Visiting Dunolly on Tuesday, Opposition Leader Matthew Guy pledged that a Liberal Nationals government would invest $32 million in extending V/Line services on the Maryborough line.

“The community has wanted this for a long time, a lot of residents in Donald, St Arnaud and Dunolly thought this day would never come, today’s announcement will make a lot of people very happy,” Ripon MP Louise Staley said.

Dunolly last had a passenger service 25 years ago, before the Vinelander service to Mildura ceased.

The Opposition has pledged four return services on weekdays and two on weekends.

Under the plan, passengers from Melbourne will change at Ballarat to continue on towards Donald, once dual gauging is extended in the final stages of the Murray Basin Rail Project.

The Opposition proposes to take advantage of the project to deliver the passenger services.

Mr Guy also promised that the railway stations in Dunolly, St Arnaud and Donald would undergo upgrades, as would level crossings on the Mildura line.

But incumbent Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said the Liberals and Nationals could not be trusted when it came to regional rail, claiming that while in government, the Coalition cut V/Line funding and closed country lines.

Ms Allan said the Murray Basin Rail Project and the second stage of the Ballarat line upgrade paved the way for more services to Maryborough, Ararat, and beyond.

“We've added 19 additional services for Ararat, and have funded upgrades through our Regional Rail Revival that pave the way for even more services in the future,” Ms Allan said.

The Ararat to Maryborough line, the first stage of the Murray Basin Rail Project, was reopened last year after closing in the early 2000s.

The government is expected to reveal more on its plans for the public transport network when it releases the 2018-19 budget next week, but there has been no information provided on whether it too would look at extending passenger rail services beyond Maryborough.