A spiral (sometimes called a spiral loop or just loop ) is a technique employed by railways to ascend steep hills.
44-595: The Bethungra Spiral is a heritage-listed rail spiral on the Main Southern line near Bethungra , between Junee and Cootamundra . The spiral carries the northbound track, forming a part of the Sydney–Melbourne rail corridor . It is a listed heritage item, having been added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. The original single-track line, opened in 1878,
88-612: A feasibility study into a Brisbane–Melbourne railway link, outlining four possible 'sub-corridors' between Junee and Brisbane. In May 2008, the newly elected Rudd government allocated $ 15 million to the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) to develop a route alignment following the Far Western sub-corridor as detailed in the 2006 study. The corporation's preliminary analysis was released in May 2009, which showed that
132-527: A "strategic railway" connecting the South Australian city of Port Augusta to Brisbane , with connections to the New South Wales railway network, at an estimated cost of A£ 6,500,000. In 1979, TNT founder Ken Thomas proposed a route connecting Brisbane to Melbourne via Wallangarra , Orange and Albury , with possible connections to Adelaide and Perth . In 1995, Queensland Rail detailed
176-556: A $ 1.289 billion (equivalent to $ 2.52 billion in 2022) proposal for an inland railway corridor connecting Brisbane and Melbourne. New dual gauge track would follow the existing 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) narrow gauge Main Line to Toowoomba , the Western railway line to Wyreema and the Millmerran railway line to its terminus at Millmerran , with new track connecting to
220-446: A detailed model of the spiral in HO scale . The setup, which measures approximately 5 by 3 metres (16 ft × 10 ft) is demountable and is occasionally shown as a fully operational exhibit at appropriate functions. Around 0340 on 15 January 2022 ten trucks of a 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) freight train left the rails at the highest point of the spiral, above the cutting. Fortunately
264-554: A new alignment connecting the now-closed Millmerran line north-east of Millmerran. New track will be built between Southbrook and Gowrie Junction , with the route bypassing Toowoomba to Helidon on a new line and then along an upgraded Western line as far east as Calvert and new line 53 kilometres (33 mi) to Kagaru. There are three tunnels in Queensland, which allow for double-stack rail transport and dual gauge and single-track railway . These are: These tunnels replace
308-529: A new alignment, and is the longest stage of the project. A further 186 kilometres (116 mi) of existing railway between Narrabri and North Star will be upgraded, with a bypass at Camurra to remove a long hairpin. The route then continues from North Star and the New South Wales / Queensland border with 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) of new track construction and 25 kilometres (16 mi) of upgrades to existing track required. This section will complete one of
352-405: A new route inland through Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland that allows for the use of double-stacked freight trains. Construction of the line is divided into 13 projects, with 600 kilometres (370 mi) of new track to be built and 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) of existing track to be upgraded or modified. Inland Rail Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC),
396-578: A proposed new intermodal terminal at Ebenezer. Single-stacked trains will pass through Ebenezer to Kagaru to connect to the existing Sydney to Brisbane Coastal line. These sections will be built as dual gauge , connecting services on both the interstate standard gauge and Queensland narrow gauge networks. South-west of Yelarbon , the Inland Rail route joins the alignment of the South Western railway line where it extends to south of Inglewood , with
440-663: A sign indicating the turnoff to the Rail Spiral Lookout and Bethungra Dam on the right of the Olympic Highway. An all-vehicle dirt road leads, after about 3 km, to a parking area and interpretive signboard. Nearby is the substantial viewing platform from where may be seen the Sydney-bound train emerge from the tunnel and two minutes later cross over that same tunnel. There are other spots on that road from where three railway tracks can be seen at three different heights on
484-419: A steady curve until it has completed a loop, passing over itself as it gains height, allowing the railway to gain vertical elevation in a relatively short horizontal distance. It is an alternative to a zig-zag , and avoids the need for the trains to stop and reverse direction while ascending. If the train is longer than the length of each loop it may be possible to view it looping above itself. The term "loop"
SECTION 10
