locomotive power and rolling stock were in critically short supply. In desperation, the Commonwealth Railways converted cattle cars (by lining the open-planked sides and installing toilets) to transport troops northwards. Proposed extensions A private company proposed a railway from Birdum to Bourke, New South Wales in 1932. A railway from Dajarra, Queensland to Birdum was considered in 1952-53 but the federal Cabinet decided not to proceed. Construction of a standard gauge railway to Darwin was first seriously proposed in 1965 when construction of a new standard gauge line to Alice Springs was discussed. Closure In May 1976, the federal government ordered the closure of the entire North Australia Railway line, mainly as a result of the loss of iron ore traffic originating from the Frances Creek mine. All services ceased on 30 June. Maintenance gangs were withdrawn in December 1977. Heavy floods in 1978 destroyed parts of the railway, effectively eliminating any prospect of the railway re-opening. In 1985, some rails and steel sleepers were lifted and sent for use in Tasmania. Heritage listing The Pine Creek railway precinct has been placed in the Northern Territory Heritage Register. It is in the care of the National Trust Northern Territory, as is the Katherine railway station. Standard-gauge line Nearly 20 years after the line between Tarcoola and Alice Springs was opened, a consortium was formed to build a standard gauge line between Alice Springs and Darwin. Construction was undertaken with amazing speed and efficiency, lasting 32 months from July 2001 to September 2003. The line broadly followed the original narrow-gauge route between Adelaide River and Emungalan but about 70 per cent of the whole route was on a new alignment. Modern engineering standards, much higher than those of its 19th century predecessor, resulted in none of the infrastructure on the alignment, such as it was, being retained other than the Ferguson River bridge. The first freight train from Adelaide reached Darwin in January 2004 and the first passenger service (The Ghan) from Adelaide to Darwin in February 2004, finally fulfilling the 121-year dream of a north–south transcontinental railway. Notes References Bibliography External links Pine Creek NT Restoration of locomotive NF5 Walkabout page on Pine Creek Adelaide-Darwin railway corridor Closed railway lines in the Northern Territory Railway lines opened in 1889 Railway lines closed in 1976 3 ft 6 in gauge railways in Australia 20th century in the Northern Territory