Opened in 1954 to serve the Shell Oil Refinery, a number of sidings branch off the main line to cater for oil traffic.
Viva Refinery (Formerly Shell)
An overhead gantry is provided to fill tanker cars with refined petroleum products (both diesel and petrol) for distribution throughout the state.
By 1977/78 an average of 12 tank cars of fuel was being despatched a week, with Shell sending 17,900 tonnes that year, along with 5,457 tonnes by Caltex and 2,791 tonnes by Esso. The refinery itself had a production capacity of 5,077,000 tones a year.
Block trains of fuel were introduced in 1973 to Wodonga, and to Mildura and Shepparton in 1982. Fuel haulage was deregulated in 1985. By July 1996 the refinery was the only rail served despatch point for petroleum in Victoria, destinations being Bendigo (California Gully), Kerang, Mildura, Shepparton, Swan Hill and the Wodonga Coal Sidings. Diesel was also railed to Portland, Dimboola and Geelong for locomotive depot use.
By about 2002 Swan Hill and Wodonga stopped receiving fuel by rail. By 2005 only Mildura and Shepparton remained rail served. In 2007 Shell begun to cease the distribution of fuel by rail in Victoria. The last depot served was at Shepparton, with the last train running in early 2008. The tank cars used for the service have been stored at North Geelong Yard, as well as the shunting float used to move the wagons at the refinery.
90 Refinery Rd, Geelong
