The Daylesford Spa Country Railway was hit hard after last week's extreme weather, with over 400 fallen trees still blocking the line.
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Stuart Smithwick, one of the directors of the DSCR expects clean up to start on Monday for the Daylesford to Musk section of the track, but from Musk to Bullarto where the storm's aftermath is the worst, recovery will likely take much longer.
"For the Bullarto to Musk part of the track we just have no idea how bad the damage is until the trees are off the tracks," he said.
Other news:
"We're going to need specialist forest machinery to not only clear the track but make sure the whole area is safe."
"It's beyond a fella with a chainsaw."
See the amazing drone video of the damage here.
Mr Smithwick has higher hopes for the Daylesford to Musk portion, expecting it to open back up to the public in two or three weeks.
The DSCR organised a drone to fly the length of the railway line to survey the damage.
"What you see on the ground and in the air are completely different things, it really highlights the sheer amount of trees from above," Mr Smithwick said.
"Even just walking along the ground is a challenge."
Mr Smithwick has been involved in the railway for 33 years and said the closest thing he's seen to the current storm damage was the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009.
The Daylesford Spa Country Railway usually sees about 12,000 passengers per year, with 150,000 visitors coming to the Sunday market.
Tourism in the Daylesford area has already been impacted by the recent COVID restrictions, with the closure of the railway another blow to a local tourist attraction.
The state government last month committed $500,00 to rebuilding the Bullarto station along the railway line. The storm cleanup should have no impact on the station's construction plans Mr Smithwick said.
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