Toronto railway line

The Toronto Branch Railway Line is a closed railway line in New South Wales, Australia. The line opened in 1891,^[1] and branched off the Main Northern line at Fassifern station, crossing over a single lane tunnel 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.

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.^[2] The line was not included in the Wyong–Newcastle electrification project, completed in 1984, which probably sealed its fate. It was controversially closed in 1990 despite local opposition, with a privately operated bus service replacing the train. Following the 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 re-opened. The replacement bus service runs from Fassifern Station to Toronto Station, and includes a stop at Blackalls Park.

List of stations

• Fassifern
• Blackalls Park
• Fennells Platform
• Bowers Platform
• Toronto

• 
  Beginning of the cycleway at Fassifern railway station
• 
  Looking north along line with cycleway in background. Near the end of Narara Street, Fassifern
• 
  Looking east across the intersection of the cycleway near the end of Narara Street, Fassifern. The overgrown railway line and Fennell Bay are in background
• 
  Toronto Station
• 
  Toronto branch platform at Fassifern railway station

References

Railway lines in New South Wales
Main lines Broken Hill Main Northern Main South Main Western North Coast South Coast
Country branch lines Operational Berrima Binnaway-Werris Creek Blayney-Demondrille Boggabilla Bombala Canberra Cobar Coonamble Grenfell Gwabegar Hay Lake Cargelligo Medway Quarry Mungindi Naradhan Newcastle Oaklands Parkes to Narromine Picton-Mittagong loop Pokataroo Sandy Hollow-Gulgong South Maitland Railway Stockinbingal-Parkes Temora-Roto Tottenham Troy Junction-Merrygoen Unanderra-Moss Vale Walgett Warren Yanco-Griffith Closed Ballina Barraba Belmont Boorowa Brewarrina Burcher Camden Captains Flat Corowa Crookwell Dorrigo Eugowra Holbrook Inverell Kunama Kywong Merriwa Molong-Dubbo Morpeth Mount Hope Murwillumbah Newnes Oberon Rand Rankins Springs Richmond Vale Railway Taralga Tocumwal Toronto Tumbarumba Tumut Wallsend Westby
Sydney lines Commuter rail Airport Bankstown Carlingford City Circle Cronulla Eastern Suburbs East Hills Epping-Chatswood Main Suburban North Shore Olympic Park Richmond South West Goods lines Sydney Freight Network Southern Sydney Freight Closed Camden Kurrajong Rogans Hill Ropes Creek Royal National Park Sandown
Proposed or under construction Inland Railway Maldon–Dombarton Sydney Metro Northwest Sydney Metro City & Southwest Western Sydney Freight Line
Tourist & heritage railways Glenreagh Mountain Railway Lachlan Valley Railway New South Wales Rail Transport Museum Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway Richmond Vale Railway Skitube Zig Zag Railway