There were cheers and even some tears, as Premier John Brumby spoke to the hundreds gathered on the platform.

Mr Brumby was on board the first service from Creswick to Maryborough, and said it was heartening to see people standing by the tracks and waving as the train went through.

"It's a wonderful thing for the community and I think they'll look back on this day for decades to come as a very, very happy day," he said.

Passenger services to Maryborough stopped in 1993 and Mr Brumby said the millions of dollars spent on reconnecting the town was an investment.

The initial timetable will have two services a day, seven days a week, with the option to increase services if there is demand.

"If you look at the number of V/Line passengers today we're running nearly double the number of passengers we were a decade ago," Mr Brumby said.

"We're starting with 14 services a week and V/Line will look at what the patronage is.

"It's always hard to tell, but I actually think it will be a sell-out success."

The Maryborough station itself has undergone a makeover, with restoration works to the tune of $1.9 million done to the old sandstone, brickwork and spouting. As well as an upgrade to carparking.

"Mark Twain once said Maryborough is a railway station with a town attached, it's always been a magnificent station," Mr Brumby said.

Maryborough resident Brenda Humphrey got a bit teary when she spoke about the return of passenger services.

"It's the greatest thing, I'm so emotional about it," she said.

"When it's school holidays my son and I are going to do a trip to Ballarat."

Public transport minister Martin Pakula said public transport in the region would be further boosted with the government's recent commitment to invest $7 million to return services to Clunes as part

of the Regional Victoria Blueprint.

The government is yet to announce whether Talbot will be included on the service.