in Melbourne (120%), Geelong (300%) in 5 years. The sum of the two towns population was 31,444. According to the company, existing transportation options were inadequate. The overland route was impassible due to the destruction of the Bridge over the Werribee. Another option was to transport goods via steamships but the company claimed that a railway was capable to transfer as many as 10 times of passengers compared to the capacity of three steamers. Moreover, the railway could help to reduce the overcrowded traffic in the ports by restraining delays. The company announced that its service facilitated transportation between the Western goldfields in the colony to Melbourne. The company was born in the peak of the Victorian gold rush and the Geelong line has strategic geography since major gold mines were located in the north of the town with near distance. Plus, Geelong would also become a site where "ships entering Port Phillip Bay, unloading cargo and passengers which would be transported to the goldfields or to Melbourne". Construction The original constructing plan is connecting Melbourne and Geelong from Melbourne Spencer Street to Williamstown. The junction to Williamstown was a deliverable of Mount Alexander and Murray River Railway Company's project. The partner company was insolvent in 1856. Thus, an adjusted line was built so the train could temporarily terminate at Greenwich near Newport then customers transited to a steamer to travel to Melbourne or Sandridge Railway Pier. In September 1853, Joseph La Trobe who was the Lieutenant-Governor of the colony marked the railway construction by turning on the first sod at Geelong station. The construction process had not started until early 1854 but the project experienced a labor shortage due to the gold rushes hype at the current time. The chairman announced in the second meeting of 1854 that the majority of required land from the terminus, Geelong station, to Cowies Creek station (now Corio station) had been purchased or arranged with minimal difficulties. Also, in the report, the chairman wrote that the Victoria government was generous and engaging as two hulks were placed at Cowies Creek (now Corio Bay) to proceed the construction to Duck Ponds. The government employed 100 prisoners from the prison ship moored off Limeburners Point as labour to build the railway line. However, the company continuously experienced shortages in resources due to the high cost and long shipping time of locomotives imported from England. In