Crossing the divide

The opportunity to develop the rail corridor between Trentham and Bullarto has come about due to the work undertaken in the formulation by the State Government of “The Vintage Rolling Stock Strategy – A Blueprint for Preserving our Rail History”. One of the conclusions of this study is that Regional Victoria is best placed to grow the rail heritage industry in the State, and that part of this is the potential for an extension of railway operations from our terminus at Bullarto through to Trentham.

This would be commensurate with the development of new products focusing on Trentham and local communities, along with the establishment of an extensive series of trails in the forest between Lyonville and Trentham.

Supporting community events.

The community holds many events over the course of a year, Spud Fest at Trentham, The Bake Off and Wood Chop at Lyonville just to name a few. There are regular events such as the monthly farmers market in the Trentham town square and the Trentham Station market. The railway will act as a feeder service to these and bring people from along the line to the events without the congestion if they had done so by car. It will also act as an added attraction as during the larger events such as Spud Fest. Special trains can be run to the platform in the forest for a quick 20 min round trip.

A reduction of traffic in towns and on local roads.

One of the competing interests in the tourism economy is the need for the economic input from visitors to a region, versus the impact on the local amenity for residents. The railway will bring visitors to the region, without the traffic and congestion currently associated with such.

Accessibility for all sectors of the community.

The railway has a unique capacity to engage with all sectors of the community. This is particularly so for people with special needs, as trains are able to cater for those with mobility aids or who require the assistance of carers. Regardless of whether you’re a fit 30 year old who will use the forest trails’ part of the development, a family with young children or a person in their 80s, the development of the rail corridor will cater for all and in all weathers. An important consideration with the regions climate.

An additional transport option for residents.

The railway currently offers a 50% concession on all regular timetabled services to the residents of Hepburn Shire. So far there have been over 1,000 locals cards issued. With a planned 4 trains per day between Trentham and Daylesford on weekends, plus an eventual expansion of operations to 7 days a week, with 3 trains on weekdays, it will provide another transport option for the communities along the line.

 Current status.

We are presently in discussions with Hepburn Council and various State Government departments in regard to land tenure and approvals required for the project to proceed.

Daylesford Railway has already sourced and has on site sufficient rail to replay the line between Bullarto and Trentham and enough concrete sleepers to proceed ¾ of the way to the first station at Lyonville.

We have also undertaken a detailed survey of the right of way between Bullarto and Trentham, including the bridges between Lyonville and Trentham.

Although costing many millions of dollars, we believe that it will have outstanding benefits for the local communities along with their economies, and ensure the long-term viability of the railway.