A plan to reinstate the defunct service is a major part of Family First's proposal to upgrade the state's passenger rail services.

And the party's Parliamentary Leader, Dennis Hood says that he has had positive, informal feedback from both sides of Parliament.

"I'm very optimistic (that the plan will be considered by Parliament)," he told The Times.

"To reinstate the Victor Harbor line would be very simple."

Adelaide's metropolitan train service runs on broad gauge track. The track from Mount Barker to Victor Harbor is also broad gauge and has been maintained by SteamRanger volunteers.

However the only track that connects Mount Barker to Belair is a standard gauge line, which replaced the broad gauge track in 1995, under a national infrastructure project to benefit interstate services.

The Family First plan proposes that a new broad gauge track be built between Belair and Mount Barker, adjacent to the existing standard gauge line.

They estimate that the cost of construction would be $50-70 million, which Mr Hood described as "reasonable".

"It's not an enormous amount when you consider the services to people," he said, pointing out that the service would benefit the burgeoning population around Mount Barker as well as the South Coast and Strathalbyn.

"It could be done quickly and relatively inexpensively."

"I have a timetable from 1955 for the 320 train that went from Victor Harbor to Adelaide with the 325 going the opposite direction.

“There was another train - the 807 - returning to Victor Harbor each night.

“The Victor Harbor Road is notoriously dangerous, and I think a lot of South Australians would take up the option of a safer and more relaxing and scenic train trip (even if a bit slower) to Victor Harbor if the opportunity was there", Mr Hood said.

Last year's tram extension from Victoria Square to North Terrace in Adelaide cost $31 million.

In December Transport Minister Patrick Conlon said that a possible cost of $215 million made a double rail extension of the Noarlunga service to Seaford and eventually Aldinga made the project currently "unfeasible".

Mr Hood said the party had been advised that the trip from Victor Harbor would take about 1 hour and 15 mins but that this would depend on the trains used and the number of stops.

"We've been told that an express, with stops only at major services, could take about one hour," Mr Hood said.

The Member for Finniss, Michael Pengilly, said that while he didn't want to "pooh-pooh" the idea he felt that a proper business case would need to be undertaken.

"It sounds good," he said, "but I suspect that the cost would be astronomical and a major impediment."

He said he intended to discuss the matter with his upper house colleagues and Mr Hood.

The proposal is now being considered by the Legislative Council, who will vote on whether to refer the plan to a Parliamentary Committee on June 4.