Tickets ranging from $190 to $1190 are now being sold for a tourist railway venture designed to draw more visitors to Yarrawonga-Mulwala.
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Bookings for the June weekend train tour opened this week, even though its operator, the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre, still requires official approvals to use the rail line from Benalla to Yarrawonga.
The plan, first outlined to The Border Mail in March, involves a heritage train with carriages from the Spirit of Progress leaving Melbourne's Southern Cross station on Friday, June 14, arriving in Yarrawonga that night, and returning Sunday afternoon.
On the Saturday it's planned to run the train between Yarrawonga and Benalla as a lunch train with passengers also able to stop at Goorambat for a meal.
Heritage centre president John Crofts is due to meet V/Line and Australian Rail Track Corporation representatives on Tuesday, April 16, where he expects the all-clear will be given to use the line which has undergone sleeper and ballast works.
"I'm highly confident we can get the ARTC's and V/Line's approval on time," Mr Crofts said.
"There's nothing that came out of the risk assessment work that would in any way, shape or form be a problem."
Test carriages are due to run along the track on Wednesday, April 10, and resultant data will be discussed at next week's meeting.
First class double fares from Southern Cross are being sold for $1190 per person, with that price including two nights' accommodation and breakfast at the Sebel Yarrawonga, while excursion class fares, with a stay at Club Mulwala, are $890 per person.
A return fare with no accommodation is $440 from Southern Cross, $420 from Broadmeadows and $380 from Seymour.
A single fare from Seymour is $190, while a single full-day lunch train fare is $99.
Yarrawonga Mulwala Tourism and Business Council president Michael Coldham is excited about rail tours opening up, with a second already planned for September.
"I'll be surprised if it doesn't take off, to have a three-day experience, a super comfortable ride up here and not to have to drive the car - I think that will really resonate with people from Melbourne," Mr Coldham said.
Mr Crofts said: "We want to do two trips this year, in calendar 2024, proof of concept if you like and understand what the interest is out there in the marketplace.
"Then next year I could see us doing three or four trips if the product plays well."
Mr Coldham said there were plans to have at least six major events in Yarrawonga-Mulwala each year up from the existing three - tennis tournaments, a November rod run and lake boat races in April.
The train tours would form another leg along with planned triathlon and bowls tournaments and a caravan, camping and boat show.
There are also plans to upgrade the Twin Towns' visitor information centre with a theatrette screening short videos covering the area's Indigenous, colonial and irrigation history.
A grant of $50,000 is also being sought from Agriculture Victoria to establish a retail area to showcase food grown and processed in the district and have presentations from growers.