#1732854910792528-451: A subsidiary company, Inland Rail Pty Ltd was operational from early 2024 to complete the construction of Inland Rail. The route alignment extends from Beveridge in Victoria, through New South Wales to Kagaru in Queensland. In Victoria, the Inland Rail route will follow the existing North East railway line and Albion–Jacana railway line alignment. Between Beveridge and Seymour the line
572-455: A tunnel) then sweeping around the hill (passing through the second tunnel in the process), gaining elevation all the while until crossing over itself above the second tunnel. It is now higher than the down track and on its right (if northbound), and at an overpass further north (click on "Full screen" to view), crosses back over to the left and eventually the two tracks converge just short of the Olympic Highway level crossing. The Bethungra Spiral
616-769: Is also often used for a railway that curves sharply and goes back on itself: if the railway crosses itself, then it forms a spiral or helix ; otherwise, it forms the much more common horseshoe curve or bend . Replica of the Brusio Spiral Viaduct at 10°28′44″N 84°49′25″W / 10.47900°N 84.82374°W / 10.47900; -84.82374 on the Tren Turistico Arenal , 10 km east of Nuevo Arenal, Guanacaste. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway originally had five or six spirals but only five in operation at any one time. The line also has six reverses or zig-zags . There are three spirals on
660-503: Is constructing the rail line on behalf of the Australian Government. In 1889, a proposed standard gauge and partly mixed gauge line from Brisbane via Rosewood, Warwick and Wallangarra shortened the distance between Brisbane and Sydney by 55 miles (89 km). In the 20th century, several proposals were made for an inland railway route connecting the east coast of Australia. In 1915, Prime Minister Andrew Fisher proposed
704-631: Is mostly single track with several crossing loops between 870 m (2,850 ft) and 6,800 m (22,300 ft) in length. The line north of Seymour is double track , with a connection to the Oaklands railway line at Benalla . Initial works on the corridor commenced in May 2020 as part of the $ 235 million North East Rail Line Upgrade , with John Holland contracted to upgrade the track for line speeds up to 130 km/h (81 mph). The work involves replacing or modifying infrastructure at 12 sites between Beveridge and Albury: From Albury ,
748-426: Is of high significance, illustrating a means of ascending a significant mountain range with easier grades than the original line (now the "down" track). It is a major civil work and an ingenious engineering solution using the technology available at the time of construction. The site has major landscape value. Bethungra Spiral was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied
792-531: Is proposed for Ebenezer, Queensland . Upgrades to existing track will facilitate the use of double-stacked container trains between the yards. Single-stacked trains will pass through Ebenezer to Kagaru to connect to the existing Sydney to Brisbane Coastal line. The Review also recommended that Inland Rail be completed in stages, with the Government deciding to “prioritise [the] Beveridge to Parkes [section]”, by 2027. The project would also be separated from ARTC, and
836-591: The 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) gauge railway line from Kenya to Uganda . This railway has been superseded by the Mombasa–Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway , which has removed the need for spirals by constructing tunnels and bridges. Inland Rail Inland Rail is a 1600-kilometre (990 mi) railway line under construction in Australia . Once complete, it will connect Melbourne and Brisbane along
880-572: The 2011 federal budget commencing 2014, with the Coalition committing to the funding following the election of the Abbott government in 2013. A further $ 594 million was allocated to ARTC by the Turnbull government in the 2016 federal budget to purchase land for the project, with an additional $ 8.4 billion in funding over seven years announced in the subsequent 2017 budget . In the 2020 federal budget ,
924-726: The Bethungra Spiral . The route continues along the line from Stockinbingal to Parkes , with construction works to modify sections of the 173 kilometres (107 mi) of track starting in late 2023. A further 98.4 kilometres (61.1 mi) of track has been upgraded between Parkes and Narromine, in addition to the construction of a new 5.3 kilometres (3.3 mi) connection with the Broken Hill railway line west of Parkes allowing services to connect to Adelaide and Perth . An approximately 300 kilometres (190 mi) stretch of track between Narromine and Narrabri will be built along
SECTION 20
#1732854910792968-639: The Boggabilla railway line south of the New South Wales–Queensland border. The route would then have continued along the 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) standard gauge Mungindi railway line until Bellata , with a new line connecting the Coonamble railway line via Wee Waa before once again following existing track: the Main Western railway line to Narromine ;
