| Toronto Railway Line | |||||||||
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| The bus route as seen on maps today | |||||||||
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| V - E - T - D | |||||||||
The Toronto branch railway line is a closed line in the Lake Macquarie region of NSW. The line opened in 1891, branching off the Main Northern line at Fassifern station, crossing over a single lane underpass on Fassifern Road, and following the shore of Fennell Bay to Blackalls Park. The Toronto end of the line is located close to the shore of Toronto Bay on Victory Parade.
History[]
The line was originally built by the Excelsior Land, Investment and Building Company and Bank as a private tramway, opening on 7 March 1891.[1] It entered a decline in the late 1900s, with residents complaining about the frequent service cancellations.[2] It completely closed on 15 March 1909. There were calls for the government to resume the line, however there were concerns about profitability. [3] It finally reopened as a government railway on 29 August 1910. Prior to opening, the line had been extensively upgraded with shallower curves and gentler gradients. [4] The two platforms between Blackalls Park and Toronto never reopened. [5]
Horse drawn carriages were first to run along the branch line. A variety of steam engines also ran along the line during its operation, including a Coffee Pot engine, and the Prince of Wales travelled to Toronto by train on 24 June 1920.
Passenger services operated over the line, generally as a shuttle service between Fassifern and Toronto, but through services to Newcastle also operated. Services in 1989 were operated by 620/720 class diesel railcars, and operated as frequently as every 20 minutes. The line was not included in the Wyong-Newcastle electrification project completed in 1984, which probably sealed its fate, as it was controversially closed in 1990 despite local opposition, with a privately operated bus service replacing the train. Following closure, a cycleway called the Toronto Greenway was constructed along the line. Most of the cycleway was constructed alongside the railway line in case the line is ever to be reopened.
Description[]
There were 5 stops on the line:
- Fassifern station
- Blackalls Park station
- Fennells platform (closed 29 August 1910)
- Bowers platform (closed 29 August 1910)
- Toronto station
| Toronto Line | |
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