Route Information - Marree to OodnadattaComrails Logo

Route Information

Marree to Oodnadatta

The Central Australia Railway extended from Port Augusta, in South Australia, to Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory. Work on the first section of this railway was commenced by the South Australian Railways (SAR) in 1878, and it was opened to Quorn in 1879. Under South Australian Railways the 3 ft. 6 in. gauge railway, known as the Great Northern Railway, was extended in stages and reached Oodnadatta in 1891. The South Australian Government subsequently made offers to several syndicates to construct a line north from Oodnadatta to Pine Creek on the land grant system, however negotiations were unsuccessful and Oodnadatta remained the railhead.

This railway passed to Commonwealth ownership on 1 January 1911, but continued to be operated by the South Australian Railways until the Commonwealth Railways took over operations on 1 January 1926. The Commonwealth Government also undertook the extension of the railway to Alice Springs, and this was completed in 1929. In the years following World War II large tonnages of coal were railed from Leigh Creek and heavy demands were placed on the railway. In many ways the original line was inadequate; sharp curves and heavy gradients limited train loads, whilst light track and bridges restricted speeds and axle loads. Consequently a new railway, of 4 ft. 8½ in. gauge, was constructed to avoid the heavier graded terrain, and extended from Stirling North, via Telford (Leigh Creek) to Marree. Completed in 1957, the new line enabled much larger quantities of coal to be carried. The old 3 ft. 6 in. gauge line between Marree and Hawker was closed, but between Stirling North and Hawker it was retained and used to a limited extent for some years. The track between Stirling North and Hawker was closed in 1972 and the section between Stirling North and Quorn handed over to the operations of the Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society.

The country traversed by the 3 ft. 6 in. section of the Central Australia Railway from Marree to Alice Springs was subject to periodic flooding, and rarely a year passed without washaways and traffic disruptions. It was eventually decided that a railway constructed on higher terrain further west of the existing line would offer a route less subject to flood damage, and so a 4ft. 8½ in. gauge railway, between Tarcoola and Alice Springs was constructed causing the narrow gauge section of the original Central Australia Railway to be closed in 1981.

15.12.1879Section from Port Augusta to Quorn opened - 24 miles 46 chains (39 km) long
28.6.1880Section from Quorn to Hawker opened - 40 miles 58 chains (65 km) long
17.5.1882Section from Beltana to Farina opened - 54 miles 62 chains (88 km) long
7.2.1884Section from Farina to Hergott Springs (Marree) opened - 32 miles 59 chains (52 km) long
1.2.1888Section from Hergott Springs to Coward Springs opened - 80 miles 7 chains (128 km) long
1.6.1889Section from Coward Springs to William Creek opened - 45 miles 17 chains (72 km) long
1.11.1889Section from William Creek to Warrina opened - 67 miles 18 chains (108 km) long
7.1.1891Section from Warrina to Oodnadatta opened - 54 miles 39 chains (87 km) long
1.1.1911line from Port Augusta to Oodnadatta passed to Commonwealth Government ownership but continued to be operated by the South Australian Railways until 1926
1.1.1926Commonwealth Railways took over operations of the line
23.12.1928Section from Oodnadatta to Rumbalara opened - 170 miles 64 chains (274 km) long
2.8.1929Section from Rumbalara to Alice Springs opened - 122 miles 14 chains (196 km) long
7.3.1957Section from Beltana to Brachina closed
27.7.1957Section from Leigh Creek to Marree closed
17.7.1958Section from Brachina to Leigh Creek closed
1.6.1972Section from Port Augusta to Hawker closed
1981Section from Marree to Alice Springs closed


This section contains information about the Central-Australia Railway narrow gauge Marree to Oodnadatta railway. circa 1930 - Central Australia Railway trucking cattle Marree - engine and yard

Hergott Springs (231¼ m) -- Marree (231 m 14c)

2.1886Hergott Springs 231¼m - [SAR PTT 2.1886]
2.1917Hergott Springs 231¼m - [SAR PTT 2.1917]
11.1934Marree 231¼ m - [SAR PTT 11.1934]
6.1953Marree 231¼ m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
2.1973Marree 231¼ m - [PTT 2.1973]
circa 1930,Central Australia Railway NM 21 on Limited taking water at Callanna

Callanna (240 m 03c)

2.1917Callanna 240 m - [SAR PTT 2.1917]
11.1934Callanna 240 m - [SAR PTT11.1934]
6.1953Callanna 240 m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
2.1973Callana 240 m - [PTT 2.1973]

Wangianna (253¼ m)

2.1917Wangianna 253¼ m - [SAR PTT 2.1917]
11.1934Wangianna 253¼ m - [SAR PTT11.1934]
6.1953Wangianna 253¼ m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
2.1973Wangianna 253¼ m - [PTT 2.1973]

Alberrie Creek (263 m 66c)

2.1917Alberrie Creek 263½ m - [SAR PTT 2.1917]
11.1934Alberrie Creek 263½ m - [SAR PTT11.1934]
6.1953Alberrie Creek 263½ m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
2.1973Alberrie Creek 263½ m - [PTT 2.1973]

Bopieche (273½ m) -- Bopeechee (273½ m)

