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The Western standard gauge is a railway line in western Victoria, Australia. Opened in 1995, it forms part of the Melbourne–Adelaide railway and serves as the principal interstate rail link between Victoria and the western states. The line replaced a number of former broad gauge routes which were gauge converted, and today sees both intrastate and interstate freight traffic, as well as the thrice weekly (in each direction) ''The Overland'' passenger service. Major towns on the route include Geelong, Ararat, Horsham and Dimboola. ==History== The first inter-capital link between Melbourne and South Australia was completed in 1887 when the Victorian Railways line was extended to Serviceton on the state border.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=ARHS Railway Museum: History 1839–1900 )〕 Known as the Serviceton line, it passed through Geelong, Ballarat, Ararat, Stawell, Horsham and Dimboola, on the way west. It was not until 1889 that a direct Melbourne – Ballarat link was opened.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=VR History )〕 In the 1970s most interstate lines in Australia began to be converted to standard gauge. By the 1990s Adelaide to Melbourne was the only interstate link not converted, and so various proposals were made for gauge conversion. Two main options were put forward: * via Ballarat: A new track or dual gauge to Ballarat, then conversion of the line west. * via Geelong: A new track to Geelong, dual gauge to Gheringhap, then conversion of the line via Cressy, and then conversion of the line from Ararat. Various reasons for given for and against both routes. The Geelong was longer, but avoided the steep grades on the line though Ballarat. Businesses and industry in both cities also wanted to be on the main interstate link. In the end it was decided to build the route via Geelong, and work was completed in 1995 with funding from the Federal Government One Nation program. Along with the gauge conversion of the interstate line, the Portland, Yaapeet and Hopetoun lines were also converted, and a dual gauge link provided to Maryborough to permit grain from the north-west to reach the port at Portland. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Western standard gauge line」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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