Ebden railway station
Ebden, is a closed station located in the town of Ebden, on the Cudgewa railway line in Victoria, Australia. All buildings were removed after the closure of the line, leaving only the platform mound remaining.
Ebden | ||||||||||||||||
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| Line(s) | Cudgewa | |||||||||||||||
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| Status | Closed | |||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 10 September 1889 | |||||||||||||||
| Closed | 1 March 1981 | |||||||||||||||
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History
Originally known as 'Bethanga Road' railway station until 1904, the station was later named 'Bethanga' until 1910. From thereon it was known as Ebden railway station. Ebden, along with other stations along the line was erected according to the Act No. 821 of the Victorian Parliament in 1884, authorising the building of a branch line from Wodonga to Talangatta. This operation was reported to have some three hundred men engaged on the work, with the plan to have the section open by March 31, 1888.
The station had featured a passenger platform consisting of three buildings, goods shed and stock yards. This required three tracks, including two sidings. One of which was for the commonly used stock yards, along with a siding to Mitta Junction. Ebden's following station, Huon, was forced to relocate after the introduction of the Hume Wier, although Ebden was recognised to be in a location far enough from the large body of water.
Heavy Rail was installed from Wodonga-Ebden section due to numerous migrant special trains throughout the 1950s and 1960s consisting usually of locomotives such as A2's, R's and later B class diesels. Bonegilla was the planned terminus for these special trains, although a run around loop was non existent. So the stopping place was pushed forward to the next station on the line, being Ebden.
Demise Of The Cudgewa Line
Ebden Railway Station along with other railway stations on the Cudgewa Line had seen a dramatic decline in services after the Snowy Hydro Electric Scheme (rail transport of goods for the creating of the Snowy Hydro Electricity Plant) by the early 1970s.
As services kept declining until there was only one goods train per week, commonly known to be hauled by dynamic brake locomotive T413. Stock trains on the Cudgewa Line had also depleted, due to the rapid upgrading of road transport.
The station and the whole of the Cudgewa line had officially closed on March 1 of 1981, despite the last regular goods service ran on the 21st of April 1978.
Ebden Railway Station Today
In 2006, the Apex Club of Wodonga began rebuilding the passenger platform as part of a project to restore the station area as an asset of the High Country Rail Trail. The platform itself was complete as at end 2008, with further completed during 2010-2012 which included picnic shelter and table, station name board and a historic information signboard.