Loongana railway station facts for kids

Loongana is a very remote spot on the Trans-Australian Railway in Western Australia. It's basically a special short track, called a siding, where trains can wait or pass each other. Loongana is located right in the middle of the huge, flat, treeless area known as the Nullarbor Plain. This area is also famous for having the longest straight stretch of railway track in the world, which is an amazing 478 kilometers (about 297 miles) long!

These houses were once home to railway workers at Loongana in 2006. They were needed when people had to live there to keep the tracks in good shape. The houses are now gone.

Loongana's Past

Loongana wasn't always just a quiet railway siding. Long ago, it was a busy place with a lime mine and a factory. Lime is a mineral used in many things, like building materials.

Life in a Remote Settlement

Living in such a remote place meant people needed a special way to get supplies. For many years, the people at Loongana relied on a unique train called the Tea and Sugar Train. This train was like a moving shop! It brought everything from food and drinks to clothes and mail to the isolated railway towns along the line. It was a lifeline for these communities. The Tea and Sugar Train stopped running in 1996, which changed life for many people in these remote areas.

The Longest Straight Track

One of the most amazing things about Loongana is its location on the world's longest straight railway track. Imagine a train track that goes perfectly straight for 478 kilometers! That's like driving from London to Paris without a single turn. This incredible stretch of track is a true engineering marvel. It makes the journey across the Nullarbor Plain a unique experience for train travelers.

Trains Today

Even though Loongana was once a busy settlement, it's much quieter now. As of 2022, the famous Indian Pacific train still passes through Loongana. The Indian Pacific is a luxury passenger train that travels all the way across Australia, from Sydney to Perth. It's the only passenger train that uses the entire Trans-Australian Railway. However, the Indian Pacific no longer stops at Loongana. It just speeds by, carrying its passengers on their long journey across the continent.