Northam railway station, Western Australia

Northam

AvonLink at Northam in October 2005
Location Wellington Street, Northam
Coordinates 31°38′58″S 116°40′31″E / 31.64938°S 116.67527°E / -31.64938; 116.67527Coordinates: 31°38′58″S 116°40′31″E / 31.64938°S 116.67527°E / -31.64938; 116.67527
Owned by Transwa
Operated by Transwa
Line(s) Eastern
Distance 120.50 kilometres from Perth
Platforms 1
Tracks 2
Construction
Structure type Ground
Disabled access Yes
Other information
Status Unstaffed
History
Opened 1900 (original)
Closed 12 February 1966 (original)
Rebuilt 7 October 1966 (current)
Services
Preceding station   Transwa Trains network   Following station
towards East Perth
Avonlink
East Perth - Merredin
towards Merredin
towards Midland
Avonlink
Midland - Northam
Terminus
towards East Perth
Prospector
towards Kalgoorlie
Preceding station   Great Southern Railway   Following station
towards East Perth
Indian Pacific
towards Sydney

Northam railway station is located on the Eastern Railway in Western Australia. It serves the town of Northam.

History

The line to Northam opened on 13 October 1886 at the end of a 15 kilometre branch line from Spencers Brook on the Eastern Railway. When the Eastern Railway was extended to Southern Cross on 1 July 1894, it was done so via Northam.[1][2]

Northam became an important junction station with a large yard, signalbox and locomotive depot to serve lines radiating out to Goomalling, Mullewa, Mukinbudin and Wyalkatchem.[3] In 1900, a new station opened on the south-west side of the town.[4][5]

As part of the construction of a new dual gauge Eastern Railway from Midland via the Avon Valley, a new station was opened on the eastern side of the town on 7 October 1966 by the Minister for Railways Charles Court. The original station closed on 12 February 1966 and has been converted to a museum.[2][6][7][8] Part of the original line along Fitzgerald Street was retained to allow access to the steam locomotive depot and oil and flour mill sidings. It was later removed.[3]

Today, the dual gauge Eastern Railway terminates at Northam and becomes the standard gauge Eastern Goldfields Railway. Narrow gauge lines branch off east of the town north to Goomalling and south to York and Albany via the Great Southern Railway. To the west of the town lies Avon Yard.[9]

Passenger services

Transwa's Avonlink and Prospector services stop at Northam, at least one service each day.[10][11]

The Indian Pacific also stops here, running once or twice a week (depending on the time of year) between East Perth and Sydney Central.

References

  1. ↑ Newland, Andrew; Quinlan, Howard (2000). Australian Railway Routes 1854 - 2000. Redfern: Australian Railway Historical Society. p. 67. ISBN 0-909650-49-7.
  2. 1 2 Welcome to the Old Railway Station Museum Norham Heritage Forum
  3. 1 2 "Northam - a Westrail hotspot" Railway Digest September 2000 pages 28-29
  4. ↑ The Northam District The West Australian 20 April 1900 page 2
  5. ↑ Breath of life for old railway station Avon Valley Advocate 11 September 2006
  6. ↑ Old Railway Station Museum About Australia
  7. ↑ Old Northam Railway Station improvements on show Avon Valley Advocate 21 May 2013
  8. ↑ Municipal Heritage Inventory Shire of Northam 21 September 2012 page 47
  9. ↑ Brookfield Rail Network Map Brookfield Rail
  10. ↑ AvonLink Timetable
  11. ↑ Prospector Timetable
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