Below Rail Infrastructure, Passenger Rail

Melbourne’s level crossing works provide track and ballast for heritage railway

A volunteer project to restore the disused railway between Healesville and Yarra Glen in Victoria has been given a big leg up, receiving track and ballast donations from the authority removing Melbourne’s road level crossings.

The Yarra Valley Railway (YVR) society, made up of over 500 volunteers, is attempting to get the 13.5-kilometre line up and running again for tourist rail services. Sixteen bridges have been rebuilt and the old Yarra Glen Station has received a full heritage restoration.

And now track rebuilding efforts have received a boost from the Level Crossing Removal Authority (LXRA), which has donated 17.5 kilometres of steel track and 5000 tonnes of stony ballast.

“In the course of removing level crossings between Caulfield and Dandenong, we’ve stripped out ground level tracks and replaced them with elevated rail,” LXRA project director Brett Summers said.

“This material is completely fit for purpose so it’s good to see it being used in this way – it’s also the best possible outcome environmentally.”

YVR president Brett Whelan said the donation – around 40 per cent of what will eventually be required – will finally allow major track construction work to get under way.

“Without this, we would just be in a holding pattern – we could fix and rebuild everything else but still wouldn’t have the rail to rebuild the track,” Whelan said.

The line between Lilydale and Healesville via Yarra Glen previously ran passenger services between 1889 and 1980.

Since 2010, the YVR has run a heritage service between Healesville Station to Tarrawarra Estate with a 40-seat Walker Railmotor RM22. The not-for-profit, volunteer-based organisation is now seeking to expand and run eventually run steam locomotive-hauled trains between Yarra Glen and Healesville.

The project has received a $3.56 million grant from the federal government through the Regional Development Australia Fund and another $2.74 million through community fundraising.

Over 100 local businesses are helping the restoration effort, including local truck drivers who will be moving ballast from Melbourne up to the Yarra Valley.

“It’s been about 40 years since a steam train travelled from Healesville, and I think the whole community, including those with businesses in the Yarra Valley, can’t wait to see it,” Whelan said.

“This is about bringing families and tourism to the Valley, and it’s going to be huge.”

The YVR expects that a steam locomotive service would be able to attract around 250,000 passengers per year, generating $30 million for the local economy.