The Cudgewa railway line is a closed railway line in the north-east of Victoria, Australia. Branching off the main North East line at

Wodonga Wodonga ( Waywurru: ''Wordonga'') is a city on the Victorian side of the border with New South Wales, north-east of Melbourne, Australia. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Wodonga LGA. Its population is approximately 35 ...

it ran east to a final terminus at Cudgewa. The High Country Rail Trail now uses most of the railway reserve.

History

The Cudgewa line opened in stages between 1889 and 1921. The first section from

to Huon opened on 10 September 1889. It was extended to Bolga on 18 July 1890,

Tallangatta Tallangatta () is a town in north-eastern Victoria, Australia. The town lies on the banks of the Mitta Arm of Lake Hume, approximately south-east of Albury-Wodonga along the Murray Valley Highway. At the , Tallangatta had a population of 1, ...

on 24 July 1891, Shelley on 13 June 1916 (the highest station in Victoria), Beetoomba on 10 April 1919 and Cudgewa on 5 May 1921. Cudgewa Line
Vicsig In 1919, the line was used to carry materials for the construction of Hume Weir, and three years later a spur line connecting Ebden to the weir was opened. Part of the line was converted to

dual gauge In railway engineering, " gauge" is the transverse distance between the inner surfaces of the heads of two rails, which for the vast majority of railway lines is the number of rails in place. However, it is sometimes necessary for track to ...

in 1944 to serve freight depots around Bandiana. In the early 1950s, the volume of Hume Reservoir was increased, with the railway around Tallangatta relocated to avoid the rising waters. In the 1960s, Cudgewa became the

railhead In the UK, railheading refers to the practice of travelling further than necessary to reach a rail service, typically by car. The phenomenon is common among commuters seeking a more convenient journey. Reasons for railheading include, but are ...

of materials for the

Snowy Mountains Scheme The Snowy Mountains Scheme or Snowy scheme is a hydroelectricity and irrigation complex in south-east Australia. The Scheme consists of sixteen major dams; nine power stations; two pumping stations; and of tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts that ...

. The line had 1 in 30 grades, with T class T413 becoming the regular diesel locomotive on the line after purchase in 1967, as it was the only locomotive of the class with dynamic brakes. The last passenger service from Wodonga to Tallangatta ran on 30 September 1961 with a 102hp Walker railmotor. On 21 April 1978, the last regular goods train ran, with closure of the line on 1 March 1981, except for the short section to Bandiana. From 1995, it was a standard gauge track only. The Wodonga-Bandiana section closed on 1 September 2009 as part of the Wodonga Rail Bypass project. The section of the line between Wodonga and Tallangatta has now been converted into the High Country Rail Trail. On 20 October 2012, a new bridge opened over Lake Hume using the existing piers.High Country Rail Trail
Rail Trails Australia

References

External links

Photos during Victorian Railways operations
*Photos of the remains of the line

an
High Country Rail Trail
{{Victorian Railway Lines, branch Closed regional railway lines in Victoria (Australia) Railway lines opened in 1921 Railway lines closed in 1981 Snowy Mountains Scheme Transport in Hume (region) Shire of Towong