1888Bopieche 273½ m - [TT 1888]
2.1917Bopeechee 273½ m - [SAR PTT 2.1917]
11.1934Bopeechee 273½ m - [SAR PTT11.1934]
6.1953Bopeechee 273½ m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
2.1973Bopeechee 273½ m - [PTT 2.1973]
Central Australia Railway Lake Eyre South near Curdimurka from engine cab - fireman George Williams

Lake Eyre (284 m)

6.1953Lake Eyre 284 m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]

Stuart"s Creek (294 m) -- Curdimurka (293 m 77c)

2.1917Stuart"s Creek 294 m - [SAR PTT 2.1917]
11.1934Curdimurka 294 m - [SAR PTT11.1934]
6.1953Curdimurka 294 m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
2.1973Curdimurka 294 m - [PTT 2.1973]

Margaret Siding (305 m)

6.1953Margaret Siding 305 m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
2.1973Margaret 305 m - [PTT 2.1973]
3.1925 - Central Australia Railway Train on Coward Springs Bridge - the sleeping car is most likely SAR car Nilpena

Coward Springs (311 m 20c)

2.1917Coward Springs 311¼ m - [SAR PTT 2.1917]
11.1934Coward Springs 311¼ m - [SAR PTT11.1934]
6.1953Coward Springs 311¼ m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
2.1973Coward Springs 311¼ m - [PTT 2.1973]
1929 - Central Australia Railway NM 29 Beresford

Beresford (325 m 69c)

2.1917Beresford 325¾ m - [SAR PTT 2.1917]
11.1934Beresford 325¾ m - [SAR PTT11.1934]
6.1953Beresford 325¾ m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
2.1973Beresford 325¾ m - [PTT 2.1973]

Strangways Springs (333½ m)

2.1917Strangways Springs 333½ m - [SAR PTT 2.1917]
11.1934Strangways Springs 333½ m - [SAR PTT11.1934]
6.1953Strangways Springs 333½ m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
2.1973Strangways Springs 333½ m - [PTT 2.1973]

Irrappatana (343¾ m) -- Irrapatana (343¾ m)

2.1917Irrappatana 343¾ m - [SAR PTT 2.1917]
11.1934Irrappatana 343¾ m - [SAR PTT11.1934]
6.1953Irrapatana 343¾ m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
5.1925,Central Australia Railway NFB class loco on Ghan - William Creek - the sleeping car is most likely SAR car Nilpena

William Creek (356 m 36c)

2.1917William Creek 356½ m - [SAR PTT 2.1917]
11.1934William Creek 356½ m - [SAR PTT11.1934]
6.1953William Creek 356½ m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
2.1973William Creek 356½ m - [PTT 2.1973]

Douglas (365¼ m)

6.1953Douglas 365¼ m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]

Anna Creek (372 m 54c)

2.1917Anna Creek 372¾ m - [SAR PTT 2.1917]
11.1934Anna Creek 372¾ m - [SAR PTT11.1934]
6.1953Anna Creek 372¾ m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
2.1973Anna Creek 372¾ m - [PTT 2.1973]

Box Creek (383 m)

6.1953Box Creek 383 m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
2.1973Box Creek 383 m - [PTT 2.1973]

Boorthana (392¾ m)

2.1917Boorthanna 392¾ m - [SAR PTT 2.1917]
11.1934Borthanna 392¾ m - [SAR PTT11.1934]
6.1953Boorthanna 392¾ m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]

Duff Creek (403 m)

6.1953Duff Creek 403 m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
2.1973Duff Creek 403 m - [PTT 2.1973]

Edward"s Creek (413 m 47c)

2.1917Edward"s Creek 413¾ m - [SAR PTT 2.1917]
11.1934Edward"s Creek 413¾ m - [SAR PTT11.1934]
6.1953Edward"s Creek 413¾ m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
2.1973Edward"s Creek 413¾ m - [PTT 2.1973]

Warrina (423 m 54c)

2.1917Warrina 423¾ m - [SAR PTT 2.1917]
11.1934Warrina 423¾ m - [SAR PTT11.1934]
6.1953Warrina 423¾ m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
2.1973Warrina 423¾ m - [PTT 2.1973]

Peake Creek (433 m)

6.1953Peake Creek 433 m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
2.1973Peake Creek 433 m - [PTT 2.1973]

Algebuckina (443¾ m)

2.1917Algebuckina 443¾ m - [SAR PTT 2.1917]
11.1934Algebuckina 443¾ m - [SAR PTT11.1934]
6.1953Algebuckina 443¾ m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]

Mount Dutton (452 m 58c)

2.1917Mount Dutton 452¾ m - [SAR PTT 2.1917]
11.1934Mount Dutton 452¾ m - [SAR PTT11.1934]
6.1953Mount Dutton 452¾ m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
2.1973Mount Dutton 452¾ m - [PTT 2.1973]

North Creek (463¾ m)

6.1953North Creek 463¾ m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]

Oodnadatta (478 m 13 c)

2.1917Oodnadatta 478¼ m - [SAR PTT 2.1917]
11.1934Oodnadatta 478¼ m - [SAR PTT 11.1934]
6.1953Oodnadatta 478¼ m - [SAR PTT 6.1953]
2.1973Oodnadatta 478¼ m - [PTT 2.1973]