Buses replaced trains on part of the route for about three hours.

A V/Line spokesperson said services were affected from late morning to early afternoon.

"The fault has now been rectified and services have returned along the line, with some minor delays expected as we recover," the spokesperson said.

"We thank passengers for their patience while we worked to fix the issue."

What was described as a rail equipment fault occurred about 10.20am.

Train services through the area are believed to have resumed from about 1.30pm.

A replacement coach service is understood to have run between Bendigo and Castlemaine during the service disruption.

"We apologise to Bendigo line passengers whose travel plans were today disrupted," the V/Line spokesperson said.

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