The Regional Rail Link (RRL) is 47.5 kilometre of railway track through the western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria. The main aim of the project was to separate regional V/Line Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong services from the electrified Melbourne suburban services, thereby increasing rail capacity and reliability. The Regional Rail Link, as part of the PTV Network Development Plan, in or before December 2032, will be electrified and turned into part of the future Grovedale-South Yarra Line, a line that will go from Grovedale, Geelong to South Yarra railway station, with a branch line to Avalon Airport.

The project involved the building of an extra pair of tracks from Southern Cross station to Sunshine, parallel to the Western line, and a new double-track line from Deer Park, which joins with the Warrnambool line west of Werribee, near the site of the former Manor railway station.

New stations were built at Tarneit and Wyndham Vale, and West Footscray and Sunshine stations were rebuilt. Additional platforms were built at Southern Cross and Footscray stations, and two level crossings near Sunshine were replaced by grade separations.

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. is a short-line railroad holding company that owns or maintains interests in 120 railroads throughout five countries (the United States, Canada, Australia, Belgium, and the Netherlands), and operates more than 15,500 miles (24,900 km) of owned and leased track, with more than 3,300 miles (5,300 km) under additional track-access arrangements. The company had its roots in the Class III Genesee and Wyoming Railroad, which began in 1899.

History

Early years

Genesee and Wyoming Railroad, predecessor of Genesee & Wyoming Inc., was purchased out of bankruptcy in 1899 by Edward L. Fuller. At that time, the railroad was operating as a 14.5 miles (23.3 km) long single-track line serving a single customer, a salt mine owned by Fuller in Retsof, NY. It was still operating the same line for the salt mine when Mortimer B. Fuller III, great grandson of Edward L. Fuller, purchased the railroad in 1977. The holding company, Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Inc., was organized during the same year, and the railroad became its subsidiary.

Rail Link (Foaled 26 March 2003) is a thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 2006.

Background

Rail Link was trained by André Fabre, and was ridden by jockey Christophe Soumillon or Stéphane Pasquier for owner Khalid Abdullah.

Racing career

Unraced at two, he made an inauspicious start to his three-year-old career, unseating his rider on his debut at Saint-Cloud, and then finishing second in its next race at Chantilly Racecourse. From then on he was undefeated in five races, winning the Prix Gouvernant, Prix du Lys, Grand Prix de Paris and Prix Niel.

On 1 October 2006 he won the 85th Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, defeating Pride, Deep Impact, Shirocco, and Hurricane Run.

During the Winter of 2006-7, he suffered a tendon problem and was taken out of training. He was expected to return in the Summer of 2007, but the injury was too serious and he was retired from racing. He was sent to stud at Juddmonte Farms.

Pedigree

References

Rail Link is a subsidiary company of Genesee & Wyoming Inc.

Rail Link may also refer to:

See also

Regional rail, also known as local trains and stopping trains are passenger rail services that operate between towns and cities. These trains operate with more stops over shorter distances than inter-city rail, but fewer stops and faster service than commuter rail. Regional rail services operate beyond the limits of urban areas, and either connect similarly sized smaller cities and towns, or cities and surrounding towns, outside or at the outer rim of a suburban belt.

Regional rail normally operates with an even service load throughout the day, although slightly increased services may be provided during rush-hour. The service is less oriented around bringing commuters to the urban centers, although this may generate part of the traffic on some systems. Other regional rail services operate between two large urban areas, but make many intermediate stops.

Characteristics

The main difference between regional rail and commuter rail is that the latter is focused on moving people between where they live and where they work on a daily basis. Regional rail operates outside major cities. Unlike inter-city, it stops at most or all stations. It provides a service between smaller communities along the line, and also connections with long-distance services. Regional rail typically operates throughout the day but often at low frequency (once per hour or only a few times a day), whereas commuter rail provides a high-frequency service within a conurbation.