1012-495: The Bureau of Transport and Communications Economics (BTCE) released a working paper assessing the proposal. It found a new route would save ten hours journey time on the existing coastal route via Sydney, reducing the operating cost for operators from $ 23.16/tonne to $ 17.56/tonne, but would facilitate only a small increase in grain production. In September 2005, the federal Department of Transport and Regional Services commissioned
1056-535: The Morrison government pledged $ 150 million in funding for additional grade separation works in New South Wales, conditional upon a further $ 37.5 million commitment from the New South Wales state government . The proposed route was to connect the rail yard at Tottenham, Victoria with the freight yards at Acacia Ridge and Bromelton in Queensland, using a combination of new and existing standard gauge and dual gauge track. Upgrades to existing track would facilitate
1100-778: The Parkes–Narromine railway line to Parkes ; the Stockinbingal–Parkes railway line to Stockinbingal ; the Lake Cargelligo railway line to Cootamundra ; the Main Southern railway line to Albury ; and the North East railway line to Melbourne. A maximum line speed of 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) would be in place for the corridor, with an additional $ 189 million (equivalent to $ 370.15 million in 2022) upgrade to existing track allowing for speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph) in sections. In 1996,
1144-555: The ARTC to build the line through surrounding farmland. Landholders and farmers have opposed several sections of the project on environmental grounds. In September 2017, Chester announced the Yelarbon to Gowrie section would be built through the Condamine River floodplain, which reached its highest recorded level in the 2010–11 Queensland floods . As a consequence, the Inland Rail project
1188-528: The North East railway line, with the route from Moree to Brisbane to build along a new corridor through the Toowoomba range. The report forecast a delivery cost of $ 3.688 billion, with track duplication works between Junee and Melbourne and capacity for double-stacked freight trains between Melbourne and Parkes already budgeted by the ARTC. The Gillard government announced forward estimates of $ 300 million in
1232-647: The Review also found “significant deficiencies in the governance and management of Inland Rail”. The Government agreed to 19 of the Review’s recommendations, including that the route be shortened to extend from Beveridge in Victoria to Ebenezer in Queensland and that existing rail lines be used wherever possible to minimise additional impacts on the environment and communities. New intermodal terminals are also to be developed in Melbourne, at Beveridge and Truganina. A third terminal
1276-487: The adjacent hillside to the east of the Olympic Highway. The bottom and top tracks are the "up" (northbound) track before and after it has crossed the "down" (southbound) track and traversed the Spiral, while the middle track is the original single-track line, which is now the "down" (southbound) track. The route of the proposed Inland Rail entails a new section of line from Illabo, west of Bethungra, to Stockinbingal, to obviate
1320-672: The affected carriages did not fall into the cutting, and no injuries were recorded but the line was out of action for a week while the damaged carriages were being removed and the track repaired. [REDACTED] This Misplaced Pages article was originally based on Bethungra Spiral , entry number 1026 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2019 under CC-BY 4.0 licence , accessed on 5 March 2019. [REDACTED] Media related to Bethungra Spiral at Wikimedia Commons Spiral (railway) A railway spiral rises on
1364-488: The cheapest version of the inland railway would cost $ 2.8 billion to build and would allow freight to be moved from Melbourne to Brisbane in just over 27 hours. Despite this, the analysis also found that, if operational by 2020, the project's costs would outweigh any economic benefits by up to $ 1.1 billion. The ARTC's final report was released in July 2010. The report recommended a route from Junee to Melbourne via Albury following
Bethungra Spiral - Misplaced Pages Continue
1408-402: The following criteria: The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. This item is assessed as historically rare. This item is assessed as scientifically rare. This item is assessed as architecturally rare. A traveller who has just passed through Bethungra township on the way to Cootamundra is alerted to its existence nearby by
1452-446: The hill to gain height. The spiral increased the distance travelled by uphill (northbound) trains by about two kilometres. Downhill (southbound) trains continue to use the original line. The ruling gradient of the new uphill line is 1 in 66. Due to the extensive blasting required to create 27-metre deep cuts through granite, the line suffers from rockfalls, with twelve significant falls happening between 1960 and 1987. In January 1994,
