRNational
Great Southern Railway
El Zorro

Pacific National
Genesee & Wyoming Australia
S.C.T.

Australian Rail Track Corporation

The information provided here is a compilation of commonly available information, personal observations and contributions, and is not intended to be official or is it necessarily complete.

Special acknowledgements to the ARTC, Gheringhap Loop, (Gheringhap Loop Mirror Site) and the above operator's websites.

Additions and Corrections to this infomation are welcome via this address - wangara@wimmera.com.au

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Australian Railroad Group
Web Link

QRNational operate an intermodal service between Melbourne and Adelaide on behalf of P & O Trans, currently utilizing hired EL and VL class locomotives.

August 2008 saw them take over the opreation of the Horsham intermodal servicee, formally operated by Pacific National as trains 9791 and 9792.

MOTIVE POWER
Common Locomotives Used ---
Other Locomotives Used ---
Hired Locomotives Used EL, VL
SERVICES
Days Vic. No. Aust. No. Origin and Destination Consist Motive Power
Sun - Fri 9754 *AM6 Adelaide to Melbourne Containers 2 x VL/EL
Mon - Sat 9753 *MA6 Melbourne to Adelaide Containers 2 x VL/EL

El Zorro Transport Solutions

This company has begun to fill the void left by Pacific National's reduced intra-state services in Victoria, particularly grain haulage on behalf of AWB Lmited. Their current tasks also includes transporting grain from locations in northern New South Wales to Port Adelaide and Mallala In South Australia.

Motive power has varied, with hired units from CFCLA (EL class), the Seymour Rail Heritage Centre (GM36, C501) and SCT (G class) being the current choice.

September saw the start of a thrice weekly minerals sands train on behalf of Iluka Resources between Portland and Melboune, returning regular scheduled traffic to the Maroona to Portland line for the first time in many years. Initially the motive power has been El Zorro's own T386 and a hired SCT G class hauling a rake of around 21 conflats with two containers on each.

 MOTIVE POWER
Common Locomotives Used T
Other Locomotives Used ---
Hired Locomotives Used C, G, EL, GM
SERVICES
Days Vic. No. Aust. No. Origin and Destination Consist Motive Power
Tu, Th, Sa 9767 ---- Melbourne to Portland Empty Mineral Sands G-T
Mo, We, Fr 9768 ---- New South Wales to Adelaide Loaded Mineral Sands G-T
As required ---- ---- Appleton Dock to Dimboola Empty Grain various
As required ---- ---- Dimboola to Appleton Dock Loaded Grain various
As required ---- ---- Geelong to Dimboola Empty Grain various
As required ---- ---- Dimboola to Geelong Loaded Grain various
As required ---- ---- Adelaide to New South Wales Empty Grain various
As required ---- ---- New South Wales to Adelaide Loaded Grain various
Great Southern Railway
Web Link

GSR currently operate the only passenger services on this line, the Overland between Melbourne and Adelaide three times per week, with daylight services now in both directions. Pacific National provide the motive power to haul these trains

Additional services can operate in conjunction with big events in Melbourne, such as the AFL finals if an Adelaide team is competing.

MOTIVE POWER
Common Locomotives Used NR
Other Locomotives Used ---
Hired Locomotives Used ---
SERVICES
Days Vic. No. Aust. No. Origin and Destination Consist Motive Power
Tu, Th, Sa 8701 *MA8 Melbourne to Adelaide Overland Single NR
Mo, We, Fr 8702 *AM8 Adelaide to Melbourne Overland Single NR

Intermodal
Web Link

Pacific National was formed by the merger of National Rail, Toll and Patrick Rail, along with Freightcorp from New South Wales, and have since added ATN and Freight Australia to their stable.

Pacific National's Intermodal division operate container and steel trains on this corridor and between all mainland state capitals, excluding Darwin.

MOTIVE POWER
Common Locomotives Used NR
Other Locomotives Used AN, BL, DL, XRB, 81
Hired Locomotives Used ---

PacNat Intermodal services are domiated by the 119 strong NR class, members of which exclusively lead these trains. Trailing units come from PacNat's own AN, BL, DL, NR, XR, XRB and 81 classes.

Most trains feature two or three units, although occasionally quads or quins are sighted.

SERVICES
Days Vic. No. Aust. No. Origin and Destination Consist Motive Power
Mo - Sa 9701 MA5 Melb-Adel Super NR-DL
Mo - Sa 9702 AM5 Adel-Melb Super NR-DL
Su - Sa 9711 MP5 Melb-Perth Super NR-NR / NR-AN
Su - Mo Th - Sa 9712 PM5 Perth-Melb Super NR-NR / NR-AN
Mo - We Sa 9714 PM6 Perth-Melb Super NR-NR
Tu Sa 9715 MP7 Melb-Perth Trailerail NR-NR
Tu Fr 9716 PM7 Perth-Melb Trailerail NR-NR
Mo - Fr 9755 MA3 Melb-Adel Patricks NR-XRB-NR
Tu - Fr 9756 AM3 Adel-Melb Patricks NR-XRB-NR
Tu Fr 9764 AB6 Adel-Bris Super NR + AN/DL/NR
Tu Fr 9827 BA6 Bris-Adel Super NR-NR
Tu Fr 9765 MP4 Melb-Perth Toll NR-NR
Su - Mo 9821 SP2 Syd-Perth Steel 1, 2 or 3 NR and occasionally AN or DL as trailing unit
Tu - Fr 9821 WP2 Port Kembla-Perth Steel 1, 2 or 3 NR and occasionally AN or DL as trailing unit
Su Tu - Sa 9822 PW4 Perth-Port Kembla Steel 2 locos - NR + NR or other trailing unit

