Steve Martin gave the pledge at his campaign launch on Sunday at Junction Place, once home to the train line through Wodonga.

"We've allocated $235 million to fix the track and as an engineer and project manager I'm going to make it my priority, not just to spend the money but to fix the track," Mr Martin told supporters.

He said the train line woes "were close to his heart" and told of its impact on his launch.

"(My daughters) Isabelle and Sophia were travelling up with their grandmother and of course the train is 25 minutes late," Mr Martin said.

He did not put a timeframe on when he hoped the railway would be fixed, telling The Border Mail afterwards that he was concerned at Australian Rail Track Corporation evidence to the Senate that $235 million may not fix the track.

"Coming from a project management background I want to deliver an outcome and I'm keen to understand what the limitations are and get the line fixed....which is getting rid of the speed limits," Mr Martin said.

Flanked on stage by his wife Annabel and children Isabelle, 10, Sophie, 8, Samuel, 5, and Evie, 2, Mr Martin cited his children as his reason for entering politics.

"The reason that I'm standing is because I want my kids to enjoy the freedoms, the opportunity, the prosperity that I've enjoyed as I've grown up," Mr Martin said.

"I don't think that's guaranteed, I don't think the future is certain.

"Good and bad policy they have impacts."

Mr Martin said he believed Liberal Party values, such as enterprise, individual freedoms and reward for effort, "were the values of our electorate".

He said if was an MP he "would not be a member that is in an office or in a hub waiting for people to come to me, but a member that is going to be out there listening to the needs of our region".

Fellow Liberals, member for Farrer Sussan Ley and Victorian Senator Jane Hume also spoke at the launch.

Ms Ley said Mr Martin had shown he was a self-starter by touring 50 Indi towns in 50 days and listening to residents.

"He hasn't these long diatribes to deliver to people about what they should do and what they should think," Ms Ley said.

"He's simply sat there with his notebook and pen, he's taken notes he's gone away he's thought about it and he's building the deep understanding of the communities he seeks to represent."

Senator Hume lauded the crowd as the "real Liberals, the true Liberals".

She said "wouldn't it be fantastic to make Indi blue again", without saying it has been in Orange Independent hands via Cathy McGowan for the past six years.

Meanwhile, former Liberal member for Indi Lou Lieberman, 80, watched Mr Martin's launch.

"I'm biased, but he's such an impressive young bloke and I'm proud to be standing with him," Mr Lieberman said.

"I've been out with him a little bit; he's so inclusive, he has an instant interest in what's going on and seems to have a magic art in talking to people."

Asked whether he thought Mr Martin would return Indi to Liberal hands Mr Lieberman was cautious.

"I'm excited, he's in with a show," he said.

"It's tough, very tough and it will go down to the wire."

Fellow former Liberal member for Indi Sophie Mirabella was invited to the launch but did not attend.