Qantas plan to shut Mildura crew base revives rail push as leaders warn isolation risk and demand link to capital
Mildura has the unwanted title of being the state’s largest population centre with no access to rail transport. And with Qantas shutting its crew base the community is demanding a direct rail link to Melbourne.
A direct train service linking Melbourne to the largest population centre in the state not served by passenger rail is gathering steam after Qantas confirmed it will slash crew bases in three cities.
Mildura, the major centre for a wider area of about 60,000 people and a popular holiday destination, is the largest city in the state without a direct passenger service linking it with the state’s capital after it was cut in 1993.
Instead, visitors who did not want to tackle the 550km drive up the Calder Highway or pay for costly airfares have been forced to take a combined train-and-coach service via regional centres to reach Mildura.
Return flights between Melbourne and Mildura average about $442, with fares rising sharply when booked close to departure.
Qantas recently said it would close crew bases in Mildura, Canberra and Hobart by April 2026, affecting about 70 pilots and cabin crew, as part of a consolidation to larger hubs to “improve service reliability” during fleet renewal.
The announcement has led community leaders to renew calls for passenger rail to directly link Mildura to Melbourne.
In recent years, a privately operated Vinelander heritage train had made occasional journeys to Mildura, confirming the line’s operability.
In June 2024 the Vinelander tour became the first passenger service to reach Mildura since the track’s 2018 standard-gauge conversion.
North West Rail Alliance president Ali Cupper said the base decision underlined regional vulnerability.
“I wouldn’t suggest Qantas owes us a duty to protect us from isolation — but the Victorian Government does,” she said.
“As one of the 10 designated major regional cities in Victoria — we do not have a passenger rail connection to Melbourne. We haven’t had one in 32 years. That should make everyone’s blood boil. It’s a scandal,” Ms Cupper said.
Nationals Member for Mildura Jade Benham said the Qantas move risked hollowing out Sunraysia’s skilled workforce even with a two-year grace period.
“I think the biggest economic and community effect will be the potential loss, in the future, of a skilled workforce that these families bring to the region,” she said.
“We don’t need to lose another airline. We’ve already lost one … We need a commitment from Qantas that they’ll be loyal to Mildura, as Mildura travellers have been to Qantas,” she said.
Ms Benham said she was looking at practical solutions and was a big proponent for the return of passenger rail to Mildura.
“The windscreen is bigger than the rear-view mirror … I know there are some surplus in-class locomotives in this state … I’m working on a plan to pitch for the election next year: the return of at least a passenger service a couple of days a week,” Ms Benham said.
Mildura local Michael Russell, who has lived in town for more than 20 years, said the people had long been promised a return of rail
“Every year we hear something about passenger rail being brought here and every year nothing happens,” Mr Russell said.
Ross, a recent retiree, said the reintroduction of passenger rail to the region would be a boon for both him and his wife.
“Our preference would be to be able to catch it from Mildura,” Ross said
The council’s manager of economic development and tourism, Leesa Merrett, said a rail link would open doors for visitors.
“Any additional routes and forms of transport to bring visitors to our region would provide more opportunities for visitors to experience everything our district has to offer,” she said.
Rail Revival Alliance president Noel Laidlaw pointed to recent heritage runs as proof the tracks were fit for passenger services.
“Give it a two-year trial. If it doesn’t work, everyone walks away. If it does, the government needs to spend some money upgrading and smartening the whole thing up,” he said.
Deputy Opposition Leader and spokesman for public transport Sam Groth said: “The Liberals and Nationals are working through policy for public transport and will share any developments in the new year. I thank the Member for Mildura for her strong advocacy on passenger and rail freight.”
A state government highlighted coach services rather than addressing the rail calls directly.
“V/Line operates more than 50 coach services a week to and from Mildura and thanks to the regional fare cap, prices are now capped at the same price as a daily metropolitan fare,” the spokesman said.
Mildura sale and auction results, week ending December 13
