Boorowa railway line

The Boorowa railway line is a closed railway line in Southern NSW. The line ran for 29km north to the town of Boorowa from the Main South railway line at Galong.

Construction
The Main Southern railway line was extended through the Galong area in 1877. Residents of Burrowa (as the ultimate terminus of the branch line under discussion was then known) began agitation for their own branch line. Subsequently, in February 1884, a public meeting was held in Burrowa and it was resolved to send a deputation to the Minister for Public Works to voice their feelings. By the following August, the Galong to Burrowa branch was included in a list of branch railways under consideration. On 28 October 1884, Parliament confirmed the line as part of list of lines to be constructed in the near future. But, that was where it stopped.

Following further inquiries, it was not until 27 February 1912, that the Galong to Burrowa Authorisation Bill came before Parliament and it passed through all stages on 28 March 1912.

The first sod was turned on 15 June that year and the line opened on 10 October 1914.

Route

 * Galong (station)
 * St Michaels (halt)
 * St Clements (halt)
 * Nannong (halt)
 * Oreston (halt)
 * Gooramma (station)
 * Boorowa (station)

Services
The branch was originally serviced by mixed trains, which ran on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. In 1929, an additional railmotor service was introduced, running on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. In 1937, a 4-wheel rail-bus was introduced on Wednesdays and Thursdays, but it was discontinued by 1942.

Trains ran between Galong and Boorowa only, with passengers able to connect to the Riverina Express at Galong.

Closure
The line was never very successful, making losses of around 7-9 thousand pounds every year. The railmotor services were discontinued by 1949, leaving the thrice weekly mixed train as the sole service once again. Some of the halts began closing in 1969, with the last train running on 23 October 1987.

Most of the track has been lifted, including the connection to the main line at Galong. Some traces of the line remain, in the form of rails embedded in the road, cuttings and bridges.