Daylesford Spa Country Railway president Stuart Smithwick said the concept of building a platform at the doorstep to Passing Clouds Winery had been talked about for several years before it finally came to fruition.

The platform has been built by a handful of Daylesford Spa Country Railway volunteers who put in six days work spread over about six weeks.

“From our perspective, it gives us a greater opportunity to carry more passengers to a different destination.

“Initially we will run trains to the platform during our normal Sunday services but there is definitely scope for expanding on that,” Mr Smithwick said.

The idea had been spoken about between the owners of the winery and the railway for a number of years, but it was the allocation of a $20,000 grant through the Wine Growth Fund from Regional Development Victoria that allowed the project to go ahead. 

Owner of Passing Clouds Winery, Cameron Leith, said the grant was established to promote wine tourism in regional Victoria. 

“When we saw the criteria, that it encouraged working with other tourism organisations, we knew this would be the perfect opportunity to collaborate with the Spa Country Railway,” he said.

Both the Spa Country Railway and the winery also put significant funding and volunteer labour towards the project.

Mr Leith said having their own train platform would create a unique visitor experience that has not yet been seen in Australia. 

“We always thought about the idea as we watched the trains rattle past the winery gates on Sundays. We thought it would be a unique experience to offer, especially in the current wine climate. 

“It has always been important to us to offer a holistic experience involving both dining and wine tastings. 

“The experience of catching a train to our gates will enhance our unique food and wine experience with the addition of a tourism adventure through the landscape,” Mr Leith said. 

He said he looked forward to seeing how the experience would evolve in future.