South-West Victoria

South-Western Victoria once had a large number of branch and cross country railway lines, all connected to the main line which ran from Geelong to Port Fairy. Today the branches are all closed, and the main line has been truncated to Warrnambool

Rail lines


Geelong and Warrnambool
Headed south-west from Geelong, it is the only remaining railway in the region. It carries passenger and freight services as far as Warrnambool.
Wensleydale
The Wensleydale line branched from the main line at Moriac and served the area south on the Otway foothills. It became disused only a few years after it was opened in the 1890s, but survived until the end of World War II.
Forrest
The Forrest line branched from the main line at Birregurra and served the area south on the Otway foothills, until competition with road transport saw it close in the 1950s.
Alvie
The Alvie line was a short branch north from Colac that was the last to be opened in the 1920 and among the first to close in the 1950s.
Mortlake
The Mortlake line was a relatively long lived branch line that branched from the main line at Terang.