At 5:23pm this evening (June 7, 2024), the first passenger train to arrive into Mildura since ~~1993~~ [Correction: 2016, see below] pulled into the platform

Unfortunately, this does not mark the return of a public train service to Mildura. It does, however, mark the beginning of private train services the general public is permitted to travel on.

This is the last photo I will be posting of today's 707 Vinelander tour to Mildura until it starts the journey back to Melbourne on Monday morning.

We were told today that a heritage train actually ran in 2016. It was just a single car DERM run by DERMPAV. This Vinelander would be closer to what was regularly seen on the line before its closure (an N class + 5 N sets + guards and power van