South Australian Railways

South Australian Railways
IndustryRailway owner, operator and manufacturer
Founded1854
Defunct28 February 1978
FateSold to the Australian federal government
SuccessorAustralian National Railways Commission, trading as Australian National
Headquarters,
Area served
South Australia
ParentGovernment of South Australia

South Australian Railways (SAR) was the organisation through which the Government of South Australia built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 until March 1978, when its non-urban railways were incorporated into Australian National, and its Adelaide urban lines were transferred to the State Transport Authority.

The SAR's tracks were built to three rail gauges: 1600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad gauge; 1067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow gauge; and from the 1980s, when gauge standardisation at last commenced, 1435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge.