Kadina–Brinkworth railway line explained

System:South Australian Railways
Status:Partially closed and removed, remaining section dormant
Locale:Mid North, South Australia
Start:Kadina
End:Brinkworth
Continuesfrom:Balaklava-Moonta line
Continuesas:Hamley Bridge-Gladstone line
Open:Kadina-Snowtown: 1 October 1879
Snowtown-Brinkworth: 2 July 1894
Close:Snowtown-Brinkworth: 20 February 1990
Kadina-Snowtown: 3 March 1993
Operator:South Australian Railways
Australian National
Linelength Km:95.3
Gauge:
Map State:collapsed

The Kadina–Brinkworth railway line was a railway line on the South Australian Railways network.

History

The first section of the line opened on 1 October 1879 from Kadina to Snowtown, branching off from the Balaklava-Moonta line. It was extended to Brinkworth on 2 July 1894 where it joined the Hamley Bridge-Gladstone line. On 1 August 1927, the line was gauge converted from to .[1]

The section from Kadina to Snowtown was converted to dual gauge on 2 December 1982 with an extra rail laid following the conversion of the Adelaide-Port Augusta line. The Snowtown to Brinkworth section closed on 20 February 1990 followed by the rest of the line on 3 March 1993.[1]

After closure, part of the line from Wallaroo to Bute was used by the Lions Club of Yorke Penninsula for heritage tourist train services but this ceased in 2009. The line between Wallaroo and Kadina has since been pulled up and replaced with the Copper Coast rail trail and retail stores on both ends.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Quinlan. Howard. Newland. John. Australian Railway Routes 1854 - 2000. 2000. Australian Railway Historical Society. Redfern. 0 909650 49 7. 56–58.