Rail Gauge in Australia - Track Gauges and Route Kilometres

Track Gauges and Route Kilometres

The most common railway gauges in Australia are Broad, Standard and Narrow gauges. The narrower 610 mm (2 ft) gauge is found on shorter lines, particularly sugar tramways in Queensland.

Main gauges:

• Standard gauge—1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄₂ in) 17,678 km—mainly New South Wales and the interstate rail network.
• Narrow gauge (Cape gauge)—1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) 15,160 km—mainly Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania as well as some of South Australia. The term "Cape gauge" is rarely used in Australia.
• Broad gauge (Irish gauge)—1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) 4,017 km—mainly Victoria, some South Australia, some Victorian Railways branch lines extending into southern New South Wales. The term "Irish gauge" is rarely used in Australia.

Other gauges:

• Narrow gauge—762 mm (2 ft 6 in) 28 km (Victorian Railways narrow gauge)
• Narrow gauge—610 mm (2 ft) 4,150 km (sugar cane tramways)
• Dual gauge—281 km

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2002)

Of the networks constructed by the various government railways, there have been a variety of rail gauges:

• Cane tramways, mainly in Queensland are 610 mm (2 ft), but these carry very little through traffic so that the break-of-gauge is not a problem.
• Victoria had four short 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) lines for general traffic
• Private timber tramways used a variety of gauges
• Private, isolated and heavy duty iron ore mining railways all use the standard gauge of 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄₂ in)
• Temporary lines at construction sites, such as the 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge railways used for the development of the national capital at Canberra between 1913 and 1927, including the original Parliament House