Plan Your Visit - Education

Thank you for choosing Puffing Billy Railway as a learning destination. You will find everything you need here to plan your excursion at the Railway.

Our inspiring guided education programs support the Victorian Curriculum and the VEYLDF and include pre and post resources for you and your students to use before or after your visit to Puffing Billy Railway.

A self-guided excursion means you and your students can choose your own journey of discovery at the Railway with a journey on Puffing Billy and the ability to explore the new Lakeside Visitor Centre at your leisure.

Education Programs at Puffing Billy Railway incorporate multiple learning activities with a focus on an exploration of history through storytelling, a journey into nature, endless discovery, emotional and cultural connection, adventure and fun. We hope you enjoy your adventure through the magnificent forest of the Dandenong Ranges onboard Puffing Billy.

The following information will help you plan your excursion at Puffing Billy Railway and provide guidance to make the process as easy as possible. Please contact the Education team for any further questions by emailing info@pbr.org.au or calling 03 9757 0700.

How to get here

Our guided excursion programs primarily commence at Belgrave Station. An Education Officer will meet and greet your school group at Belgrave Station where your group will board Puffing Billy for a 50-minute journey from Belgrave to Lakeside Station.

Bus and coach parking

BELGRAVE STATION | Bus drop off points are available at Belgrave Station (map here).
LAKESIDE VISITOR CENTRE | Free parking is provided for buses and coaches at the Lakeside Visitor Centre Carpark for the duration of your visit. Follow signage for directions. Where possible we recommend using the drop-off and pick-up bays (as marked on the map below).

If you require alternative start points and options, please contact our bookings team at info@pbr.org.au or phone 03 9757 0700. Have a look at the Fares & Timetables page for details about dates and times the different train journeys operate.

Where do parents park?

Most Education bookings (unless a special booking is made) include a one-way journey on Puffing Billy Railway from Belgrave Station to Lakeside Station. If the bus can drop you back to Belgrave, there are several parking options in Belgrave.

As an alternative, adults can book a return ticket, Lakeside to Belgrave in the afternoon, for an additional cost prior to their visit if they need to return to Belgrave (see train timetable).

For more information, visit the Getting Here page.

Arrival

Please arrive 30 minutes prior to your booked time at Belgrave Station (or an alternatively booked starting station). This will allow time for an introduction to your program, toilet stop and snack before boarding the train. We'll have staff and/or volunteers ready to help you organise your group and process payment. Coaches and minibuses can offload students at the designated zone at Belgrave Station.

Accessibility

If you have a student or staff member in a wheelchair, there are limited wheelchair spaces available onboard our heritage carriages. Please call our Bookings team on 03 9757 0700 prior to travelling so that we can assist you in accommodating your needs.

Puffing Billy Railway has a range of accessible facilities available.

Our station platforms are not at the same height as our carriage doors; however, ramps are available to provide easy wheelchair access on many of our Excursion Trains. The wheelchair ramp width is 75cm.

Pathways to Belgrave, Lakeside and Gembrook stations are all wheelchair accessible.

To assist passengers with reduced mobility and to avoid our steep pathway entrance to Belgrave Station, passengers may be dropped off at Gate 4, which is in front of our Belgrave Station building in Old Monbulk Road (map here). The area from the station to the platform is on one level.

The Lakeside Visitor Centre has a Changing Places facility. Please note that there are no accessible toilets available at Menzies Creek station or Museum.

We have a Sensory Map available for the Lakeside station and Lakeside Visitor Centre precinct. Download Sensory Map

Ever wondered what Puffing Billy's train whistle and engine sound like? Have a listen here!

Use this social story to plan a visit to Puffing Billy Railway with your students. Read it online or download the PDF document to print.

Download the Puffing Billy Social Story for Education Groups (PDF 1.3 mb)

Bag storage

Puffing Billy Education Programs encourage visiting groups to begin their journey at Belgrave Station where they will board the train and disembark at Lakeside Station. We recommend students leave their bags on the bus (if the bus is staying with them for the whole day) before they board the train at Belgrave Station. Students can then get access to their bags ready for lunch at Lakeside. Students can then return their bags to the bus after lunch and continue to explore the Lakeside Visitor Centre, Emerald Lake Park and the Menzies Creek Museum.

If the bus is not staying the students for the whole day, we recommend students carry their bags with them while they journey on Puffing Billy, visit the Lakeside Visitor centre, Emerald Lake Park and Menzies Creek Museum.

Toilets

Food & Beverage

A range of food and beverage options are available for purchase from our stations and the Lakeside Visitor Centre café, including pies, sandwiches, hot and cold drinks as well as ice creams and sweets. Additionally, a range of Puffing Billy merchandise is for sale, including the very popular Puffing Billy flags!

Railway Cafe Menu

Policies and documentation

Plan Your Visit – Education

Bus and coach parking

Where do parents park?

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