Rural & Bulk

The last presence of this operator on this part of the system is in the form of irregular grain services loading at locations along the main line and as far as Warracknabeal on the Hopetoun branch. The Yaapeet branch and the rails north of Warracknabeal appear to currently be off Pacific National's radar. All services operate only as required.

MOTIVE POWER
Common Locomotives Used XR
Other Locomotives Used G
Hired Locomotives Used ---
SERVICES
Days Vic. No. Aust. No. Origin and Destination Consist Motive Power
As required 9721 --- Geelong to Murtoa/Dimboola & Beyond Empty Grain ---
As required 9722 --- Murtoa/Dimboola to Geelong Loaded Grain ---
As required 9781 --- Yaapeet Branch Empty Grain ---
As required 9782 --- Yaapeet Branch Loaded Grain ---
As required 9783 --- Portland to Dimboola & Beyond Empty Grain ---
As required 9784 --- Dimboola to Portland Loaded Grain ---
As required 9785 --- Portland to Murtoa or Hopetoun Empty Grain ---
As required 9786 --- Hopetoun or Murtoa to Portland Loaded Grain ---

Specialized Container Transport
Web Link

Specialized Container Transport operate trains between Melbourne, Adelaide and beyond to Perth, and are made up of their distinctive vans with some containers. SCT now provide their own line haul with their fleet of former PacNat G class and new SCT class locomotives for their Melbourne to Perth Services.

As more of the SCT class have come on line durig 2008, most of the distinctive white G class units have found work on hire to other operators, including El Zorro and QRNational along with a couple of interstate assignments.

MOTIVE POWER
Common Locomotives Used SCT
Other Locomotives Used G
Hired Locomotives Used ---
SERVICES
Days Vic. No. Aust. No. Origin and Destination Consist Motive Power
Mo Tu Fr 9751 *MP9 Melbourne to Perth Louvre vans and containers 3 x SCT
Tu Fr Sa 9752 *PM9 Perth to Melbourne Louvre vans and containers 3 x SCT

Genesee & Wyoming Australia
Web Link

Genesee & Wyoming Australia operate what was formally the Australian Railroad Group's South Australian operation which was owned by a joint venture between Genesee & Wyoming International and Wesfarmers. On this line GWA operate the South Australian intra-state grain services on the main line as far as Wolseley, and the Loxton and Pinnaroo branches - theoretically also on the Apamurra line although this line is in effect closed.

They have also operated trains from Pinnaroo, via Tailem Bend to Geelong or Appleton Dock.

MOTIVE POWER
Common Locomotives Used CLF, CLP, GM
Other Locomotives Used ALF, 22
Hired Locomotives Used ---
SERVICES
Days S.A. No. Aust No. Origin and Destination Consist Motive Power
As required --- --- South Australia to Geelong or Appleton Dock Grain Various
As required --- --- Geelong or Appleton Dock to South Australia Grain Various
As required *R81 --- Adelaide to Tailem Bend Grain Various
As required *R82 --- Tailem Bend to Port Adelaide Grain Various
As required *K41 --- Adelaide to Tookayerta (Loxton) Grain Various
As required *K42 --- Yookayerta (Loxton) to Port Adelaide Grain Various
As required *L51 --- Adelaide to Pinnaroo Grain Various
As required *L52 --- Pinnaroo to Port Adelaide Grain Various
As required *Q81 --- Adelaide to Wolseley Grain Various
As required *Q82 --- Wolseley to Port Adelaide Grain Various

Services also operate to intermediate locations on these lines, with the train numbering system as follows...

  • First Number - Day of the week (1 - Sunday.....7 - Saturday)
  • Second Number - Route Code -
    • J - Apumurra Line
    • K - Loxton Line
    • L - Pinnaroo Line
    • Q - Coomandook to Wolseley Line
    • R - Tailem Bend
  • Third Number - Destination Code - Number of location along line
  • Train Sequence Number - 1 for first down train, 2 for first up train, 3 for second down train...
Australian Rail Track Corporation
Web Link

The Australian Rail Track Corporation controls the track between Melburne and Adelaide and is responsible for all maintenance on the line. Currently this task is contracted to South Spur Rail. Works trains operate on an 'as required' basis, with ballast trains often operating out of Glenorchy and Gheringhap in Victoria and Callington in South Australia

 
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