There was excitement in the air at Benalla Railway Station on Saturday, June 15 when a new heritage rail service pulled into the Rose City.
Passengers had been picked up from Southern Cross in Melbourne and had been travelling to Yarrawonga, via Seymour.
The service, organised by the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre, took a two-hour break in Benalla for lunch.
John Crofts helped organise the journey and said the train was made up of original 1937 Spirit of Progress carriages, and some recently-retired V/Line carriages to allow for the demand to be met.
“Today, we're doing the return from Yarrawonga to Benalla, and then we take the Yarrawonga people back home.
“Then tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon, we take the Melbourne people back to Southern Cross.”
The heritage service sold out quickly, and Mr Croft said he thought demand would only increase.
“I guess (there’s) a lot of pent-up demand because this is the first heritage train that's been up to Yarrawonga in a long, long time,” he said.
“We’ll be able to operate future trains to the silo art locations of Goorambat, Devenish, St James and Tungamah.
“As well as Yarrawonga and also on to Oakland.
“The next one will probably not be until early autumn next year, maybe March.”
Find out more, including schedules and ticket availability via srhc.org.au