Originally published August 9, 1972
Crowd as train launched.
Melbourne – The train to Mildura last night broke through a specially prepared barrier across the tracks at Spencer Street Station to begin a new era for rail travel for the Mildura line.
The chairman of the Victorian Railway Commissioners (Mr G. Brown) had signalled the train out of the platform for the inaugural run of “The Vinelander”.
It is the ninth named train in Victoria and the first to operate intrastate with roomette and twinette sleeper cars.
The sleeper cars are also the first fully Victorian owned of the modern class.
Originally part of “The Overlander” between Melbourne and Adelaide, they were jointly owned by Victoria and South Australia.
Now Victoria has bought out the SA interest in them, and they will be used exclusively on the Mildura run.
When the train arrives in Mildura this morning it will be met by the Mayor (CR S.C. Mills) and other councillors. The Deputy chairman of the Railways (Mr E.P. Rogan) will be one of the passengers.
At an impressive ceremony before a crowd of several hundred people on platform 3 at Spencer Street Station yesterday afternoon the acting Minister of Transport (Mr Rossiter) officially unveiled the nameplate of “The Vinelander”.
With him were the Mildura area Parliamentarians, Mr Milton Whiting, MLA for Mildura, and the two members of the Legislative Council for North-west Province (Mr A. R. Mansell and Mr Bernie Dunn).
A battery of Press and television cameras recorded the event.
After the unveiling, Mr Rossiter was presented with a decorated dip tin of Mildura district products by Mildura publicity girls Colleen Freeman and Wendy Tschirpig.
The pack included dried fruits, oranges, grapefruit, fruit juices, orange blossom honey, wines, beer and cider.
