Daylesford heritage rail group set to receive funding

The Andrews Labor Government is providing Victoria’s tourist and heritage rail sector with more than half a million dollars in funding to support them with their operations and their work to protect the state’s rail assets.

Among the groups receiving funding is the Daylesford Spa Country Railway, which will receive a total of $51,700 to support station maintenance and to carry out restoration works, including works to restore Daylesford Station’s turntable.

Across Victoria, sixteen tourist and heritage rail operators and museums are receiving a total of $620,000, after the sector was invited to apply for grants to support them with works to preserve state-owned assets earlier this year.

Applications for the funding were assessed by VicTrack and the Department of Transport.

In their applications, groups had to demonstrate that they would use the funding for projects including repairing, restoring, or refurbishing state owned rail assets; improving access to assets; delivering approved projects on buildings or rolling stock; and works in the rail corridor such as weed control or vegetation management.

The Government is implementing Preserving our rail history – a blueprint for the future – a strategy to help secure the future of the tourist and heritage rail sector.

Through this, tourist and heritage rail groups are being supported with governance, leasing, growing visitor numbers and developing processes to allocate rolling stock and other assets.

Up to $2.2 million of funding and grants is being provided to the sector to support the implementation of the blueprint.

As part of this, last year tourist and heritage rail operators received $1 million from the Labor Government to help them re-establish their operations and cover costs after they were unable to run their services during COVID-19 restrictions.

The funding this year was offered to the 16 tourist and heritage rail and tram operators, and more widely to rail museums.

The blueprint was put together by the Labor Government in partnership with transport, tourism and heritage stakeholders.

For more information visit www.victrack.com.au

Quotes attributable to Member for Macedon Mary Anne Thomas
"Alongside the Sunday Market, the Daylesford Spa Country Railway is a key tourist offering in Daylesford and attracts thousands of visitors a year to the area."

"This funding will help the group to carry out essential repair and improvement works so they can continue to provide their unique tourist offering for many years to come."