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Sixteen Victorian tourist and heritage rail operators and museums are receiving a total of $620,000, after the sector was invited to apply for government grants to support them with works to preserve state-owned assets earlier this year.

In their applications groups had to demonstrate that they would use the funding for projects including repairing, restoring, or refurbishing state owned rail assets; improving access to assets; delivering approved projects on buildings or rolling stock; and works in the rail corridor such as weed control or vegetation management.

Applications were assessed by VicTrack and the Department of Transport, and the successful groups will begin to receive their allocated funding over the coming weeks.

The Victorian Government’s strategy Preserving our rail history – a blueprint for the future aims to help secure the future of the tourist and heritage rail sector.

Tourist and heritage rail groups are being supported with governance, leasing, growing visitor numbers and developing processes to allocate rolling stock and other assets.

An additional $2.2 million of funding and grants has been provided to the sector so far to support the implementation of the blueprint.

As part of this, last year tourist and heritage rail operators received $1 million from the Government to help them re-establish their operations and cover costs after they were unable to run their services during COVID-19 restrictions.

The funding this year was offered to the 16 tourist and heritage rail and tram operators, and more widely to rail museums.

Victorian Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll notes “Victoria’s tourist and heritage operators and museums are critical to preserving our transport history, and this funding will also support paid and volunteer jobs within the sector.

“The grants will allow groups to continue the fantastic work they do to protect our rail assets and will help to support tourism across the state, particularly in regional Victoria.”

Image: Puffing Billy Railway. Credit Visit Victoria

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