Gippsland Line

Including the Maffra Line

The Gippsland (or Orbost) line serves the eastern part of Victoria. Various sections were opened throughout Gippsland (Sale to Morwell, and Morwell to Moe) during 1877, while the connection from Melbourne (Oakleigh) only extended as far as Bunyip initially. The line between Moe and Bunyip opened the following year. In 1888 the line was extended from Sale to Stratford and then Bairnsdale. In 1916 the line reached Orbost.

The line was well served by passenger trains although services between Bairnsdale and Orbost had ceased by the 1930’s. The line beyond Bairnsdale was closed in 1987. The line east of sale closed to passenger services in 1994, and was reopened to Bairnsdale in 2004.

The line was electrified between Dandenong and Warrugul in 1954, and to Traralgon by 1956. The overhead system was progressively decommissioned back to Packenham between 1987 and 2001. During 2005, one of the lines between Packenham and Warrugul was upgraded as part of the Regional Fast Rail project.

The Maffra line branched from the Gippsland line at Traralgon, and opened to Heyfield in 1883. In 1887 the was opened to Maffra, and later that year, it rejoined the Gippland line near Stratford. Passenger services ceased in 1977. At the time, these services consisted of a railmotor that ran between Traralgon and Maffra. By 1987, the line from Traralgon to Maffra had closed. The remaining section between Maffra and Stratford closed in 1995.