1496-608: The key missing rail links between New South Wales and Queensland, using the non-operational rail corridor or new track to connect to the operating line running to Yelarbon . Following the Independent Inland Rail Review in April 2023, the Inland Rail service offering for double-stacked trains in Queensland, totalling more than 330 kilometres (210 mi), will run from the New South Wales—Queensland border to
1540-406: The necessary height over a longer distance, thus giving a lesser gradient. However, the fact that the hill is on the "down" (southbound) side of the original track necessitated two crossings of the original line by the new northbound track — one a tunnel to take it to the eastern (or "down") side of the original track in order to then spiral around the hill, and a viaduct beyond the spiral to take
1584-576: The need for northbound trains on the Inland Railway to climb the Bethungra Spiral to Cootamundra then drop down to Stockinbingal to continue north towards Forbes then Parkes. It is projected that this section of the Inland Railway will be completed by 2025. The Spiral will remain in use as part of the Melbourne-Sydney line. The Epping Model Railway Club, of Epping, New South Wales , has created
1628-447: The new track back to the left hand side of the original line, as Australian trains run on the left, as in the UK, France and Japan. The Spiral has two short tunnels, one already mentioned at the beginning of the Spiral, for the "up" track to cross beneath the original line to reach the "down" side, and a second tunnel that allows it to pass over itself at a later point in the Spiral, having circled
1672-581: The original narrow gauge-only tunnels between Grandchester and Toowoomba with a faster and more maintainable alignment. In October 2018, INLink, a joint-venture between BMD Constructions and Fulton Hogan , was awarded a $ 310 million contract for stage 1 of the project between Parkes and Narromine. Work on the Parkes–Narromine railway line and the new Broken Hill railway line connection commenced in December 2018. More than 1,800 people were employed on
1716-708: The project, with works completed in September 2020. The Narrabri and Baradine Aboriginal Land Councils have stated their opposition to the Narromine to Narrabri section of the project, planned to be built on an alignment through the Pilliga forests which contain various Aboriginal heritage sites . A route through the Pilliga forests was announced by Minister for Infrastructure , Darren Chester , in November 2017, despite initial plans by
1760-528: The route continues along the Main South railway line to Illabo . Initial consultations on this section of the route commenced in 2018, with upgrades planned to 185 kilometres (115 mi) of track. A new section of track is planned to be built between Illabo and Stockinbingal, 37 kilometres (23 mi) connecting the Main South railway line to the Stockinbingal–Parkes railway line and bypassing Cootamundra and
1804-483: The spiral line closed for a four-month rebuild, which saw the cuts widened and regraded to benched 55 degree slopes as part of the One Nation project. Starting at the lower left corner of the interactive map, the "up" track to Cootamundra (and thence to Sydney) is the one on the left. It diverges from the "down" track and has been built at a less steep gradient than the "down" track and so is able to pass under it (through
Bethungra Spiral - Misplaced Pages Continue
1848-498: The use of double-stacked container trains between the three yards. On 7 October 2022, the Australian Government announced an Independent Review of Inland Rail, after reports of a cost blowout to a projected $ 31b and delay in completion to 2030-31. Undertaken by Kerry Schott AO, the Review report , released in April 2023, “confirmed that Inland Rail is an important project to meet Australia’s growing freight task, improve road safety and to help decarbonise our economy”. However,
1892-418: Was graded at 1 in 40 for Sydney bound trains, which imposed a severe limitation on train loads and also caused congestion as bank engines were attached and detached. When the line was duplicated in the late 1940s, an 8.9 kilometre spiral deviation was built. The spiral makes use of local geography in the shape of a convenient hill around which the uphill ("up", or Sydney-bound) track spirals in order to gain
1936-509: Was referred to the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee in 2019, with the committee chair, Senator Glenn Sterle , critical of ARTC for a lack of consultation with communities along the alignment. Although the ARTC reaffirmed the Yelarbon to Gowrie route would remain across the floodplain, in June 2020, Deputy Prime Minister , Michael McCormack , ordered a review of
#791208