Public Transport Bendigo: Trains, Buses & Trams

Bendigo's transport network has two defining features: the V/Line Bendigo Line (connecting Melbourne's Southern Cross Station to Bendigo Station in approximately 90-120 minutes, one of Victoria's most important regional rail services) and the Bendigo Heritage Tramways (the 3.5km heritage tram route connecting the Bendigo Railway Station to the Central Deborah Goldmine on Violet Street via the CBD, operated by the Bendigo Tramways Society with vintage W-class trams). The V/Line Bendigo Line is the primary public transport connection between the goldfields capital and the Melbourne metropolitan area, while the local bus network (operated by CDC Victoria on behalf of Public Transport Victoria) provides coverage of the Bendigo urban area. The Myki smartcard applies to V/Line Bendigo Line services and the Bendigo local bus network. The Calder Highway (Melbourne to Bendigo, 150km, approximately 90 minutes by car) and the Midland Highway (Bendigo to Ballarat, 140km) provide the main road connections.

V/Line Bendigo Line — V/Line operates approximately 15-20 services per day between Bendigo and Melbourne's Southern Cross Station (the Bendigo Line is also the connection point for the Echuca/Rochester and Swan Hill branch lines). The Bendigo Line is also the primary access route for the major tourism market travelling from Melbourne to Bendigo's extraordinary collection of Victorian goldfields architecture, the Bendigo Art Gallery, the Chinese Museum, and the Central Deborah Goldmine. Myki cards, V/Line paper tickets, and contactless payments are accepted on V/Line Bendigo Line services.

Bendigo Heritage Tramways — the Bendigo Heritage Tramways (operated by the Bendigo Tramways Society) operates a heritage tram service on the 3.5km route from the Bendigo Railway Station to the Central Deborah Goldmine, using the vintage Melbourne W-class trams that are Bendigo's most iconic transport attraction. The trams run Thursday to Sunday and on public holidays (more frequently during school holidays and major events), carrying approximately 100,000 passengers per year. The tram ride is included in the Central Deborah Goldmine combined ticket and provides an extraordinary window into the Victorian-era transport that built the goldfields city.

Local Buses and Cycling — CDC Victoria operates the Bendigo local bus network, connecting Bendigo Station to the major residential suburbs (Flora Hill, Kangaroo Flat, Strathdale, and Eaglehawk) with Myki card access. The Greater Bendigo Rail Trail (40km of sealed shared path on the former Maryborough and Heathcote rail corridors) and the Bendigo Creek Trail provide excellent off-road cycling options throughout the urban and peri-urban landscape.

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