Royal train to roll into Warrnambool on Saturday

The train will ferry tourists to Melbourne on the last leg of a sell-out inaugural tour of regional Victoria by high-end tour company, Captain's Choice.

Organisers say the tour could unlock an untapped heritage rail tourism market, providing a welcome boost to regional economies in the post-COVID recovery.

Country racing-based tours have been flagged, with discussions in progress for a heritage train tour to Warrnambool coinciding with the Jericho Cup later this year.

MORE READS:

Warrnambool mayor Vicki Jellie welcomed the initiative as an opportunity to broaden the region's tourism offer.

"It's something totally different for Warrnambool and a great way of attracting people down here who might not have visited before," she said.

This week's six-day Captain's Choice Silo Art and Royal Train tour flew out of Melbourne on a private jet to Mildura on Sunday for a two-night stopover. The tour also overnights at Horsham, Dunkeld and Warrnambool and includes a Murray River cruise, coach tour of the Wimmera silo art trail, the Grampians, gourmet food and wine experiences and luxury train travel.

The Warrnambool itinerary includes visits to Tower Hill, Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village and accommodation at the Deep Blue Hotel and Hot Springs.

A reverse tour will run on April 7 with all 46 places also sold out.

Seymour Railway Heritage Centre (SRHC) president John Crofts, who was instrumental in developing the tour in conjunction with Captain's Choice, estimated the two tours could inject as much as $800,000 into the region.

He described the potential for further heritage rail tourism as "transformational".

"The belief is that these products can become a key driver of regional tourism growth in Victoria," said Mr Crofts, who is also the newly-appointed co-chair and president of Victoria's new Tourist and Heritage Rail and Tram Sector co-ordinating board.

"This ticks all the boxes for the COVID recovery with the potential to take advantage of the resumption of inbound international tourism.

"This is not a rail-fan product, it's a tourism product. We need to get the message to government that this is a significant opportunity for regional Victoria."

Mr Crofts said heritage rail offered "space and comfort, unique heritage, interactive nostalgia, fine food and fare that overcomes the transportation barrier of attracting tourists to beyond day-return Victorian destinations such as Warrnambool, Portland, Bairnsdale, Echuca, Swan Hill and Mildura."

"This is a gift-horse staring us in the face," he said.

This week's tour is part of a new suite of domestic products created by luxury Melbourne-based Captain's Choice after the pandemic halted its core international tourist market last year.

Company CEO Bas Bosschieter said the tour had already been locked in to its 2022 calendar.

Saturday's royal train comprises seven principally wooden carriages, four of which date back to 1906.

The elegant State Car 4, better know as the Royal Car, was built in 1912 complete with an end observation platform. It was used exclusively over its life for government and royalty, most famously by the Queen and Prince Phillip on their 1954 Australian tour and in 1983 by Princess Diana and Prince Charles.

Other passengers of note included the Duke of Windsor Prince Edward, Princess Anne and former Governor of Victoria Sir Henry Winneke.

The train will be stabled at the Warrnambool Railway Station on Saturday morning ahead of its 1pm departure for Melbourne.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:

Subscribe.