Birregurra - Forrest 'Tiger' Rail Trail (7km)

Forrest - The trail begins in Forrest, across the road from the Forrest Hotel on Henry Street. (The original railway station site can be seen 500m further south, down Station St.)

The grand vision for this trail is for it to start in Birregurra, on the main Melbourne - Warrnambool rail line, meander along the old railway formation, through Deans Marsh, to the existing section near Barwon Downs and on to Forrest. Total length - 30 kms.
The trail's "Tiger" moniker comes from the days when trains stopped running between the towns. A converted Dodge sedan, painted black and yellow, ferried passengers instead.
Currently 7km of the trail is completed from the Forrest end.

The next stage to be completed will be the 2km to Barwon Downs. Eventually the trail will meander another 23 kms along the old railway formation to Birregurra, on the main Melbourne - Warrnambool rail line. Total length - 30 kms

Construction of the branch line to Forrest begun in 1889 and was completed at a cost of 96,000 pounds. It was opened to Deans Marsh on December 19, 1889 and to Forrest on June 5, 1891. The line was used by tourists bound for the coastal resorts of Lorne and Apollo Bay. The Forrest line was closed in 1957. The Railway to Warrnambool runs through Birregurra, hence the station where the Forrest line branched from is still there.