Entrance to the new Yea station.

While not the steam trains of old that attract such fond memories from older residents, the mood in Yea today was still one of great joy when the diesel VLocity train arrived today after a 43-year service gap, bringing back rail services to the Goulburn Valley town. The scenic $76 million railway line follows the path of the extant Mansfield line, branching off from the Seymour line at Tallarook and running for 38 kilometres until it reaches Yea, where it currently terminates.

Although a train will not run direct from Yea into Melbourne, a shuttle -- timed to connect with Seymour line services -- will operate hourly from Tallarook to Yea. This connection will enable Yea residents to have a frequent service linking them not only direct to Melbourne's CBD, but to suburban hubs like Broadmeadows and regional towns like Broadford, Wandong, and Seymour.

While there had been some local speculation about whether rail enthusiast and Attorney-General model-putrid would attend the opening, she ultimately sent apologies, as the large number of railway lines opened today meant she had a full schedule. However, the Minister told Pitchfork News that the new line was "a tremendous victory for locals, and will not only bring jobs and opportunities to the Yea region, but mean that residents no longer have to rely on their cars to get around."

Yea local Justin said the new train would make his daily commute much more convenient. "Even though I'd have to change at Tallarook, it's still so much easier than driving into the city and facing congestion like I used to be forced to do. Hopefully the train will give me a chance to do something productive in the time I'd usually spend sitting at the wheel!"

Further down the former line, there has been considerable local speculation that the Yea line may later be extended along the rail trail down to Mansfield or Alexandra. In announcing the project, model-putrid had declared that it would be a "future goal of the government [...] to ensure that the Mansfield line is fully reconstructed". In a statement today, the Attorney-General said she would be closely monitoring patronage and local demand for the new Yea service to determine when and how services should be returned to Mansfield.

She said "this government wants to ensure that rail is an option for as many commuters as possible, because railways bring economic development and growth to Victoria's regions. While the terrain is challenging, we will work hard to deliver a timeline for the return of services to towns further down the Mansfield line." model-putrid also added that "the new Yea station is capable of terminating services, but it can also easily be extended if and when the time is right."

- Alison Brooks, Pitchfork News