The routes of the narrow-gauge Central Australia Railway (1878–1980) and the standard-gauge Marree line which replaced the southernmost third of the route (1957–2019).
Perspective view with the southern Flinders Ranges routes in the foreground. Political pressure mandated the difficult eastern alignment of the original route.
The former Central Australia Railway, which was built between 1878 and 1929 and dismantled in 1980, was a 1241 km (771 mi) 1067 mm narrow gauge railway between Port Augusta and Alice Springs.[1] A standard gauge line duplicated the southern section from Port Augusta to Maree in 1957 on a new nearby alignment. The entire Central Australia Railway was superseded in 1980 after the standard gauge Tarcoola–Alice Springs Railway was opened, using a new route up to 200 km to the west. A small southern section of the original line between Port Augusta and Quorn has been preserved and is operated as the Pichi Richi Railway.