Railway Digest Magazine September 2024 Back Issue

The Yanchep line opens
The extension of Perth's suburban network from Butler to Yanchep was officially opened on Sunday 14 July, with the regular public timetable for trains and buses commencing the following day. Celebrations commenced at Alkimos, while at Yanchep, Premier Roger Cook and Minister for Transport Rita Saffioti cut a ribbon and unveiled a plaque. David and Donald Whiteford were there and recorded their impressions of the day's events.

The 2024 Australasian Rail Industry Awards
On Wednesday evening 7 August, almost 600 members of the rail industry from across Australia and New Zealand filled the Grand Ballroom at the Hilton Hotel in Sydney to celebrate the 16 winners of the 2024 Australasian Rail Industry Awards.

Gippsland Line Upgrades
The Melbourne to Bairnsdale “Gippsland Railway” was selected to be upgraded under the Regional Fast Rail Project around 20 years ago, but unfortunately that project was constrained by financial issues. The new Gippsland Railway Upgrade Project was created to provide additional track capacity, with works taking place at several sites, as David Campbell reports.

Merredin – a wheatbelt rail centre
Merredin was once a large rail centre with a marshalling yard, locomotive depot, wagon facilities and an administrative centre for this area of the Western Australian wheatbelt.
However, in more recent times its role has become much diminished, as Phil Melling explains.