Coonamia was never more significant than any other provisional stopping place, but its status in its final years was historic: it was the last of the six "stations" that had served Port Pirie and the last provisional stopping place in South Australia outside the Adelaide metropolitan area.
The first Port Pirie station had opened 1876 when the only alternative transport was horse-drawn over unmade roads; Coonamia closed in the era of near-universal availability of motor vehicles.

Operationally, Coonamia is the place where ARTC train controllers in Adelaide (who oversee operations between Broken Hill and Coonamia, and Coonamia southwards) hand over to controllers in Port Augusta (who oversee the line to Port Augusta and points west); the sign remains so that train crews can identify the change-over point, which is also the "0 km" datum point for routes to Port Augusta, Broken Hill and Adelaide.
The location has a crossing loop 1638 m (1791 yds) long on the south side of the double mainline from Crystal Brook.

Previous station: Mary Elie Street
Subsequent station: none (passenger services ceased)
Coonamia was never more significant than any other provisional stopping place, but its status in its final years was historic: it was the last of the six "stations" that had served Port Pirie and the last provisional stopping place in South Australia outside the Adelaide metropolitan area. The first Port Pirie station had opened 1876 when the only alternative transport was horse-drawn over unmade roads; Coonamia closed in the era of near-universal availability of motor vehicles.
Operationally, Coonamia is the place where ARTC train controllers in Adelaide (who oversee operations between Broken Hill and Coonamia, and Coonamia southwards) hand over to controllers in Port Augusta (who oversee the line to Port Augusta and points west); the sign remains so that train crews can identify the change-over point, which is also the "0 km" datum point for routes to Port Augusta, Broken Hill and Adelaide. The location has a crossing loop 1638 m (1791 yds) long on the south side of the double mainline from Crystal Brook.
Previous station: Mary Elie Street
Subsequent station: none (passenger services ceased)
Coonamia railway station