Wodonga railway station, Victoria
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Wodonga railway station was the original terminus of Victoria's North Eastern Railway which was built during the 1870s,reaching Wodonga in 1873. The connection through to the standard gauge system across the Murray River to Albury was not completed for a few years, partly because the New South Wales standard gauge system had not yet extended as far south as Albury.
Eventually the NSW system was extended southwards from its originating terminus in Sydney to Albury, but the terminals of the broad and standard gauge systems remained separated by the Murray River and a few miles of its surrounding swampy flatlands and billabongs. Intercolonial rivalries were settled by the building of lines and bridges of both gauges across the border river flats with both Albury and Wodonga being transfer stations, this connection being completed in 1883. Albury later became the passenger interchange station and the major freight transhipment point.
In 1962 the standard gauge line was extended south from Wodonga to Melbourne and from that time onwards, most interstate haulage was on the standard gauge. Some broad gauge passenger trains still continued to run to Albury to provide a local service to northeastern Victorian towns but the long distance interstate freight and passenger trains were run via this new continuous standard gauge link between Melbourne and Sydney.
Livestock, mostly beef cattle, formed a large part of the freight carried to Melbourne from Wodonga, where large saleyards were established near the station. Meatworks were also one of Wodonga's main industries. After 1980 the saleyard location was moved to Bandiana, east of Wodonga. Dual gauge rail access was constructed at this selling centre which was adjacent to the Victorian Cudgewa branchline. Services on this branch were discontinued beyond Bandiana and the Victorian rail system soon ceased livestock carriage. Cattle continued to be occaisionally railed from northern NSW to Bandiana Saleyards until 1987 when this rail traffic also ceased. Nowadays the sidings at Bandiana are used as a rail container terminal by standard gauge trains only with some freight also being handled at Wodonga railway station.
There are future plans for Wodonga railway station to be moved from its present central location to a position on a new line on the northern edge of the town. The new line will eliminate some level crossings and sharp cuves in the town but most Wodonga residents will find the new location less convenient. Some of the old line will be retained to service freight sidings near the old station and the broad gauge line from Melbourne will be dismantled.