Rail authority moves to vandal-proof North East railway station as calls are made for full restoration

Sadly for rail heritage lovers, the fencing around the disused building is aimed at preventing further degradation through vandalism rather than a pointer to a full revamp.

The Australian Rail Track Corporation had five workers erect the fence, which features a pre-1920 photograph of the waiting area and goods shed, as part of securing the building earlier this month.

"The ARTC undertook restoration works on Barnawartha station to ensure the site is clean, tidy, secure and doesn't pose a safety risk to the operational rail network," a spokesman said.

"The works involved the removal of all rubble, debris and all loose timber from the building, and replacing the collapsed brickwork to prevent further deterioration.

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"We also replaced the existing door and window barricades, and removed loose and hanging gutters and timbers from the station building.

"Further to the works on the building, we also installed a fence to restrict access to the disused station, with a banner displaying a historical image of the station."

The ARTC has no plans to fully restore the station and the fence will be a permanent fixture.

Barnawartha Indigo Shire councillor Emmerick Teissl said police had been called regularly to the station after reports of vandalism.

He said it was apparent the ARTC thought erecting the fence and boarding up the site was "cheaper than restoring the building".

"I'd like to see them do what they've done in Chiltern with the goods shed and restore it," Cr Teissl said.

"We don't have many public buildings in Barnawartha so it would be nice to add to them."

Indigo mayor Bernard Gaffney added: "Indigo is a heritage shire and it would be great to see buildings of this significance brought back to life."

The Chiltern revamp was completed in 2014 under the last Coalition Victorian government's community use of vacant rail buildings program, which no longer exists.

Benambra MP Bill Tilley other rail revamps in the shire had not been drawcards.

"I'm all for the reuse of these buildings if there is a demand and when in government, we put close to a million dollars into the Chiltern goods shed makeover," Mr Tilley said.

"But despite the early optimism and promises that shed is rarely used.

"The Feds and Indigo Council put money into the Beechworth goods shed refurbishment and it too is vacant and a source of some heated debate about its future."

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