The pub at the Briagolong Hotel tonight was uncharacteristically busy, and oddly empty on initial glance. But most attendees were congregated around the TV. Perhaps on a normal occassion the various barflies would be watching a horse race or the Grand Prix, but tonight, they were all turned onto ABC News 24. Then, a breaking news alert from the anchorwoman. And we can now confirm that the Deputy President has signed the budget into law after it successfully passed the Senate. Cheers erupt and reverberate across the small room. "We're getting our trains back!" one man shouts, as locals drink in celebration.

These were the jubilant scenes seen across Gippsland as the government's budget passed tonight. In the larger towns of Maffra and Heyfield, dozens of locals marched on the streets to celebrate the news. Heyfield residents specifically were seen congregating at the Apex Park, where federal minister and Senator model-putrid spoke last month. A young mother, Elaine, told Pitchfork News that "I saw her speak when she came to Heyfield about bringing the railway back to Heyfield. I'm so excited that the funding is coming and that we're getting new trains."

As a part of the federal budget, towns like Maffra, Heyfield, and Briagolong all will recieve railway lines as part of a series of Rail Revivals funded by the federal government. $68 million is being spent on constructing a spur line to Briagolong from Stratford, and an additional $164 million on a branch line from Traralgon that passes through the towns of Glengarry, Toongabbie, Cowwarr, Heyfield, Tinamba, and Maffra before rejoining the mainline at Stratford.

The federal government is generally considered by political analysts to be deeply popular in the Gippsland area - model-frod of the CLP is the local MP, and won with a 62.5% two-candidate-preferred vote at the last election. Senator model-putrid is also based in the town of Rosedale, and has championed rail upgrades such as the ones being passed in this budget.

Gippsland is not the only one benefiting from rail investment, with trains to Mildura, Horsham, Yea, and Port Fairy also returning as a result of multi-million dollar government investments. A $9.2 billion Regional Rail Revival investment is also boosting train speeds and frequencies in Victoria through track upgrades, the purchase of hundreds of new VLocity trains, and the duplication of all passenger lines in Victoria.

- Alison Brooks, Pitchfork News