Wodonga Line

The Wodonga Line forms part of the main line which runs between Melbourne and Sydney. Opening in 1883, this line originally involved a break of gauge at either Wodonga or Albury depending on which direction the trin was headed. Broad Gauge trains operated in Victoria whilst Standard Guage trains operated in New South Wales. This situation was altered in 1963 when a parallel Standard Guage line was built next to the existing Broad Guage line in Victoria allowing through trains to operate direct from Melbourne to Sydney. The Standard Guage track in Victoria however avoids most of the intermediate stations with only a small number of lightly constructed platforms existing at some of the major stops.

V/Line Passenger services operate regularly on the Wodonga Line from Spencer Street to Albury on the broad guage, whilst the XPT high speed train operates between Melbourne and Sydney on the SG. Freight trains operate on both the SG and BG lines, however these days the BG track sees very little freight traffic beyond Benalla. In 2008 planning is underway to convert the BG track north of Seymour to SG to provide two SG tracks. Accordingly, minimal maintenance has occurred on the BG track which has resulted in a reduced speed limit and has caused most V/Line trains to terminate at Wangaratta instead of continuing through to Albury. Extended passing loops are being constructed for the SG track south of Seymour.

The electrified section of the line was extended from Broadmeadows through to Craigieburn in 2007. A more detailed site devoted to this section of the line can be found at The Broadmeadows Line Website

It was recently proposed that a branch line to Tullamarine Airport would be constructed from the Wodonga Line on the DOWN side of Broadmeadows Station, however this has been abandonned in favour of an alternative route via Albion which has also subsequently been abandonned in the near future.