Tourist railway set for seven day timetable
A $300,000 state government grant will help Walhalla Goldfields Railway to operate seven days a week..
Not-for-profit organisation Walhalla Goldfields Railway will provide the remaining $150,000 to restore and convert a 1926 Melbourne tram into a self-propelled rail carriage.
The 1926 tram body will be fitted with a rail motor and the track will undergo infrastructure upgrades to improve the range of services available. That will allow the railway to operate seven days per week.
The project, which will create 15 new jobs, also includes the construction of a storage facility, ensuring long term security and protection from the elements.
It is estimated the project will increase the number of visitors by more than 15,000 in the long term and increase the amount spent on local businesses from $2.4 million to $3.3 million per year.
Baw Baw Shire mayor Joe Gauci said the project would provide a significant boost to the tourist railway, closing gaps in the schedule for the second-most patronised in the state behind only Puffing Billy.
“One of the main reasons people visit Walhalla is for the scenic railway, and now that can become a seven day a week business,” he said.
Dedicated Walhalla Goldfields Railway volunteers have rebuilt the railway over the past 25 years.
WGR president Michael Leaney said the project was the starting phase of a longer-term vision to extend the railway to Erica.
“This is the start of the next phase to make it a daily operation, and we have more plans,” he said.
“We’re well advanced to extend the railway to Monash at the T intersection of Walhalla Rd, and from there on to Erica.
“This would make the railway a world class attraction to rival the best rail experiences in the world.
“It’s already unique to Gippsland, we have some spectacular scenery.”
Mr Leaney said extension through to Erica could go ahead immediately with the necessary funding support. “The extension is shovel ready,” he said. “All we need is $6.5 million. “We just need the support to talk up the project to get it up to fruition.”