for Transport, Senator George McLeay and the Commonwealth Railways Commissioner, Mr. P. J. Hannaberry, both stated that they were "strongly in favour" to extend the standard gauge line all the way to Alice Springs in 1952. By April 1954, Hannaberry had changed his mind and stated it was "out of the question". In 1957, the Marree Railway Line, the new standard gauge line from Stirling North (near Port Augusta) to Marree (372 km from Port Augusta) opened, replacing the existing line via Quorn. This was predominantly for coal to be transferred from the Leigh Creek and Telford Cut Coalfields to the power stations at Stirling North. The line was extended to Marree for cattle to be transported to market from the grazing plains, including around the Birdsville Track. Closures With the new standard gauge Marree Railway Line opened, the narrow gauge line began to close in sections: 1957: The section between Brachina (173 km) to Beltana (232 km) is closed in March 1957: The section between Leigh Creek (262 km) to Marree (372 km) is closed in July 1958: Beltana (232 km) to Leigh Creek (262 km) closed in July. 1972: Port Augusta (0 km) to Hawker (105 km) closed. Some sections of the narrow-gauge line remain in operation as the Pichi Richi Railway and the section from Port Augusta to Stirling North was realigned and restored in 2000–2002. 1981: The entire narrow gauge line was closed with the section between Marree (372 km) and Alice Springs (1243 km) abandoned, replaced by Tarcoola-Alice Springs line standard gauge line. 1987: Standard gauge between Marree and Telford Cut closed. 2016: Stirling North-Telford Cut standard gauge line mothballed after power station and mine closure. Heritage trail, restoration and preserved sections The old railway route is now a heritage trail. In 1974, the newly formed Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society commenced a restoration program, headquartered at Quorn at the picturesque southern end of the railway; Stirling North, near Port Augusta, was the other terminus. It progressively restored and operated the Pichi Richi Railway as a working museum, upgrading track and undertaking preservation of a wide range of South Australian Railways rolling stock and some locomotives, secured against deterioration in the former running sheds. Between 2000 and 2002, the line was extended 12 km (7 mi) to Port Augusta station, running alongside the standard gauge mainline for about half the distance. In May 2016, traffic