The special Christmas train trips will run this Sunday at the Ocean Beach Railway, next to Marlow Park at St Kilda, from 11am to 4pm.
Instead of paying the usual fare, passengers will hand over a gold coin donation or a can of food for a train ride.
Donations and proceeds will be presented to the city’s food banks, to help them meet high seasonal demand and the additional challenges of Covid-19 and unemployment.
A group of volunteers will decorate the heritage train to give the Ocean Beach Railway more Christmas cheer.
A remembrance tree will also be displayed in the restored station, with families of New Zealand Railway/Kiwi Rail staff who have died welcome to hang a decoration in their memory.
Ocean Beach Railway operations and marketing manager Philip Riley said the organisation was "so overwhelmed with community support" that it made sense to "share the love" with those in need.
