From their very earliest days in the 1850s railways provided a much safer, more comfortable,efficient form of transport. They swiftly captured the imagination of the public, the planners and the politicans who would expand them across the six colonies bringing a speed of communication unheard of in Australia previously. This is the story of how railway tracks rapidly expanded to all but the most remote parts of the continent. It shows how railway lines linked many places where they made no economic sense, but also forged connections that improved life for everyone in city or town. The story ranges from the very first lines through the massive expansion until the 1890s, then the golden days of rail travel until World War II, through to the rationalisation, standardisation and redevelopments of the modern era. Railways were a key aspect of the development of Australia. This is their story.