as far as Shepparton. The Bendigo line was completed in 1862, with extensions were opened to Echuca in 1864, and Swan Hill in 1890, followed by a number of lines throughout the north-west corner of the state. Only these lines continue to see V/Line services, with other lines in the region only seeing freight traffic. The Main Western line had its beginnings in the first railway line from Melbourne to Ballarat, the Geelong-Ballarat line that opened in 1862. The line extended from Ballarat to Ararat between 1874 and 1875, but it was not until 1889 that the direct line between Melbourne and Ballarat was opened, built from both ends in stages until they met at Ballan. Further branch lines followed to Portland and other western towns. The line formed the first intercolonial railway line in Australia, when it was extended to the South Australian Railways at Serviceton in 1887. Up until the 1990s, the Ballarat line was on the main route between Melbourne and Adelaide, as well as The Overland services to Adelaide, until the One Nation Program rerouted the main interstate line via Geelong and Maroona as standard gauge. The Warrnambool line was started when the Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company opened the Geelong line to Newport in 1857, being extended to Spencer Street station in 1859. The line was taken over by Victorian Railways in 1860 and a line was opened from Geelong to Ballarat in 1862, and later extended south-east from 1876, reaching Warrnambool and Port Fairy in 1890. Branch lines also existed to Queenscliff, Beech Forest, and a number of other towns. Private railways A small number of private railways have also existed at various times. Some, such as the Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company, and the Melbourne and Suburban Railway Company, Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company, Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company and St Kilda and Brighton Railway Company were acquired by the Victorian Railways and made part of the core state network in 1860 and 1878 respectively. Other country branch lines were also built by private companies: namely the Kerang-Koondrook Tramway and the Deniliquin and Moama Railway, both not being acquired until the 20th century. In addition to the main Victorian rail network of the Victorian Railways and successors, a number of narrow gauge private railways and tramways have also existed for logging and mining purposes. These included the Yallourn 900mm Railway in the