Kywong railway line

The Kywong railway line is a closed branch railway line in New South Wales, Australia, 53 kilometres (33 mi) in length. It branched from the Main South line at Uranquinty to the township of Kywong.^[1]

Construction

Representations for the construction of the branch railway were first made in 1919 when a deputation waited upon the Minister for Public Works to urge the building a line from Wagga Wagga to Corobimilla. Exploratory surveys were made and it was decided that the most suitable route lay from Uranquinty to Moons Siding, a point about six kilometres south of Narrandera on the Tocumwal line.

The Railway Commissioners furnished a report on the proposal and the matter was referred for consideration by the Public Works Committee on 22 November 1922. The proposal at that time was for the line to terminate at a location near to present day Galore. Finally, in August, 1923, the Parliamentary Committee on Public Works recommended construction of the line, but construction did not begin until March, 1926. On 27 June 1927, The Public Works Committee agreed to a 4-mile extension of the line to Sandigo, the present day Kywong. The line was opened to Kywong on 23 March 1929.^[1][2]

Operations

4836 shunts past Kywong platform in February 1970

The Down Mixed Train operated on Tuesdays only in 1957, connecting off the southbound Albury Mail, the Up service returning the same day, connecting with the northbound Albury Mail at Uranquinty.

The surrounding countryside is flat, open terrain, with few trees. The track was mainly unfenced, allowing livestock to graze along the track, causing some difficulty for train crews.^[1]

Passenger services ceased operation in 1975, during a period of widespread closure of New South Wales branch-line passenger services, leaving the line at that time as a seasonal wheat line. The line was completely closed in 1988.^[3]

References

Railway lines in New South Wales
Main lines Broken Hill Main Northern Main South Main Western North Coast South Coast
Country branch lines Operational Berrima Binnaway-Werris Creek Blayney-Demondrille Boggabilla Bombala Canberra Cobar Coonamble Grenfell Gwabegar Hay Lake Cargelligo Medway Quarry Mungindi Naradhan Newcastle Oaklands Parkes to Narromine Picton-Mittagong loop Pokataroo Sandy Hollow-Gulgong South Maitland Railway Stockinbingal-Parkes Temora-Roto Tottenham Troy Junction-Merrygoen Unanderra-Moss Vale Walgett Warren Yanco-Griffith Closed Ballina Barraba Belmont Boorowa Brewarrina Burcher Camden Captains Flat Corowa Crookwell Dorrigo Eugowra Holbrook Inverell Kunama Kywong Merriwa Molong-Dubbo Morpeth Mount Hope Murwillumbah Newnes Oberon Rand Rankins Springs Richmond Vale Railway Taralga Tocumwal Toronto Tumbarumba Tumut Wallsend Westby
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Proposed or under construction Inland Railway Maldon–Dombarton Sydney Metro Northwest Sydney Metro City & Southwest Western Sydney Freight Line
Tourist & heritage railways Glenreagh Mountain Railway Lachlan Valley Railway New South Wales Rail Transport Museum Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway Richmond Vale Railway Skitube Zig Zag Railway