What is Western Australian Government Railways?
[[File:West Australian Railway Museum 22.jpg|thumb|WAGR crest on a carriage built in 1919.]] The '''Western Australian Government Railways''' ('''WAGR''') was the primary state-owned rail operator for [[Western Australia]]. The WAGR originated from the [[Departments of France|Department]] of Works and Railways created to run the Northern Railway between [[Geraldton, Western Australia|Geraldton]] and Northampton when it opened in 1879. In 1890 the Works and Railways department was replaced with the WAGR, which would continue under that name until 1975 when its trading name changed to '''Westrail''' until 2000, with the WAGR being taken over by the [[Public transport|Public Transport]] Authority in 2003 under the name '''[[Transwa]]'''. In 1986 inner-city suburban lines were handed over to the newly established [[Transperth]]. In addition to rail services, the WAGR also operated trams, and ferries and provided electricity during its tenure, being renamed several times to reflect what it was doing. ==Origins of WAGR== The history of the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) dates back to 1879 when the Department of Works & Railways was established.<ref name=sro:drw>{{cite web|title=AU WA A580 - Department of Works and Railways|url=https://archive.sro.wa.gov.au/index.php/department-of-works-railways-au-wa-a580|publisher=[[State Records Office of Western Australia]]|access-date=22 October 2023|archive-date=9 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409131639/https://archive.sro.wa.gov.au/index.php/department-of-works-railways-au-wa-a580|url-status=live}}</ref> The first railway line operated by WAGR opened on July 26, 1879, connecting Geraldton and Northampton. Subsequently, the Eastern Railway from Fremantle to Guildford via Perth was launched on March 1, 1881.<ref name=AGunzburg>{{cite book|last1=Gunzburg|first1=Adrian|title=A History of WAGR Steam Locomotives|date=1984|publisher=Australian Railway Historical Society|location=Perth|isbn=0-9599690-3-9|pages=13, 115, 142}}</ref><ref name=GH