Reconstruction
Over the next decade, volunteers obtained and renovated rolling stock and by 1986, trains were able to operate on a one kilometre section of track out of Maldon. By 1996, the line from Muckleford to Maldon had been restored, with the platforms being reinstated and a small replacement building being constructed. Services were able to operate along a regular timetable, and the society set about reopening the Muckleford-Castlemaine section of the line.
The project received the support of the local, state and federal governments. The necessary physical work had largely been completed by 2003, but it took another year to secure the necessary approvals and sign an agreement with freight operator Pacific National over the use of its line into Castlemaine station, which is still in regular passenger use today. The section of line finally opened on 19 December 2004, approximately a year behind schedule. As of April 2006, the Society has shown no plans to restore the dismantled Shelbourne extension in the foreseeable future.
Read more about this topic: Victorian Goldfields Railway