Warburton railway line facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Warburton |
|
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Status | Rail trail |
| Connecting lines | Lilydale and Healesville lines |
| Stations | 12 |
| Service | |
| Type | Melbourne suburban service |
| History | |
| Opened | 1901 |
| Closed | 1965 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 37 km (23 mi) (From Lilydale) |
| Number of tracks | Single track |
The Warburton railway line was a special train track that used to run near Melbourne, Australia. It branched off from another line at a place called Lilydale. Imagine it like a long path for trains that went all the way to the town of Warburton!
Contents
The Story of the Warburton Railway
The idea for a railway between Lilydale and Warburton came up a long time ago. At first, people thought about building a "narrow gauge" line. This means the tracks would be closer together than usual.
However, that idea didn't happen. Instead, the Warburton line opened as a regular, wider railway on November 13, 1901. It was about 37 kilometres (23 mi) long, starting from Lilydale.
When Did the Trains Stop?
The last train traveled on this line on August 1, 1965. The railway officially closed a few days before that, on July 29, 1965. After many years of service, the trains stopped running.
What Trains Ran Here?
For many years, the Warburton railway line carried both people and goods. Passenger trains usually ran back and forth between Lilydale and Warburton.
Over time, fewer and fewer people used the passenger trains. This meant that by its later years, there weren't as many passenger services running on the line.
What's There Now? The Rail Trail
Even though the train tracks were taken apart in the 1970s, you can still see where the railway used to be! Most of the path the trains followed is still there.
Almost all the bridges that trains used to cross are still standing. One bridge, which crossed the Maroondah Highway, was replaced in 2011. This new bridge helps cyclists and walkers cross the highway safely.
Today, the old railway path is a popular spot called the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail. It's a great place for people to walk, ride bikes, and even ride horses!
