Railway History
Bethungra Rail Spiral
The Bethungra Rail Spiral is exactly that- a spiral in the railway line. Heritage listed on the 2nd of April 1999, the Bethungra Rail Spiral is built on the Main South line between Junee and Cootamundra.
The line itself was graded at 1 in 40 for Sydney trains, which imposed a massive limitation on train loads through the area, and also caused a lot of congestion as bank engines were attached.
When the line was duplicated in the 1940’s, an 8.9 kilometre spiral deviation was built. The spiral makes use of local geography in the shape of a convenient hill which the uphill line spirals around and has short tunnels. 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.
The Spiral is proposed to be bypassed by the Inland Railway project on a new alignment with an easier grade by the year 2025.
Cootamundra Railway Station
The Cootamundra Railway Station was opened on the 1st of November 1877 when the Main South Line was extended from Harden. Less than 5 months later, the line again was extended to Bethungra on the 15th of April the following year (1878). on the 1st of June 1886, the town became a junction station when the Tumut and Kunama line opened as far as Gundagai.
In the year 1901, an island platform was erected, which has since been closed but still remains today. Some 40 years later in 1943, the line through Cootamundra was duplicated, making it the largest overhead signal gantry in the Southern Hemisphere. This has since been relocated, but still stands proud in the station surrounds.
The stations building is a type 5, first-class brick station originally dating from 1884 with various alterations in 1904-05, 1915 and 1943.
The Station itself is a major complex with a variety of buildings and an unusually designed first class station building not seen elsewhere. it reflects on both the towns landscape and the development of the railways. The railway yard extends to almost the full length of the town along its eastern boundary which creates a major element in the development of the town. The Station building and its major platform’s awning are of particular significance with amazing detail in both the building and the cast iron columns and brackets of the canopy.
The Cootamundra Railway Station was listed on the New South Wales Heritage Register on the 2nd of April 1999.
Cootamundra is served by two daily NSW Trainlink XPT trains/services in each direction, which operates between Sydney and Melbourne. There is also one weekly Xplorer service operating between Sydney and Griffith, with numerous Coach services all throughout the week. To book a service today, please click on the below “Trainlink Services” button.
Address: Hovell St, Cootamundra
Phone: (02) 6940 2922
Cootamundra West Railway Station
The Cootamundra West Railway Station is a heritage listed former railway station on the Lake Cargelligo line at Cootamundra. The Railway Station was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on the 2nd of April 1999. The land that the old station sits on is owned by Railcorp, an agency of the Government of New South Wales.
The Station opened in 1911 and was closed in 1983 when passenger services along the branch were withdrawn, with freight services still continuing. It was closed due to the fact that the proposed route being abandoned for the main southern line.
The complex consists of a double-storey, type 11 brick station building and brick-faced platform as well as a refreshment room that still survives in a good condition.