Yarra Valley Railway, Heritage railway in Healesville, Australia
The Yarra Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Victoria, Australia, running vintage steam locomotives and carriages between Healesville and Tunnel Hill. The line crosses the Watts River and travels through open farmland and patches of bush on its way through the valley.
The line opened in 1889 to carry timber, livestock, and dairy goods from the rural interior to the wider network. Steam service ended in 1964, and in 1985 a group of volunteers restored operations to preserve the route.
The railway is run by volunteers who keep alive the memory of how communities once depended on trains for travel and trade. Walking through the stations and vintage carriages, you experience how transport shaped the region's development.
The railway runs mostly on Sundays, public holidays, and some Saturdays, so it is worth checking the schedule before you visit. Open sections of the carriages can be cool, and bringing an extra layer makes the ride more comfortable whatever the season.
The brick tunnel at Tarrawarra, built in 1889, is one of the few sections of the original line that has remained almost unchanged since the railway first opened. Riding through it at low speed gives passengers a direct sense of how the track was cut through the rocky landscape by hand more than a century ago.
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