The Melbourne Suburban Region of the Victorian Railways' network was defined as all stations from the city centre to Dandenong, Gembrook (narrow gauge from Upper Ferntree Gully), Glen Waverley, Healesville, Hurstbridge, Mornington, Port Melbourne, Red Hill, Sandringham, Somerton, St Albans, St Kilda, Stony Point, Warburton, Werribee, Whittlesea and Williamstown.
The region also included the branches from these lines to Avoca via either Ararat or Maryborough, Balmoral, Bolangum, Buninyong, Carpolac, Casterton, Coleraine, Crowes via Beech Forrest (narrow gauge), Daylesford via Newlyn, Forrest, Fyansford, Grampians, Inglewood via Llanelly, Maroona via Gheringhap, Millewa South, Morkalla, Mortlake, Mount Gambier via Rennick, Panitya, Patchewollock, Portland, Queenscliff, Redan, Skipton, Timboon, Waubra, Wensleydale, Yaapeet, Yanac and Yelta.
[2] It departed Mildura at 17:00, loading at Irymple, Red Cliffs, Carwarp and Hattah before running express to Dynon Freight Terminal arriving at 03:00.
As the first officially-named flagship service of the Victorian Railways, the train took pride of place on the timetable, and operated with some of the best available locomotives and rolling stock.
This name was given to various trains around the state at different times, all on rosters explicitly designed to take children in the regional areas to and from schools.
Now operated by private company Journey Beyond Rail Expeditions, the train completes two return trips a week covering 828 kilometres between the state capitals.
This was primarily the mainline to Albury and Sydney and the secondary route via Shepparton to Tocumwal, and their branches to Alexandra, Bendigo via Heathcote, Bright, Cobram, Colbinabbin, Cudgewa, Echuca via Kyabram, Girgarre, Katamatite, Mansfield, Oaklands, Peechelba East, Picola, Tatong, Wahgunyah, Whitfield (narrow gauge) and Yackandandah.
The Intercapital Daylight ran between Melbourne and Albury from 1955 to 1962, connecting with a standard gauge service of the same name and operated by the New South Wales Government Railways to Sydney.
This name was given to various trains around the state at different times, all on rosters explicitly designed to take children in the regional areas to and from schools.
Between Kyabram and Echuca, the run was operated by a 153 hp Walker railmotor hauling three trailer cars, only possible because the line was practically flat.
After several years of negotiations, V/Line Freight won the contract for transport of large quantities of containerised paper products from Maryvale, in the Gippsland region, for both Victorian and interstate customers.
To cater for an additional proposed 100,000 tonnes per year of loading, Qube invested in a fleet of 80 ft skeletal flat wagons, some of which were deployed on the Maryvale run.
This section covers a handful of VicRail-era services and the majority of modern-era excursion and themed trips which operate to various destinations without a set route or schedule, and which are not restricted to one of the above regions.
Many of Victoria's preserved railway groups operate dining trains on a regular basis, ranging from annually to daily.
It used steam locomotive R766 and carriages from the South Australian Railways' steel fleet, refurbished, repainted and named after Victorian lakes.
One such example is the Maldon Weekender, which operates in conjunction with the Victorian Goldfields Railway and is often used to swap rolling stock between that group and Steamrail Victoria.
[25] These trains departed Flinders Street around midnight each weekday for the regional areas, dropping off freshly-printed newspapers for distribution.
The concept was promoted by Harold Clapp, Chairman of Commissioners of the Victorian Railways with the city leaders travelling on the train to various parts of the state.
A typical itinerary is demonstrated by the trains 53rd journey in March 1959 where it left Melbourne on a five-day journey with the passengers visiting the Hume Weir, Rutherglen Research Station, Mount Buffalo National Park, Kiewa Hydroelectric Scheme and the rayon and wool industries of Wangaratta.
[28] This train ran around the state on a semi-regular schedule, with a travelling doctor who provided checkups for railway employees at isolated locations.
In addition to living quarters and normal doctor facilities the carriage included a black, 26 ft long corridor with red, yellow and green lights at the far end which was used to test for colour and distance sighting.