Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail
The Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail is a walking, cycling and horse-riding track in eastern Victoria, Australia. It runs a distance of between Lilydale and Warburton, along the former Warburton railway line in the Yarra Valley.
The trail begins at Lilydale railway station and passes through the townships of Mount Evelyn, Wandin North, Seville, Seville East, Woori Yallock, Launching Place, Yarra Junction, Wesburn and Millgrove, ending at Warburton.
History
After the closure of the Warburton railway line in July 1965 and the dismantling of the track in the early 1970's, the land remained vacant. In 1984, and again in 1996, the state government investigated selling the land but withdrew the proposal, in part due to community opposition.Since its establishment in 1996, the trail has been continually developed and maintained by a combination of local volunteers, particularly the Friends of the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail, as well the Local Council and State and Federal governments. Over several years a significant amount of effort went into clearing the land, restoring 13 bridges and surfacing of the trail. Negotiations were undertaken with neighbouring farmers who had previously occupied the reserve, to erect fencing and gates where necessary.
By 1998, the trail was continuous from the Maroondah Highway, Lilydale to the site of the former Warburton station, with only a relatively short section between Lilydale Station and Maroondah Highway remaining incomplete.
The remaining section of the trail, including a bridge across the Maroondah Highway, was completed in early 2011. The next improvement to the trail is a crossing at York Road in Mount Evelyn, which should be completed mid-2011.