Developments Main North railway line, New South Wales

cowan station

the line hampered rugged terrain , change of gauge @ wallangarra traffic queensland. line superseded principal route brisbane completion of north coast line in 1930. despite being bypassed, line remained busy many years afterwards, line instead becoming major freight link wheat , wool regions of northern , north-west new south wales.

in 1988, newly elected greiner state government commissioned report state rail authority booz allen hamilton. result, line between tenterfield , wallangarra closed. last train operate north of tenterfield australian railway historical society charter on 15 january 1988 hauled diesel locomotive 4487. last train operate north of glen innes hauled steam locomotive 3001 on 22 october 1989 after line formally suspended operations.

following northern tablelands express being truncated in february 1990, line north of tamworth saw little use until xplorer service introduced armidale in october 1993. line glen innes still open in july 1992 when diesel locomotive 4499 operated crew training service.

there have been attempts revive freight or tourist traffic far glen innes, although these plans have not yet succeeded.

a section of line between waratah , maitland quadruple track, 1 pair being used exclusively coal trains within hunter valley coal trains , other pair being used passenger trains , general freight. coal tracks port waratah join line on eastern side of other tracks @ scholey street junction , pass underneath other tracks @ hanbury dive west of maud street, continuing maitland on western side of other tracks.

in november 1989 fourth track added between eastwood , west ryde. in mid-1990s loop constructed @ cowan.

the sandgate flyover constructed in 2006 allow 2 passenger/freight tracks rise , pass on coal tracks branch off kooragang island in order eliminate capacity restriction caused long coal trains crossing other tracks @ grade. because of location of overpass relative branch kooragang island, short section of line has 6 parallel tracks. bridge carrying sandgate road on lines had modified allow additional lines. sandgate station flanked pair of coal tracks on each side.

as part of rail clearways program, in august 2006 additional platform opened @ berowra, , in march 2009 additional platform , passing loop opened @ hornsby.

in 2011, northern sydney freight corridor project commenced improve access freight trains. has seen completion of loop @ hexham in june 2012, 2 loops between gosford , narara in february 2015, plus underpass , loop between north strathfield , rhodes in june 2015. third track between epping , pennant hills completed in june 2016.