Rail transport in Tasmania

The mainline railways of Tasmania are currently operated by TasRail, a Government of Tasmania-owned Corporation, who owns and maintains both rolling stock, locomotives, and track infrastructure.

The line went bankrupt in 1872 and was taken over by the Tasmanian Government on 31 October 1873,[2] which then attempted to recover the debt from the guarantors, leading to civil unrest.

The Emu Bay Railway was purchased by Australian Transport Network on 22 May 1998,[2] thus merging that line with the remainder of the system that company then operated.

[7] In November 1997, TasRail was sold to the Australian Transport Network, a partnership of New Zealand-based Tranz Rail and United States railroad Wisconsin Central.

[8] That was alarming, because a shut-down of all rail services would result in thousands more trucks on already busy roads.

Initially, neither the federal or state government acted on the issue, claiming they would not be "held to mercy" by Pacific National, owned by Toll and Patrick Corporation, "which are extremely profitable multi-national companies".

Later, the state infrastructure minister Bryan Green and his federal counterpart, transport minister Warren Truss, announced a $120 million rescue package, designed to ensure that Pacific National would continue operation in the state.

[13] The following table lists railways and museums which run vintage passenger trains and rolling stock:

A TasRail container train led by TR class locomotive 16 at the port of Burnie
The roundhouse at Hobart's former railway station in Macquarie Point
X class diesel electric locomotive as used in Tasmania, the first mainline diesel-electric locomotive purchased by an Australian government railway system. [ 1 ]
A DP class railmotor, operated by the Tasmanian Transport Museum , approaches New Town station
V class diesel shunting locomotive as used in Tasmania.
ZP class locomotive 2100
DV1, a Y class (now DV class) locomotive that has been de-motored and put into use as a driving van
New Town railway station, now used by the Tasmanian Transport Museum