Western Victorian Railfan Guide

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Trains and Operators

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 		 

P & O Trans Australia

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 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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QRNational / Interail
Web Link

QRNational operate an intermodal service between Melbourne and Adelaide utilizing a stable of owned and hired locomotives. This service provides the most variety in motive power of the regular services on this route.

MOTIVE POWER
Common Locomotives Used 6000, LDP
Other Locomotives Used CLF, CLP
Hired Locomotives Used ---
SERVICES
Days Vic. No. Aust. No. Origin and Destination Consist Motive Power
Sun - Fri 9754 *PM1 Perth to Melbourne Containers Various
Mon - Sat 9753 *MP1 Melbourne to Perth Containers Various

El Zorro Transport Solutions

This operator is now a reqular on this part of the system with their containerised minerial sands trains from Portland to Appleton Dock in Melbourne and their new Hopetoun to Hamilton mineral sands (in hoppers) traffic. THey are also regulars with grain services from various locations such as Dimboola, Murtoa, Nhill and Warracknabeal and the ports of Melbourne, Geelong and Portland.

 MOTIVE POWER
Common Locomotives Used T, S
Other Locomotives Used ---
Hired Locomotives Used C, G, GM, S
SERVICES
Days Vic. No. Aust. No. Origin and Destination Consist Motive Power
Tu, Th, Sa 9767V ---- Melbourne to Portland Empty Mineral Sands (Containers) Various
Mo, We, Fr 9768V ---- Portland to Melbourne Loaded Mineral Sands (Containers) Various
13 per fortnight 9768V ---- Hamilton to Hopetoun Empty Mineral Sands (Hoppers) 2 x S Class
13 per fortnight 9769V ---- Hopetoun to Hamilton Loaded Mineral Sands (Hoppers) 2 x S Class
As required ---- ---- Appleton Dock/Geelong/Portland to Dimboola Empty Grain various
As required ---- ---- Dimboola to Appleton Dock/Geelong/Portland Loaded Grain various
Great Southern Railway
Web Link

GSR currently operate the only passenger services on this line, with the thrice weekly daylight Overland between Melbourne and Adelaide and the up market Southern Spirit service in season. Pacific National provide the motive power to haul these trains usually in the form of a single NR class locomotive

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 'as required' grain services loading at locations along the main line and the Hopetoun and Yaapeet branches. Double XR combinations are the norm, although the occasional service originating in New South Wales may feature one or two 81's and the occasional G has made a rare appearance. THis operator has not unloaded at Portland for some years now with Geelong and Melbourne the export terminals of choice

MOTIVE POWER
Common Locomotives Used G, XR
Other Locomotives Used ---
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 XR-XR
As required 9722 --- Murtoa/Dimboola to Geelong Loaded Grain XR-XR
As required 9781 --- Yaapeet Branch Empty Grain XR-XR
As required 9782 --- Yaapeet Branch Loaded Grain XR-XR
As required 9785 --- Hopetoun Branch Empty Grain XR-XR
As required 9786 --- Hopetoun Branch Loaded Grain XR-XR

P & O Trans Australia
Web Link

POTA operates a Melbourne-Adelaide-Melbourne rail service six days per week for shipping lines, and services the WImmera Container Lines termainal at Horsham either via this intercapital service or as required dedicated Melbourne-Horahsm-Melbourne trains.

MOTIVE POWER
Common Locomotives Used ---
Other Locomotives Used ---
Hired Locomotives Used 80, GML, S
SERVICES
Days Vic. No. Aust. No. Origin and Destination Consist Motive Power
Sun, Wed, Thurs, Sat 9719 *MA2 Melbourne to Horsham Containers 80-80-GML
Tues, Thurs, Sat 9720 *AM2 Horsham to Melbourne Containers 80-80-GML

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 modern SCT class locomotives for their Melbourne to Perth Services.

MOTIVE POWER
Common Locomotives Used SCT
Other Locomotives Used ---
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 also operate a containerised mineral sands service between Mindarie on the Loxton line and Pelican Point.

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. They do not operate their own trains but contract this to other operators which in the past has various companies, with the most recent being Pacific National and El Zorro.

© 2011 Western Victorian Railfan Guide