Billy’s bursting at the seams

Rail boss John Robinson says that Puffing Billy is under pressure. 152534_06 Picture: ROB CAREW

By Peter Douglas

A $78 million Puffing Billy wish list will see a new Puffing Billy centre at Emerald’s Lakeside Station, new locomotive storage in the town and 12 new carriages to accommodate the expected surge in passenger numbers.
The railway’s chief executive officer John Robinson said the line is expected to reach its maximum capacity next year.
With the Victorian Budget set to be handed down in May, he is calling on external and government funds to support the railway’s master plan.
He said the multi-million dollar investment is needed over the next decade to accommodate the soaring visitor numbers since 2012 which have now hit an all-time high.
Mr Robinson said the tourist hot-spot had seen 267,000 passengers in 2012, was expected to reach 470,000 this year and would reach its maximum capacity of 480,000 visitors next year.
Estimates indicate that Puffing Billy could attract as many as 730,000 passengers by 2027.
Mr Robinson said this represented a huge economic opportunity for the region and the state but that infrastructure would be needed to keep up with demand.
“To allow us to cater for this demand, we need to ensure we can run more trains, with additional carriages and create an enhanced visitor experience,” he said.
Mr Robinson said Puffing Billy Railway had planned for the future through the vital projects included in its master plan.
“The projects … will help us to carry more passengers, in particular from Emerald Lake Park to Gembrook, which is currently an under-utilised section of the railway,” Mr Robinson said.
“In order to grow the Lakeside-Gembrook section of the railway, we need to construct a discovery centre at Lakeside, provide new locomotive storage facilities at Emerald and build 12 new carriages to meet future demand.”
Mr Robinson said that Puffing Billy would not be able to meet the increased demand unless strategic, long-term funding was made available for developments and upgrades.