Warburton Line
Opened to Warburton as a branch line from Lilydale in 1901, connecting to the Healesville Line. Its main purpose was for timber haulage from the forests in the Yarra Ranges as well as the movement of general freight and passengers to the many small townships along the line. Several timber tramways connected with the railway at the townships towards the Warburton end. Stations existed along this line at Mount Evelyn, Wandin, Seville, Killara, Woori Yallock, Launching Place, Yarra Junction, Wesburn, Millgrove and Warburton.
Trains operated on this line until 1965 when the decision was made to close the line. The track was dismantled in the 1970s and the bridge was removed over the Maroondah Highway in Lilydale. Most of the Right of Way for this train line has now been converted to a horse and bicycle train and is a very popular tourist route with great scenery. Parking areas exist at most of the former station sites and provide a great starting point for walks or rides. In addition to the Right of Way there is some further evidence of the existence of the former railway. Notable bridges remain across Forest Road in Mt Evelyn and across Scotchmans Creek Road in Warburton. There is a single section of remaining trackwork at the former level crossing at Highfield Road in Warburton. Evidence of platforms exist to varying degrees at some of the station sites with the station building and goods platform remaining at Yarra Junction for use as a railway museum.
There is however a missing section of this former rail line that is not available to the public. This is the section between Anderson St and the Maroondah Highway in Lilydale, due to a lease from the Mount Lilydale Mercy College. It is important that this section is eventually returned to the public to provide a continuous link from Lilydale Station, making the route accessible to people arriving on public transport. The school however is not willing to relinquish the lease, as they believe the adjacent trail would pose a safety risk for students. At this stage the State Government is not willing to confront the school on this issue. Moves are currently afoot to rebuild the Maroondah Highway bridge so the safety of trail users is improved and they are not confronted with crossing this busy road.