Puffing Billy Railway Getting Here and Parking: Belgrave Train and Bus, Lakeside Parking $2 for 2 Hours, Check-in Times and Wheelchair Access (Belgrave and Emerald, VIC)

Guests travelling on Puffing Billy must check in at the booking office 60 minutes before the train leaves, and check-in closes 30 minutes before departure. The railway says the train cannot be held. This guide uses the Getting Here page of the Puffing Billy Railway website, read on 10 November 2026. Times are Melbourne local time (AEDT).

When do I need to arrive?

Puffing Billy is in the Dandenong Ranges, about 40 kilometres or one hour east of Melbourne. The railway says it is your responsibility to arrive on time, because the train will depart at the scheduled time.

Rule	Detail
Check-in opens	60 minutes before departure, at the booking office
Check-in closes	30 minutes before departure
Late arrivals	The train cannot be held

Which station should I use?

Station	Journeys listed	How to reach it
Belgrave	To Menzies Creek, Lakeside and Gembrook	Bus, Metro train or car
Lakeside (Emerald)	To Gembrook; Train of Lights; Lakeside Visitor Centre	Car only
Menzies Creek	Menzies Creek Museum	Car only

How do I get to Belgrave by train or bus?

Belgrave station can be reached by Metro train on the Belgrave line from the Melbourne CBD, or by bus 693 from Oakleigh, which stops at Metro’s Belgrave Station. From the Metro station, follow the blue line painted on the platform for a short 2-minute walk along an accessible pathway to Puffing Billy. The railway says to ask the station attendant if in doubt, and notes that you need a myki card to use public transport in Melbourne. For Belgrave line timetables, it points to Public Transport Victoria’s Journey Planner.

Where do I park at Belgrave?

Puffing Billy’s Belgrave station is at 1 Old Monbulk Road, Belgrave, and the railway says there is no parking at the station on Old Monbulk Road. It points drivers to the Belgrave Metro Station car park, which it says has 640 car parking spaces and 16 accessible spaces and is just minutes from the station. Enter via the Belgrave-Hallam Road, Bayview Road and Old Monbulk Road roundabout. Passengers with accessibility needs can use the drop-off zone at Gate 4, in front of the station building.

How much is parking at Lakeside in Emerald?

Lakeside station is on Emerald Lake Road, Emerald VIC 3782, and can be reached by car only. The railway says council-operated ticket machines apply, at $2 for 2 hours or $8 for a full day. It lists two car parks in the Emerald Lake Park precinct:

Car park	Spaces	How to find it
Lakeside Visitor Centre car park	200 or more	Turn left at the fork on Emerald Lake Road, cross Lake Treganowan and the railway level crossing, then follow the road past the bus drop-off and accessible parking zone; general parking is on your right
Lakeside car park	114	Continue straight past the fork on Emerald Lake Road to a cul-de-sac of car spaces

What about Menzies Creek, taxis and rideshare?

Menzies Creek station is at 49 School Road, Menzies Creek VIC 3159 and can be reached by car only. The railway says there is very limited availability of taxis and Ubers in the area.

What wheelchair and reduced mobility access is there?

Puffing Billy runs accessible carriages with a ramp. To pre-book one, contact the customer service centre by email or on 03 9757 0700, and tell the railway about any accessibility requirements beforehand. Volunteers operate the ramp, which is 75cm wide. The station platforms are not at the same height as the carriage doors, so passengers step up or down across a gap.

Place	Accessible parking and access
Belgrave	Two accessible spaces at Gate 3 on Old Monbulk Road, with a steep ramp (the bottom of the “zig-zag path”); drop-off at Gate 4, where the area to the platform is on one level
Lakeside Visitor Centre main car park	Three accessible spaces; a ramp of moderate gradient to the platform
Lakeside Visitor Centre loading dock	Two accessible spaces; a short pathway and step-free access to the alfresco deck entrance
Lakeside Visitor Centre	Step-free access throughout, and one of the Dandenong Ranges’ few Changing Places adult change facilities

The railway says the pathways to Belgrave and Lakeside stations and the visitor centre are paved but steep or narrow in places, and the pathways around Emerald Lake Park mix paved and gravel sections.

What does the railway not say on this page?

The Getting Here page does not give fares, train times, or access and parking for Gembrook station. Those are on other pages of the railway’s website, including Ticket Prices and Timetables, which were not read for this guide.

Sources

• Puffing Billy Railway — Getting Here (check-in, stations, Metro train and bus, parking, accessibility; checked 10 November 2026)

Featured image: Puffing Billy locomotive 12A at Belgrave, July 2014 (photo: Lankyrider / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added).

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Puffing Billy Railway. Fees and arrangements can change; check the railway’s pages before you go.