In the strictest terms it was an extension of the Eastern Goldfields Railway,[1][2] but following the Standard Gauge project in the 1960s it has run from Kalgoorlie to Esperance since the mid-1970s, as Coolgardie is no longer connected by rail.

Early WAGR annual reports took into consideration: Catchment area, Capacity, Pumped or gravitation collection of water, estimated loss by evaporation and absorption, and total amount of water stored.

It was five hours faster than the mixed goods train,[10] though averaging only about 35 km/h (22 mph).

[14] The following Acts of Parliament are associated with the railway line: The railway line starts at an elevation of 378 metres (1,240 ft) at Kalgoorlie and finishes at Esperance at an elevation of 3.3 metres (11 ft).

It reaches its lowest point of 3.2 metres (10 ft) at the 385.8-kilometre (239.7 mi) mark, just before the terminus at Esperance, and its highest point of 378.8 metres (1,243 ft) at the 25.3-kilometre (15.7 mi) mark, south of Hampton.