Clackline–Miling railway

The Clackline to Miling railway branch, originally known as the Clackline to Newcastle railway line, is a railway line in Western Australia.

The line developed progressively over the years and as it did so, various sections were named differently. Each section of the line needed separate lobbying and discussion in the Western Australian Parliament to get enabling acts. The final section was approved in 1920[1] and completed in 1925.[2]

After completion it became known as the Miling branch, following final expansion north to Miling, and the closing of the Clackline to Newcastle (Toodyay) section.

Clackline to Newcastle (Toodyay) (now closed)

The railway line to connect Newcastle to the eastern railway was considered to be best started from Clackline, rather than Northam.[3][4] The original terminus of the line in the 1890s was a platform, it was later that the second stopping place properly known as Toodyay railway station was completed after the extension to Newcastle-Bolgart Railway was completed.

Following the construction of the standard gauge railway through the Avon valley in the 1960s, the connection with Clackline was no longer needed, and was closed with other former eastern railway connections in February 1966.

It is now a heritage trail.[5][6]

Newcastle to Bolgart
Main article: Newcastle–Bolgart Railway

Toodyay to Miling

In the 1960s the railway line from Toodyay to Miling was altered by the construction of the Eastern Railway through the Avon Valley, through Toodyay and a connection with Northam.[7]

Tier system

The fate of the railway has been put in question due to the separation of wheatbelt railway lines being designated into specific tiers.[8][9]

Stages of opening

The railway line was developed over time, the construction taking fifteen years to travel over 100 km.[10]

  • Clackline – Newcastle January 1888 23.1 km
  • Newcastle – Bolgart December 1909 37.0 km
  • Bolgart – Calingiri May 1917 23.2 km
  • Calingiri – Piawaning June 1919 30.4 km
  • Piawanning – Miling August 1925 43.8 km

Stopping places

Names used as found in WAGR Annual reports in the 1950s

    • Clackline – Newcastle line
  • Clackline
  • Lawnswood
  • Nanamoolan
  • Hoodys Well
  • Ringa
  • Key Farm
  • Lloyds crossing
  • Newcastle / Toodyay[11]
    • Newcastle – Bolgart line
  • Lunns landing
  • Coondle
  • Dewars Pool
  • Culham
  • Bejoording
  • Wattening
  • Bolgart
    • Bolgart – Miling line
  • Wyening
  • Calcarra
  • Calingiri
  • Carani
  • Yerecoin
  • Piawaning
  • Gabalong
  • Bindi Bindi
  • Lyons Camp
  • Miling

2019 derailments

The line has had derailments in 2019.[12][13][14][15][16]

Notes
  1. "RAILWAY EXTENSION". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 17 December 1920. p. 7. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  2. "ANOTHER RAILWAY". Western Mail. Perth: National Library of Australia. 20 August 1925. p. 15. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  3. Stevens, Simon (1999), Toodyay-Clackline railway line : a brief history, S. Stevens, retrieved 8 February 2014
  4. January 1888 to February 1966 – page 67 Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John R; Australian Railway Historical Society. New South Wales Division (2000), Australian railway routes 1854 to 2000, Australian Railway Historical Society – New South Wales Division, ISBN 978-0-909650-49-0
  5. Avon Valley Environmental Society (1997), Management plan for Toodyay-Clackline Heritage Trail, The Society, retrieved 8 February 2014
  6. Gunness, Ann G; Wildflower Society of Western Australia; Bushland Plant Survey Project (W.A.) (1999), The vegetation and flora of remnant bushland along the Clackline Rail Reserve, Shires of Northam and Toodyay, Wildflower Society of Western Australia, retrieved 8 February 2014
  7. Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John R; Australian Railway Historical Society. New South Wales Division (2000), Australian railway routes 1854 to 2000, Australian Railway Historical Society – New South Wales Division, ISBN 978-0-909650-49-0
  8. "Uncertainty over Miling Tier 2 rail line - Agriculture - Agribusiness - General News - Farm Weekly". Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  9. Australian Broadcasting Corporation http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-10/tier-2-miling-line-future-in-question/501. Retrieved 8 February 2014. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. The specific start locations of the connections in the Toodyay area changed with the Standard Gauge development, with Quinland and Newland identifying a location called Point Y – 1 km from Toodyay West – Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John R; Australian Railway Historical Society. New South Wales Division (2000), Australian railway routes 1854 to 2000, Australian Railway Historical Society – New South Wales Division, ISBN 978-0-909650-49-0
  11. Newcastle was renamed Toodyay in 1910
  12. "Another grain train goes off the rails". 3 September 2019.
  13. "Farm Table".
  14. "Miling farmers fear future on rail at stake". 10 July 2019.
  15. "Train derailment north of Perth". 26 June 2019.
  16. "Derailment raises Miling line concerns". 4 July 2019.
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