Yelta Line

The Yelta Line is one of the major grain lines serving the State of Victoria. The track was completed early in the 20th century, providing a faster route to the irrigated fruit growing areas of Mildura to Melbourne than via the Murray River to Echuca.

Passenger trains operated on this line to Mildura until 1993 when the service was withdrawn. The passenger service was known as the Vinelander and was the longest service within Victoria taking a total of 9 hours via Ballarat and Geelong to Melbourne. The service at various times operated with motorail and sleeping cars. Although passenger trains no longer operate beyond Ballarat, the State Government has planned for services to be returned in 2004.

The Yelta Line was earmarked to be the first line in Victoria to be converted to Standard gauge since the western lines in 1995, however this project has since been put on hold. The main function of the line currently is for intermodal traffic to Merbein, transport of a number of different products to Mildura and transport of grain from various silos dotted along the line.