| Bellarine Peninsula Railway | |
|---|---|
| Line details | |
| Opened | 1879 |
| Closed | 1976 |
| Reopened | 1979 |
| Fate | Active |
| Length | 16 km (10 mi) |
| Stations | Drysdale to Queenscliff |
| Tracks | 1 |
| Rail transport in Victoria | |
The Bellarine Railway is a volunteer-operated steam-driven tourist railway located in Victoria, Australia. It operates on a 16 km section of a formerly disused branch line on the Bellarine Peninsula between the coastal town of Queenscliff and Drysdale, near Geelong.
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The original line was commissioned in September 1878, and opened on 21 May 1879. It connected Queenscliff with South Geelong station, the terminus of the Geelong line, and the junction of the Warrnambool line. It was acknowledged at the time that although passenger traffic alone might not justify a railway line, military traffic from both the port and Fort Queenscliff - a key defence installation - would warrant its construction. It initially carried passenger, goods and military traffic, and continued to do so for several decades.
In the first months of operation, the carried only one service per day, but at its peak, in January 1885, four trains per day ran in each direction, enabling the line to be used by commuters. However, this was decreased to three not long after, and was cut back to two trains a day in 1910. Traffic on the line continued to fall over the next twenty years, and in 1931, passenger services were dropped completely - apart from the occasional Sunday excursion train. Goods services continued to run, although they were cut to back at first to twice-weekly, and then weekly operation.
The line saw a revival during World War II, carrying mines from the Swan Island military base, but returned to pre-war levels afterwards. After the war, services became less frequent, with passenger services dropped altogether, apart from occasional special trains, and with goods services cut back to one a fortnight. The line was closed on 6 November 1976.
In 1968, when the Queenscliff line was still officially open, the Fyansford Cement Works Railway near Geelong was closed. They donated all their steam rolling stock to preservation groups, and Australian Railway Historical Society's Geelong division, which was still in its infancy, received two engines. While Drysdale station was looked upon as a preferred site, this proved difficult to arrange, and a temporary site at the Belmont Common was used.
The Geelong division of the ARHS registered itself as the Geelong Steam Preservation Society in 1970 and an attempt was made to construct and operate a small tourist railway, the Belmont Common Railway, on the Common. However, the site faced ongoing problems due to adjacent developments and its location on a flood plain, and by 1976, it was apparent that continuing on the Belmont Common site would be unfeasible. When it became clear that Victorian Railways intended closing the Queenscliff line, the GSPS stepped in, and when the line was closed permanently in 1976, they began shifting operations to Queenscliff station.
During 1976 and 1977, the Society engaged in fundraising efforts and began regauging a short section of track around Queenscliff station, in order to enable their rolling stock to operate on the line. With the help of some government funding, they succeeded in operating their first services - from Queenscliff to Lakers Siding, in May 1979, and to Drysdale not long after.
The railway currently operates services between Queenscliff and Drysdale, along the southern shoreline of Swan Bay and through grazing land, with an intermediate stop at Lakers Siding, every Sunday of the year and several days a week during school holidays. During the school term the Sea Side Exporer runs every Tuesday and Thursday. The Bellarine Railway is the home of the "Blues Train", featuring live music, most Saturday evenings from October to May. The remainder of the line between Drysdale and South Geelong has fallen into disuse, and the GSPS has not attempted to extend their operations back to Leopold or South Geelong.
The sections of the former route from Drysdale to South Geelong, along with a walking track adjacent to the Queenscliff-Drysdale line, now form the Bellarine Rail Trail, accessible to cyclists and walkers. The Seaside Explorer service ceased on March 25, 2010.
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