Bendigo/Echuca V/Line timetable changes including the introduction of a weekday Castlemaine shuttle

From Sunday 19 November 2023, a new regional timetable will be introduced on the Bendigo/Echuca lines thanks to the completion of the track works as part of the Big Build’s Bendigo Echuca Line Upgrade project.

A new Castlemaine shuttle will also be introduced on weekdays that will get passengers to Bendigo before 8am.

Bendigo/Echuca

• Bendigo/Echuca Line passengers will benefit from improved journey time savings up to 7 minutes due to increased track speeds of 100km between Goornong and Echuca. 

• All weekday and all weekend services will experience these improved journey times. 

• These time savings have been made possible by upgrades to a 60km section of track between Goornong and Echuca allowing trains to travel at up to 100km between Goornong and Echuca, up from 80km. 

• The project has delivered new stations at Raywood, Goornong and Huntly, giving people in growing communities access to trains close to where they live, and better reliability. 

• Ten level crossings between Eaglehawk and Bendigo have also been upgraded with better train detection technology, boosting safety and allowing more services in this section. 

• There are also the following minor changes to late-night Epsom and Eaglehawk services:
  • The 8:25pm Southern Cross Station to Epsom will instead run to Eaglehawk.
  • The 9:07pm Southern Cross Station to Eaglehawk will instead run to Epsom.
  • The 10:37pm Epsom to Bendigo will depart later at 11:20pm. 

Castlemaine Shuttle

• From Sunday 19 November 2023, a new 7:20am Castlemaine service will be introduced on weekdays that gets passengers to Bendigo before 8am. 

• The arrival into Bendigo at 7:45am will ensure passengers can meet school bus and train connections, start work at 8am, or have time to grab a cuppa before the workday begins. 

• The short new service will stop at Castlemaine at 7:20am, Kangaroo Flat at 7:38am and Bendigo at 7:45am. 

• The short new service will help reduce crowding on the first morning train from Southern Cross Station to Bendigo, making it a more comfortable journey for Castlemaine and Kangaroo Flat passengers. 

Find out more

Check the Bendigo Line and Echuca Line timetables or plan ahead using Journey planner

For more information on the Bendigo and Echuca Line Upgrade project, visit Victoria's Big Build.