Northern Territory        

Location:  Adelaide River Railway Precinct

Threat:     Degradation through inappropriate siting of new railway

The most significant and extensive remnant of the 1888 North Australian Railway is threatened by the new Adelaide to Darwin Railway which has been routed to cut right through the Adelaide River Railway Historic Precinct.

This 2km long heritage listed precinct contains all the essential elements of a 19th century railway including a magnificent 500ft steel girder bridge, railway yards with sidings and extensive equipment, and the fully restored station building.

Since the North Australian Railway closed in 1976, the Friends have worked to preserve this wonderful railway heritage, and to establish a heritage rail route between Adelaide River and the historic WW2 Snake Creek ammunition storage area.

The compromise agreement which the Friends group had negotiated with the railway authorities which would have avoided most of the Heritage Precinct has been violated by the construction crews, and much of the heritage track has now been taken up and will need to be removed.

The passage of modern trains speeding through the Precinct will imperil visitors, threaten heritage structures, and severely compromise the proposed heritage rail link to Snake Creek.

The opportunity to present the new railway and the Heritage Precinct in a harmonious and educational environment has been grossly diminished by the changed route and the attendant earth works and safety considerations which it imposes.

Work should be stopped immediately, and a new route determined which is protective of the fragile structures of the Precinct, and which allows the Heritage Rail to Snake Creek to proceed in safety.