Balranald railway line

The Balranald railway line was a Victorian Railways broad gauge line that branched from Barnes on the Deniliquin railway line and ran to Balranald. The building of the line was sanctioned under the Border Railways Act 1922.^[3]

Balranald railway line
Overview
Status	Reactivated
Locale	Riverina, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates	36.026°S 144.7909°E / -36.026; 144.7909
Termini	Barnes Balranald
Stations	Wakool, Moulamein
History
Opened	26 March 1926 (1926-03-26)
Closed beyond Moulamein	1986 (1986)
Closed beyond Caldwell	March 9, 2006 (2006-03-09)[1]
Closed beyond Barnes	May 12, 2008 (2008-05-12)
Closed	May 12, 2008 (2008-05-12)
Reopened	November 20, 2024 (2024-11-20)
Technical
Line length	193.53 km (120.25 mi)[2]
Track gauge	1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Operating speed	30 km/h (19 mph)[1]
Route map km from Melbourne 455.981 Balranald Yangalake Impimi Moolpa Perekerten Berambong 389.078 Moulamein 372.601 Dhuragoon 364.655 Niemur 357.896 Jimaringle 345.735 Burraboi 334.691 Wakool 324.281 Yallakool 313.797 Caldwell 304.694 Tantonan 295.370 Bunnaloo 287.313 Thyra 279.175 Womboota 271.320 Benarca Centre Road Deniliquin railway line to Deniliquin 262.454 Barnes Deniliquin railway line to Echuca and Melbourne [2]

The Balranald branch line was opened on 26 March 1926. The section from Moulamein to Balranald was closed in 1986. The bridge across Yanga Creek near Balranald was subsequently demolished to make way for a realignment of the Sturt Highway.^[4] The sections of the line between Caldwell and Moulamein, and Barnes and Caldwell, were closed in 2006 and 2008 respectively.^[5]

On 20 November 2024, about 4 km section of the line up to Centre Road level crossing at Barnes was reopened as a stub siding.^[6]