Nannup railway line

The Nannup branch railway, also known as the Wonnerup to Nannup railway, was a branch line of the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) between Wonnerup and Nannup.

Nannup branch
Overview
Owner	Public Transport Authority
Termini	Wonnerup Nannup
Service
Type	Heavy rail
History
Opened	June 1871 (as Ballaarat tramway) then in stages until 31 March 1909 (Jarrahwood–Nannup)
Technical
Line length	62 km (39 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Route map Legend mi-ch km Ballaarat tramline  0-00 0.0 Wonnerup Flinders Bay line  4-22 6.9 Ruabon  7-62 12.5 Tutunup 10- 5 16.2 Cartis 10-45 17.0 Yoganup 15-20 24.5 Maryvale Ballaarat tramline (end) 16-35 26.5 Claymore Public Works Department / State Saw Mills Tramway 19-36 31.3 Quilergup 21-72 35.2 Jarrahwood   Millars Karri & Jarrah Forests Tramways   28-32 45.7 Cambray Kauri Timber Company Tramway 30-34 49.0 Dellerton Sussex Timber Company Tramway 33-31 53.7 Bibilup Blackwood River 38- 8 61.3 Nannup Township 00-00 62.4 Nannup 38-64 62.4 Nannup Kauri Timber Company Tramway This diagram: view talk edit

History

In 1897 the Jarrah Wood and Saw Mills Company leased the W.A. Timber Company's former timber concession in the South West of Western Australia. The section of the W.A. Timber Company's Ballaarat tramway route south of the Bunbury–Busselton railway was reused by the Jarrah Wood and Saw Mills Company for the construction of a railway between Wonnerup and Jarrahwood^[1] in 1898–99.

The line operated until 1903, and was bought by the WAGR in 1907.^[2] Residents in the Nannup region were advocating for the extension to the railway in 1905^[3][4][5] and in 1909 the Jarrahwood to Nannup line was completed and opened.^[6] Construction of this extension was authorised through the Wonnerup-Nannup Railway Act 1907, assented to on 20 December 1907.^[7]

As operated by the WAGR, the line was 38 miles 64 chains (38.80 miles, 62.44 km) from Wonnerup to Nannup and saw three trains per week in each direction during the 1940s.^[8]

The line was closed in 1984.^[9] A re-commissioning study was conducted in 1989^[10] but did not result in the reinstatement of the railway.

Rail Trail

While the rails have been lifted, the rail corridor is still owned by the Government, through the Public Transport Authority.^[11]

The section between Jarrahwood and Nannup has been converted to the Sidings Rail Trail and forms part of the Munda Biddi Trail.^[12][13]