Heritage Rail - Accessible One Day Itinerary

Enjoy the friendly and relaxed atmosphere of Maldon, taking time to explore the wide streets and veranda lined footpaths of in the heart of the village. A short distance from centre of town at Main and High streets is the picturesque Maldon Shire Gardens.

The most accessible part of the gardens is at the rear, where there is a playground, picnic tables and a barbecue. The front section of the park is quite steep and the lawn area is inaccessible due to brick path edging. Best access is from the top of Fountain Street or from Francis Street. There is an accessible toilet available at the picnic shelter adjacent to Francis Street.

The station at Maldon has designated disabled parking adjacent to the station building. Level access is via the station gates to the left of the station building. The railway operates an accessible carriage that is capable of taking up to 12 wheelchairs on all trips. Like all rolling stock, the carriage is subject to periodic maintenance for advance booking is advisable. The carriage is equipped with ramps to allow access at Maldon and Castlemaine.

There are good accessible toilets available at both Maldon and Castlemaine on the platforms. There are no toilets on the train and the journey time between Maldon and Castlemaine is approximately 45 minutes. A return journey is best undertaken from Maldon.

In addition to the accessible carriage, the train also has a carriage with individual booths. These booths would be ideal for people on the autism spectrum or families with members with autism.

The Cumberland Hotel is a generally a well-designed old country pub with plenty of manoeuvring room and gentle slopes to the ramps. The dining area has moveable seating and ramps link all areas of the hotel. A private room is also available for groups with ramped access. Level access entry is via Lyttleton Street, under the awning.

From the main entrance, there is clear access to the TAB on the left and the gaming room to the right. At the end of the bar in the gaming room, there is ramped access to the Bistro and Main Bar. Accessible toilets are located at the rear of the gaming room. An outdoor smoker’s area also accessible from the gaming room. There is also a wide double door access to the children’s play area.

There is a low countertop in the bistro allowing for accessible service. Dietary requirements catered for on request.

Return to Castlemaine Station and make the return trip to Maldon on the Victorian Goldfields Railway. Access to the station at Castlemaine is more difficult than Maldon but if extra time is allowed for the platform is accessible. The VGR train operates from platform 3 in Castlemaine. The access from the car park is via a long ramp at the end of platform one across the tracks and back up onto platform three. The gradients are 1:20 and the distance of approximately 300 metres.