Passenger train, the Southern Aurora Heritage Express, stopped at the Forbes Railway Arts, Crafts and Visitor Information Centre for about an hour during its weekend food and wine rail trail tour.

Seating 94 passengers and 20 staff, the train left Central Station in Sydney at midday on Friday and other stopovers included Wollongong, Moss Vale, Cootamundra, Parkes, Orange and Kandos until it arrived back in Sydney on Sunday evening.

Train manager Stephen Williams said the Southern Aurora did several trips a year. 

“It became a heritage train in 1996 and some other destinations we visit include Melbourne, Brisbane and South Australia,” Mr Williams said.

While the train was stopped in Forbes, passengers were able to purchase local products and were also given information bags promoting Forbes. 

“We saw it as an opportunity to entice visitors to put Forbes on their agenda for their next holiday,” visitor service officer Leanne Kennedy said.