Commonwealth Railways
Preserved Commonwealth Railways GM class diesel locomotive at the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide | |
| Company type | Statutory corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railways, freight, overland transport |
| Founded | 1917 |
| Defunct | June 1975 |
| Successor | Australian National Railways Commission, branded as Australian National and subsequently AN |
| Headquarters | |
Area served | Northern Territory South Australia Western Australia |
| Parent | Australian Government, termed Commonwealth Government when the Commonwealth Railways were extant |
Commonwealth Railways was a railway operator established in 1917 by the Australian Government to administer the Trans-Australia and Port Augusta-to-Darwin railways. It was effectively a statutory corporation, having been formed under, and governed by, the Commonwealth Railways Act. In 1975, all assets were acquired by the Australian National Railways Commission, branded as 'Australian National Railways' and subsequently 'Australian National', and trademarked as 'AN'.