Railways and Tramways of Australia
Interstate
Interstate railways are lines that cross state and territory borders, linking different networks. Standard gauge lines connect all of the capital cities throughout mainland Australia: Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Darwin and Perth. The line from Queanbeyan in New South Wales to Canberra is an interstate line because it crosses from New South Wales into the Australian Capital Territory, but has been listed under New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory because it is part of the UGL Regional Linx (UGLRL) Country Regional Network (CRN), and most services along this line are operated by NSW TrainLink. The only railway line in the Northern Territory is the north–south transcontinental line from Darwin through to Adelaide in South Australia. Most of this line is managed by Aurizon.
Aurizon
Around 3700 km of railway infrastructure throughout South Australia and the Northern Territory is managed by Aurizon, after being acquired from One Rail Australia in 2022. This includes management and operation of the north–south transcontinental line from Darwin to Tarcoola, a distance of 2246 route kilometres. The line between Darwin and Alice Springs is under a BOOT (Build, Own, Operate, Transfer) contract with the AustralAsia Railway Corporation, while the line between Alice Springs and Tarcoola is owned by ARTC but is on long-term lease. Aurizon is also a freight rail operator throughout much of mainland Australia. The Aurizon website provides information about its network and services.
Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC)
The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) manages and maintains over 8500 km of railway lines across New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland. This represents most of Australia’s interstate networks. ARTC has responsibility for the interstate lines from Macarthur (near Sydney) to Melbourne, Melbourne to Adelaide via North Shore (near Geelong) and Serviceton, Cootamundra to Adelaide via Parkes and Broken Hill, Broadmeadow (near Newcastle) to Brisbane, and Adelaide to Kalgoorlie. Over 500 trains a day use the ARTC network. The ARTC website provides a wide range of information about its network, including maps, diagrams, access information, Master Train Plans and Train Alteration Advice notices.