Thursday, March 28, 2024

Staying safe around the Victorian Goldfields Railway

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Victorian Goldfields Railway
Photo: Tarrangower Times

The Castlemaine and Maldon Railway Preservation Society, the operator of the Victorian Goldfields Railway, would like to ask the residents of Castlemaine and Maldon to be more mindful of the trains that are operating on the Castlemaine to Maldon Branch Line. 

As the state of Victoria opens up, with more visitors to the region, there will be more trains operating over coming months. 

On Sunday 31 October 2021 at approximately 4.45pm, the crew of the train which was operating from Castlemaine to Maldon reported an incident which involved four young children playing on the rail corridor approximately 100 metres from the Midland Highway Level Crossing in Castlemaine. 

One child was extremely close to the line, in a position where they most probably would have been struck by the locomotive, had the locomotive crews not taken prompt action to bring the locomotive to a halt approximately three to four metres from the child. 

Such an incident, though a near miss, illustrates the dangers that can easily come into play when you least expect it. 

From the railway’s perspective our crews were left quite shocked by the near miss and hopefully some of the children involved may have gained an appreciation of the danger in which they had placed themselves. 

The Castlemaine-Maldon Railway’s crews will continue to be vigilant in keeping an eye out for people who may be placing themselves at risk in the railway corridor. The railway would like everyone to be more aware of what is going on round them and in particular take good care of people in their care. And stay safe! 

The Victorian Goldfields Railway is now operating trains on Wednesdays and Sundays, as well as special trains. Full details of these trains can be found at www.vgr.com.au. Bookings should be made online.

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