Public Transport Ballarat: V/Line Trains & Local Buses

Ballarat's transport network is dominated by the V/Line Ballarat Line (the Melbourne-Ballarat heavy rail service connecting Melbourne's Southern Cross Station to Ballarat Station in approximately 70-100 minutes), which is the busiest regional rail service in Victoria after the Geelong Line and provides the primary public transport connection between the goldfields city and the Melbourne metropolitan area. Within Ballarat itself, the local bus network (operated by CDC Victoria on behalf of Public Transport Victoria) provides coverage of the Ballarat urban area, connecting Ballarat Station to the major residential and commercial areas. The Myki smartcard applies to V/Line Ballarat Line services and the Ballarat local bus network. The Western Freeway (Melbourne to Ballarat, 113km, approximately 90 minutes by car) and the Midland Highway (Ballarat to Bendigo, 140km) provide the main road connections.

V/Line Ballarat Line — V/Line operates approximately 20 services per day between Ballarat and Melbourne's Southern Cross Station (stopping at Bacchus Marsh, Ballan, and the major Ballarat stations of Wendouree, Ballarat, and Ballarat East on some services). Express services (Ballarat to Southern Cross in 70 minutes) and stopping services (100+ minutes) provide a range of options for commuters and leisure travellers. The Ballarat Line is also the access route to Ararat, Maryborough, and Horsham for regional V/Line services extending beyond Ballarat.

Local Buses and Ballarat Transit — CDC Victoria operates the Ballarat local bus network (Routes 1-11 plus special services), connecting Ballarat Station and the CBD to the major residential suburbs of Sebastopol, Mount Clear, Alfredton, Wendouree, and Lucas. The Myki card is accepted on all Ballarat local bus routes. The network is oriented around the Ballarat CBD (Sturt Street and the Ballarat Train Station bus interchange) and provides adequate coverage for commuting and shopping within the urban area.

Cycling in Ballarat — Ballarat's relatively flat topography (the central city sits on a plain beside Lake Wendouree, Ballarat's famous 5.3km cycling and walking circuit) makes it an excellent city for cycling, and the Lake Wendouree Parklands (home to the 1956 Olympic rowing events and surrounded by a sealed shared path) provides one of Victoria's finest recreational cycling circuits. The Ballarat Rail Trail (the former Carngham rail corridor, now a shared path) and the Skipton Rail Trail extend cycling options into the surrounding goldfields landscape.

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