The first steam train to traverse Sky Rail will reach Warragul on Saturday.
R707, the steam loco run by appropriately-named 707 Operations Inc, will be the star of a journey to Sale over new sections of elevated rail in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
Hoping to see the service? R707 Operations has published the following timetable:
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To Sale:
- Newport: 7.00 am
- Southern Cross: 7.30 am
- Flinders Street: 7.40 am
- Caulfield: 8.00 am
- Dandenong: 8.20 am
- Pakenham: 8.45 am
- Warragul: 9.45 am
- Sale: 12.25 pm
To Melbourne:
- Sale: 3.10 pm
- Warragul: 5.55 pm
- Pakenham: 6.38pm
- Dandenong: 7.03 pm
- Caulfield: 7.24 pm
- Flinders Street: 7.45 pm
- Southern Cross: 7.50 pm
- Newport: 8.10 pm
The train will pause at Traralgon to take on water, although no time for that has been given.
Of course, the morning service to Sale offers the best visibility – it will very likely be dark by the time the return service reaches Warragul.
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What is Sky Rail?
Sky Rail refers to several long rail bridges recently constructed on parts of the Cranbourne/Pakenham/Gippsland line to separate tracks from roads.
The project has seen many level crossings removed and stations rebuilt.
These photos are from Clayton shortly after the new station was opened: