IT has been a bit of an uphill battle for the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre Inc (SRHC), but like the train who thought he could, the SRHC got there in the end.

The Portland tourist train is coming.  

For president of the SRHC John Crofts and his like-minded train enthusiast friends, this is a substantial win, having fought tirelessly for some months for permission to run a heritage train on the Portland line.

With the tourist train to Warrnambool having already resumed in early March this year, the reason for the Portland destination battle was a red tape lover’s dream.

 Approval needed to come ultimately from the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) which controls the standard gauge, freight-only network line from Maroona to Portland, Mr Crofts explained. (In Victoria there are two gauges of lines: the standard gauge ARTC network and the V/Line broad gauge network. The SRHC has connections to both. The Warrnambool line is a broad gauge line.)

And not only does the Maroona to Portland line classification mean no passenger trains allowed, but the line’s old wooden sleepers have also deteriorated to the point where the 80km/h speed limit has been reduced to 40km/h. Added to this was a train derailment at Wallan in 2020 where lives were lost and which resulted in the ARTC becoming “extremely risk averse”, Mr Crofts said.

This was sufficient reason for the corporation to deny permission for the SRHC to run its planned heritage train last November.

“So, we had to convince them that we had thought through all the risks of operating a heritage passenger train on a freight corridor … and had to go through four risk assessment workshops to get there.

“The good news is that at our final workshop the green light came through, (so) we can now run our standard gauge heritage train to Portland.”

Importantly, Mr Crofts added, “the approval is also worded so as to infer that we can (do this) on an ongoing basis”.

So, finally, a weekend date has been scheduled for the heritage train to travel to Portland on Friday 14 July, returning Sunday 16 July.

The train that will carry the first lucky passengers is the Spirit of Progress, an iconic 1937 heritage train which the SRHC says was the first all-steel air-conditioned train in the world.

It will also be the first passenger train to stop in Portland since 1995, which is when the railway line was converted from broad to standard gauge. And with no usable station here anymore, the SRHC will provide steps with handrails for people to get off and on.

Observing the 40km/h limit will also mean a slower journey than many are used to, but “that’s not all bad from our point of view”, Mr Crofts said.

“We have an open air carriage … and rolling along at 40km an hour through the green rolling hills of south western Victoria with a glass of red or bubbles in hand is not a horrible way to go!”

With the growing demand for these sorts of railway experiences, regional train travel is growing in popularity, Mr Crofts said. “There is plenty of demand for multi-day itineraries beyond day-return destinations from Melbourne.”

There is also a significant market for bringing inbound international tourists out of Melbourne and into the region, he said.

“The tourists can’t all do penguins, they can’t all do Puffing Billy, they can’t all do a day trip down the Great Ocean Road.

“So, we’ve got to develop regional tourism in this state outside of the Melbourne day trips, and Heritage Rail is really well placed to do that.

“Distances in most cases are too short to fly and people don’t want to sit with their knees under their chins for four to five hours on a road coach.

“Heritage Rail done properly – with lots of space, premium product, dining cars and lounge cars – makes the journey part of the experience.”

According to the SRHC, a variety of age groups and interests can be catered for on a multi-day trip, with different packages offered such as music festival weekends with glamping accommodation, and horse racing weekends with different accommodation.

“We see a lot of potential out there in Western Victoria,” Mr Crofts said.

“Not just to Portland but also on the Murtoa/Hopetoun line, the Ararat/Avoca/Maryborough line, and the Dimboola/Rainbow line, tying in with regional events like Hooked on Portland; Wood, Wine & Roses in Heywood; the Great Western and Avoca (horse racing) Cups, and the Grampians.

“There are so many events in the region (for which) we can use the train as a platform in the future. Packaging up the accommodation with the tourism products is a key part of the arrangement.

“In the end it’s the night stays that make a difference to the visitor economy.”

“That is what will move the dial for the regions,” Mr Crofts said.

The train is scheduled to depart Seymour at 6.34am on Friday 14 July and arrive, via Melbourne, at the Port of Portland at 6.55pm. On Saturday, the Portland shuttle will leave at 8.30am where it will stop at Heywood to pick up passengers before arriving at Hamilton in time for lunch where passengers can take an optional lunch package at the Roxburgh Cafe (a short walk from the station) or explore the city of Hamilton at their own pace. The shuttle then departs Hamilton at 3pm to arrive back in Portland at 5.40pm.

On Sunday, July 16, before the train returns to Melbourne and Seymour, there is time for Portland residents to take a two-hour ride in the heritage train to Heywood and return, leaving Portland at 8.30am.

For more details or to book visit www.srhc.org.au or the Seymour Railway History Centre Facebook page.