The broad gauge (5ft3in - 1600mm) line from Adelaide (the state capital) to Terowie was built in stages from 1869 to 1880. The narrow gauge (3ft6in - 1067mm) extension to Peterborough was completed in 1881. Terowie then became a major break-of-gauge location for freight and passenger traffic between Adelaide and the Transcontinental Railway (to Sydney and Perth) and the Central Australia Railway (to Port Augusta and Alice Springs).
After the conversion of the Port Pirie-Broken Hill Line to standard gauge (4ft8½in - 1435mm) during 1969-1970 the Peterborough-Terowie narrow gauge line was converted to dual gauge in 1970 with the addition of a broad gauge track. All break-of-gauge operations then moved to Peterborough.
The line from Adelaide to Peterborough, with its dual gauge section from Terowie to Peterborough, was closed in 1988.
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