Written By: Thomas McIntosh
Photos By: Thomas McIntosh, Ian Green, Blake Cogley and Tom Schache
Page last Updated: 13/6/20
The Warrnambool line is a 270 kilometre broad gauge passenger railway line that serves the areas of south-west Victoria, it passes through regional cities and towns like Geelong, Colac and Warrnambool itself. Presently, V/line operates the services on this line, but between 1993 and 2004 the service was ran by West Coast Rail, the contract was given back to V/line following the collapse of West Coast Rail. Between Southern Cross and Warrnambool, the line has 21 stops and several freight yards at North Shore, North Geelong, Waurn Ponds and Dennington (West of Warrnambool).
A map of the Warrnambool line and the surrounding coach network. Source: V/Line
Westvic Yard (Dennington)
Looking West at the Westvic Siding. (7/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
The most western point of the line is the Westvic Yard, originally the line continued on out to the nearby town of Port Fairy. The line was closed in September 1977. In the present day, the Westvic siding is used by Pacific National to load small container trains which run to Appleton Dock as #9204.
Further beyond the yard there are overgrown tracks that used to continue all the way out to Port Fairy, they stop just after Drummond Street. |
A Pacific National crew car at the Westvic Siding. (7/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
The remnants of the Port Fairy line at Drummond Street. (7/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Warrnambool Station
The station sign for Warrnambool. (7/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Opening in 1890, Warrnambool station is the terminus for the line. It is located 267 kilometers from Southern Cross.
The station is made up of the main station building, which includes a baggage handling area and a waiting room. There is also a bus interchange for coaches to Portland and Port Fairy, 3 yards to stable trains in and a turntable. Just east of the station there was a goods shed which was demolished in 2018. |
Looking over the yards, turntable and station. (7/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
The station building and bus interchange. (7/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Looking towards Melbourne. (7/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Looking towards Dennington. (7/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Inside the waiting room. (7/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Luggage handling area inside the station building. (7/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Sherwood Park Station
The station sign. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Located on the eastern outskirts of Warrnambool, Sherwood Park is the second station on the line.
The station was built in 2006 to serve the nearby Deakin university. The station consists of the platform and one shelter, there are no car parks or any drop off points. There is a bus interchange for people to use and several paths from the station that lead directly to the university. Otherwise, there is nothing else in the surrounding area. |
The whole station, there really isn't anything! (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Aitken Drive level crossing. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Looking in the direction Warrnambool. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Looking towards Melbourne. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Terang Station
The station sign. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
The third station on the Warrnambool line is Terang, opening up in 1887, the station used to be a junction for the Mortlake line, which was active between 1890 and 1978.
Next to the station there used to be 4 yards, which has now been reduced to a single dead end siding, next to that siding there looks to be remnants of a second platform. The station building is also heritage listed. |
The heritage listed station building. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Looking towards Warrnambool. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Camperdown Station
The station sign. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Opening in 1883, Camperdown station is the fourth station on the Warrnambool line, the station has a crossing loop which is mainly used for the down Warrnambool freight train to cross the morning Southern Cross pass train on weekdays.
The station used to be the junction for the Timboon freight line, which closed in 1985. There used to be sidings that provided for Shell and Mobil, there was also a locomotive and works siding. All of which was removed in 1988. |
The main station building. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Looking towards Warrnambool. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Colac Station
Platform station sign. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Colac station opened in 1877 as the terminus for what is now the Warrnambool line. The line was extended to Camperdown in 1883. The station used to be an interchange for the 2 ft 6 in gauge Cowes railway line, which opened in the 1900s are served the farming and timber areas of the Otway Ranges. The line shut in completely in 1962 and now appears to have become a rail trail. At the station there is a second platform along with what looks to be a goods shed and a shelter. Before 1988 there used to be an oil siding at the up end of the station.
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The station builidng and car park. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
An overpass that leads to the Old Beechy Rail Trail. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Looking towards Melbourne. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Looking towards Warrnambool. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
An old V/line sign. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Another old sign. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
The customer service desk, inside the station building. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
The waiting room, inside the station building. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Another station sign. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
A disused turntable, located in front of the car park. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Birregurra Station
The station sign. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Birregurra opened in March 1887 and was the terminus of what is now the Warrnambool line for a few months, that changed when the line was extended out to Colac in July of that year.
Between 1889 and 1957 this station used to be the junction for the Forrest Branch line. It ran through the foothills of the Otway ranges out to the town of Forrest. All sidings that were at this station have now been removed. All that remains is a dirt car park, a station builidng and a single platform. |
The station building, it's in a very green area! (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
In the station building, a sign for trains to the closed Port Fairy line. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Looking towards Melbourne. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Looking towards Warrnambool. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Winchelsea Station
The station sign. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Opening in November 1876 like every other station on the line, Winchelsea used to be the terminus for what is now the Warrnambool line. It was the terminus up until March of 1877 when the line was extended to Birregurra.
The station used to have a crossing loop as well, but it was removed in July 2008. Today, the station is made up of a single track, a dirt car park and the main station building. |
The main station building. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
A small information board about the paper ticket system. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Looking towards Warnambool. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Looking towards Melbourne. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Trains on the Warrnambool Line
BL29 leads 9203 into the Westvic siding near Warrnambool. (27/12/19)
Photo By: Tom Schache |
701 leads an RTA tour into Warrnambool. (30/5/93)
Photo By: Ian Green |
N462 leads an up Warrnambool pass out of the town. (7/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh
N466 leads a down Warrnambool pass into Terang. (8/6/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
701 shunts a VHEF wagon at Dennington whilst on an RTA tour. (30/5/93)
Photo By: Ian Green |
All information sourced from Wikipedia