Rail

Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams was in Geelong today, to mark one year of making regional public transport more affordable by capping the daily regional fare at the same price as the daily metropolitan fare. Passengers have been showing their enthusiasm for cheaper regional travel, with more than 22 million trips taken since the fare cap commenced.

Regional communities continue to pay the price of Labor’s mismanagement as key rail upgrades for lines across regional Victoria remain undelivered. Train lines in Shepparton, Warrnambool, and Gippsland were promised upgrades by the end of 2023, but the Allan Labor Government’s mismanagement of Victoria’s infrastructure pipeline has seen all three projects suffer delays and result in cost blowouts.

It’s been 10 years in the making – the rail trail is complete and you can ride, walk, take a trishaw, take the dog or run the Casino to Bentley Rail Trail. It is more than 13 km tracking through farmland with cows grazing against a backdrop of soft, green hills.

Campaspe Shire Council and Heritage Victoria have been working on the new Rail Trail project in Rushworth. After detailed historical and site investigations, Heritage Victoria have placed the former Rushworth Railway Station on the Victorian Heritage Inventory (number H7924-0100).

John Williams. "Hang on, we are going to crash, look out", was the dramatic warning given to the driver of the second engine of the Adelaide-bound Express a few seconds before one of the biggest railway smashes in the history of Victoria. On the foggy night of September 7th 1951, Kaniva and Nhill fire brigades rushed to a reported train wreck involving two Expresses at Serviceton, just near the South Australian border.

Today many in the Euroa community are celebrating a win for all who value the heritage and the broader history of their town. Just as importantly the Euroa Community has again proven the strength of a strong community voice in dealing with a large uncaring corporation. 

The ability of the Australian grains industry to compete internationally is being seriously hampered by supply chain inefficiencies, with recent record harvests highlighting a need for more capacity in the current network, a GrainGrowers commissioned report has found. The ‘Connecting the Dots: Improving Australian Grain Supply Chain Efficiency’ report was compiled by independent global strategy consultancy LEK. 

The Frances community will soon boast a BMX track ... hopes to sell its Town Hall and pump the proceeds into upgrades at the Frances Recreation Reserve ... Those were some of the items raised by Frances Progress Association chairman Danielle Moore during a visit to the township by Naracoorte Lucindale Council...

It was a chilly start to the day at Joyces Creek last Thursday morning as a group comprising Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards, Ripon MP Martha Haylett, members of the Rail Trail group and representatives of both Mount Alexander and Central Goldfields shire councils met. The still water and shady trees, with the rail bridge towering overhead, lent a special atmosphere to the launch.

Recent DownsSteam steam engine trials have been successful through Wyreema, likely to be followed by passenger journeys in the region as soon as 2024. A couple of weeks ago, C16 Steam engine 106 went on its maiden trip having departed Drayton station at 10am before a large crowd of train enthusiasts.

Last week the community of Nhill was surprised to find the Nhill Railway Station fenced off and out of bounds to the community, without any consultation, after being deemed unsafe for public use by the Australian Rail Track Corporation. Local resident Margaret Millington said it was a sad situation and that "Sadly, the Nhill station is now inaccessible to passengers wishing to travel on the Overland.

Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll confirmed the Labor Government has entered a new $11.5 million three-year agreement to fund the historic service, guaranteeing a future for the Overland train, which has run between Melbourne and Adelaide since 1887. This Government investment will ensure the twice weekly service – which stops at Murray Bridge, Bordertown, Nhill, Dimboola, Horsham, Stawell, Ararat and Geelong will continue to run for the next three years.

Data released by Tweed Shire Council shows more than 70,500 people have used the Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail (NRRT) since its opening four months ago, smashing prior expectations. The figures released were calculated using data retrieved from counters strategically placed along the 24 km length of the Tweed section of the NRRT, which runs from Murwillumbah to Crabbes Creek.

Australian owned company Martinus Rail, has been awarded a $403.5 million contract to design and deliver enhancement works on the 183 kilometres of track between Albury to Illabo and the 170 kilometres of track between Stockinbingal to Parkes.

Not even one month after an uncontrolled fire on Government land triggered Traeger MP Robbie Katter to request an inquiry into the State Government’s aggressive take-up of land without properly resourcing it, several more blazes have broken out. Katter’s Australian Party Leader and Member for Traeger Robbie Katter received complaints that constituents were left to battle two grass fires in about two weeks 30 kilometres east of Hughenden that were likely caused by cattle train activity and nearby high fuel loads.

Local train enthusiasts couldn’t believe their eyes or good fortune on Tuesday morning, when an enormously long train, estimated to be up to a kilometre-and-a-half in length, passed through Donald, heading north, towards Mildura ... There was no official word on what was the purpose of the train might be, but one theory was that is was a test run to check the suitability of the Mildura to Melbourne line to transfer freight.

The State Government is being urged to provide funding certainty for the Mode Shift Incentive Scheme (MSIS) to encourage more freight on to rail. The MSIS is an incentive program providing financial support to rail freight companies to make the cost of transporting goods on rail more competitive ... Deputy Leader of The Nationals and Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy, said the MSIS program allowed regional rail freight operators to offer competitive transport options for exporters, encouraging them to use rail instead of road transport to get their goods to the Port of Melbourne.

We want to understand how we can better work with our communities to ensure you have the information you need and the opportunity to provide feedback as Inland Rail progresses. Now is your chance to provide anonymous feedback on how we can improve our future communication and interactions with you by completing this quarterly communication and engagement survey.

Mount Alexander Shire Council is partnering with Central Goldfields Shire Council and community group Castlemaine-Maryborough Rail Trail Inc. to determine the feasibility of a shared rail trail between Castlemaine and Maryborough. The proposed trail is 55km long and passes through the communities of Campbells Creek, Guildford, Newstead, Moolort and Carisbrook.

A substantial number of landholders and residents of rural communities between Glenreagh and Ulong are vehemently opposing a proposal by the Glenreagh Mountain Railway (GMR) and their newly established sister company Tallowwood Ventures Ltd (TVL) to develop a 35km section of the currently inactive Glenreagh to Dorrigo Branch Line and transform it into a rail trail ... several residents including former GMR members told the Clarence Valley Independent they are “frustrated, angry, and disturbed” by the proposal.

The first 2.7km of track has been laid on the 14.5km Yanchep rail extension while the Yanchep station deck pour was completed in early April. On Tuesday, Premier Mark McGowan said the Yanchep rail extension was due to be finished at the end of 2023, then undergo its testing and become operational in the new year.