Railways

The railway line from Tailem Bend to Paringa opened on October 18th 1913, with passengers changing from the main Adelaide - Melbourne line at Tailem Bend to alight via Karoonda, Alawoona and Loxton to Paringa. The journey took 14 hours including boarding the horse drawn
drag that would take passengers through to Renmark. Strong campaigning for a bridge over the Murray and the extension of the line to Renmark and beyond emerged, though the declaration of World War 1 in 1914 shelved any immediate plans. The pressure resumed after the war,
and in September 1925 State Parliament authorised the construction of a bridge and the extension of the line to Renmark.

The first train steamed into Renmark on January 31st, 1927 culminating in one of the biggest celebrations in the town's history. From Renmark, the line continued onto Berri, Glossop & Barmera, where the first train pulled in
on August 1st 1928.

The daily service continued for a number of years, and was particularly well patronised during World War 2, when the train was the principal means of travel for service personnel.

For more than 30 years after the line's extension across the river, big tonnages of freight and livestock passed through the Renmark Station, hitting a peak of 32,000 tonnes in the 1956 flood year.

As roads were improved and restrictions lifted on road transport, patronage on the line fell steadily. An overnight goods service was introduced in 1962 and by mid 1973, the mixed trains were replaced solely by goods trains with the occasional passenger accommodated in the brakevan. The service was later reduced to five days a week in 1978, with the demise of the service coming in 1982. The last diesel locomotive was to use the Renmark Railway Station on the 21st May 1985, with the station
operated only as a depot until July 1985 when it was closed altogether.

Since this time the lines have been removed, the station area developed into a housing estate and the site of the new Renmark Paringa Council building and the section of the Paringa Bridge once used by trains is now used by pedestrians.

Our Proud History