The agricultural railways in Western Australia were a system of railway lines that were built after the Western Australian 1905 Royal Commission on Immigration, which stated the need for a policy that "all considerable areas of agricultural land must have a 15 mile rail service." The lines were designed and constructed by the Public Works Department, for the Western Australian Government Railways.The WAGR did not have control over construction of its own railways until after the 1920s; see in relation to the contractors, PWD and WAGR relationship. The railways were identified in the early 1900s as specifically light with 40 lb rails, and required for the agricultural region. The Railway Advisory Board of Western Australia was the administrative body that considered the viability of the proposed lines.
Royal commissions The Western Australian 1947 Royal Commission into the Management Workings and Control of the Western Australian Government Railways also placed these railway lines and their construction into context:
In order to carry out the wishes of the Government to construct railway in agricultural areas as cheaply as possible, lines were built with 45 lb rail sections which practically followed the surface of the ground, with (a) earth ballasting (b) half round timber sleepers (c) providing the bare minimum station facilities.
The 1947 commission called these lines spur lines at time of construction, in distinction to loop lines, however the completion of most sections made most lines loop lines.
The 1947 royal commission report also made a distinction between Southern Agricultural Spur Lines, Northern Agricultural Spur Lines, and South West dairy and timber lines; these broadly relate to geographical regions.
In the 2000s the lines were collectively identified as Wheatbelt railway lines of Western Australia.
Agricultural spur lines In many cases of the lines listed here, specific sections of line are named, where they were later joined to complete a longer route. This list is comparable with the list of sections in the second edition of Rails through the Bush, by Gunzburg and Austin, that identifies the builder of the section, and contract and completion dates.The listing is found at pages 208–210
Line sectionLength in milesAgricultural area Year openedNarrogin–Darkan 50 Southern 1906Wagin–Dumbleying 25 Southern 1907Katanning–Kojonup 33 Southern 1907Collie–Darkan 40 Southern 1907Greenhills–Quairading 31 Southern 1908Donnybrook–Noggerup 23 Southern 1908Narrogin–Wickepin 26 Southern 1909Noggerup–Boyup Brook 23 Southern 1909Katanning–Nyabing 38 Southern 1912Dumbleyung–Kukerin 24 Southern 1912Boyup–Kojonup 51 Southern 1912Tambellup–Gnowangerup 24 Southern 1912Gnowangerup–Ongerup 35 Southern 1913Quairading–Bruce Rock 49 Southern 1913Merredin–Bruce Rock 31 Southern 1913Wickepin–Corrigin 40 Southern 1914Corrigin–Bruce Rock 37 Southern 1914Yilliminning–Kondinin 73 Southern 1915Brookton–Corrigin 56 Southern 1915Kukerin–Lake Grace 24 Southern 1916Wagin–Bokal 34 Southern 1917Kondinin–Narambeen 32 Southern 1917Bokal–Bowelling 28 Southern 1918Nyabing–Pingrup 22 Southern 1923Narrambeen–Merredin 54 Southern 1925Lake Grace–Newdegate 39 Southern 1926Dwarda–Narrogin 37 Southern 1926Goomalling–Dowerin 15 Northern 1906Toodyay–Bolgart 24 Northern 1910Wokarina–Naraling 26 Northern 1910Dowerin–Korrelocking 32 Northern 1911Korrelocking–Kununoppin 28 Northern 1911Goomalling–Wongan Hills 34 Northern 1911Kununoppin–Merredin 37 Northern 1911Southern Cross–Bullfinch 22 Northern 1911Naraling–Yuna 12 Northern 1912Northampton–Ajana 33 Northern 1913Wongan Hills–Mullewa 198 Northern 1915Wyalkatchem–Bencubbin 52 Northern 1917Bolgart–Calingiri 15 Northern 1917Calingiri–Piawaning 19 Northern 1919Bencubbin–Kalkalling 32 Northern 1923Piawaning–Miling 27 Northern 1925Amery–Kalannie 61 Northern 1929Burakin–Kulja 8 Northern 1929Lake Brown–Bullfinch 50 Northern 1929Kulja–Bonnie Rock 68 Northern 1931Lake Grace–Hyden 58 Southern 1933
See also List of Western Australian railway-related acts
Notes