Passenger rail transport returned to the South East region this month when The Overland was back on the tracks after a break of nine months.
The resumption of the twice-weekly service between Adelaide and Melbourne was due to an easing of the COVID-19 travel restrictions as well as subsidies provided by the Victorian Labor Government.
Victorian Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll said his government would provide $3.8m over the next three years to keep the train service going until at least mid-2023.
“For more than 130 years, The Overland train service has been connecting Melbourne to Adelaide – and that will continue for another three years thanks to our investment in this iconic service,” Mr Carroll said.
“After South Australia walked away from this iconic service, we have continued our support to back jobs, tourism and travel.”
The Victorians have committed to a threeyear funding deal but the Liberal South Australian Government has consistently refused to contribute any funds.
This funding decision has been defended by Liberal MP for MacKillop Nick McBride but has attracted the ire of the SA Labor Opposition including leader Peter Malinauskas, He described the funding as a much-needed boost for the state’s tourism sector, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is also great news for the thousands of South Australians who rely on this service as a vital link with regional towns and Melbourne,” Mr Malinauskas said. “The Marshall Liberal Government’s decision to axe all funding for The Overland almost killed this service. “I thank the Victorian Government for stepping up and saving The Overland.”
The train stops at Murray Bridge, Bordertown, Nhill, Dimboola, Horsham, Stawell, Ararat and Geelong’s North Shore. The historic 828-kilometre route is used by up to 30,000 people each year.
The service first ran as the Adelaide Express in 1887, before becoming The Overland in 1926. It is now operated by Australian tourist experience operator Journey Beyond Rail.
It is 70 years this year that diesel locomotives replaced steam trains on the route between Adelaide and Melbourne via Bordertown.
The first diesel powered journey to Melbourne pulled out of Adelaide on November 29, 1951. At the peak of its popularity in the post-war years, The Overland frequently had more than 20 carriages including sleepers and dining cars.
The railway pioneered inter-capital rail travel in Australia.
