[1][2] In the 1875, the South Australian Railways built a narrow gauge line from Port Pirie to Gladstone.

In April 1963, the federal government decided to replace the narrow gauge line with a new standard gauge line to create an East-West rail corridor from Sydney to Perth.

For example, the new line bypasses the town of Oodla Wirra, and followed a new alignment rather than the route of the Silverton Tramway.

As part of this the junction with the Port Pirie to Broken Hill line was moved 24 kilometres east to Crystal Brook.

In the 1980s, the line was briefly served by The Alice and Australian National's Adelaide to Broken Hill service.