Pichi Richi Railway

The Pichi Richi Railway opened in 1879 and was intended to form part of a railway line linking Port Augusta and Darwin. The line got to Alice Springs in 1929, but the railway to Darwin did not become a reality until early 2004 long after the Pichi Richi Railway had been decommissioned. The East-West Transcontinental Railway was completed in 1917 and for the next 20 years the Pichi Richi Railway was also used as part of this line. During World War Two the railway was used by the military and to transport coal. The Pichi Richi Railway was closed to regular traffic in 1957 after a standard gauge track was constructed between Stirling North and Brachina. The oldest section of the track is now used to run heritage railway journeys.