A Stunning New Rail Trail for Tasmania? Let’s Do It!

Posted on 29/01/26

A 49km rail trail west from New Norfolk to mountain bike park centre Maydena is an exciting proposition from Derwent Valley Council, but your feedback is required to see it become a reality.

This rail corridor, beginning a 45-minute drive north-west from Hobart, abuts a Tasmanian national park and features picturesque bridges, railway heritage and offers agritourism and adventure-tourism opportunities for townships once the centre of a thriving timber industry.

Rail Trails Australia and Bicycle Network have long championed the reuse of the Upper Derwent Valley rail corridor as the Derwent Valley Rail Trail and are very pleased to see that the Derwent Valley Council’s Upper Derwent Valley Precinct Plan includes multiple suggestions to: “Repurpose the rail corridor as a shared-use rail trail – convert rail corridor to walking and cycling trails providing for local recreation and exercise”.

The Precinct Plan includes creating safe access to the future rail trail from various towns, supporting low-impact camping and caravan parking accessible from the rail trail, renovating stations, connecting the rail trail with nearby agritourism experiences, and realigning the Tasmania Trail onto the rail trail making it an offroad trail. The rail trail would connect the towns of New Norfolk, Hayes, Bushy Park, Glenora, Westerway, National Park and Maydena.

You can read the Precinct Plan here. Please email your feedback to Derwent Valley Council directly at dv*******@*********ov.au. Please include the reasons why you believe a rail trail would benefit the area and how a rail trail in the Derwent Valley would influence your travel plans to Tasmania.

We urge our rail trail community to contact Derwent Valley Council to show their support for a rail trail linking townships and creating an amazing nature-based tourism destination!

Beautiful vistas at New Norfolk on the proposed Derwent Valley Rail Trail

Agritourism possibilities line the proposed Derwent Valley Rail Trail

Fishing on the Tyenna River in Westerway next to the proposed Derwent Valley Rail Trail

10 comments on “A Stunning New Rail Trail for Tasmania? Let’s Do It!”

I understand that the Derwent Valley Railway group located in New Norfolk are still hoping to restore heritage train working to that line. Has there been any comment from the Tasmanian Govt on their support for the railway heritage group or is that group unlikely to receive any support from the Govt. I know the railway heritage group have the option of running trains in the opposite direction towards Boyer and Brighton but I believe their feeling was that the Derwent Valley section would be a more attractive proposition for heritage rail journeys.

You will not get a tourist railway. The State Government props up the West Coast Wilderness Railway. It would shut if the funding stopped. To the Government, it is the one and only tourist railway wanted in the State. No competition.
Simply not enough population to support.
Tourist travelling the State do not have the time to travel on it. Their travel agenda is pre set.
The train when operating, was plagued with mechanical, mechanical operational,bridge,volunteer issues.

HOWEVER…you could operated a heritage train shuttle 6km between Westerway and National Park with a parallel path next to it. Cafe, bistro and bike hire each end. Why take 300 people all day by train to a destination when you can operate a shuttle where already 100000 plus people visit per year?
If I was on a luxury cruise ship for a day or two in Hobart, treated magnificently, spoilt and food prepared by world class chefs, would I spent day on an old stodgy stale 50's train served salad rolls and instant coffee!

Jeezzzuuss Christ…What the f…?! What grass are you people smoking?
Poor old Dorset Council has been struggling since 2014 to establish what could Australia's premier rail trails. In the upper house leader the party you have a train enthusiast living in the valley who is anti rail trail.
Victoria, introducing and establishing Australia's first rail trails without a hint of objection. Yet those loonies objecting in the North East, creating terrible harm to honest and hard working Nayor. Meanwhile back at New Norfolk the dreaming train enthusiasts live in hope of running trains to National Park, 35 years after theyv formed a rail preservation society. I have never know a State that gas so much infighting and disagreement that it self harms itself.

That's ok for you to say, provided, you either live in the Derwent Valley, or are prepared to pay to use the proposed trail, as I live there, and would be expected, as a ratepayer, to contribute to its upkeep, and probably its building! I personally would prefer to see a financial commitment, all Stakeholders , local, state, federal, and private equity, to re establishing a rail line, as a tourist venture, and would appeal to the wider community as a visitor attraction to the Derwent Valley!

Having been to the area a few times and walked in the Mount Field National Park, I can only agree that it would be a wonderful rail trail, possibly one of the best in the country. However some caution needs to be exercised because the eventual reactivation of the rail way is also part of the long term plan for the Derwent Valley Rail Museum, see https://www.dvr.org.au/our-plan

The line was once used by railway preservation groups with steam as far as Mt Field and it was quite magnificent. Sadly, rail preservation groups are no longer allowed on Tasmanian mainlines and so the Derwent Valley Museum is currently limited to only a few kilometers of track near the Museum.

While I am certainly an absolute a supporter of rail trails, I'm sure that one of the prerequisites must be that the line will not be reactivated for any reason and that the trail must not hinder any reactivation and therefore consultation and cooperation with the Museum would be essential for any Rail Trail plan

I agree with Jeff. As a keen road and MTB bike rider plus member of Bicycle Network I would appreciate the new trail trail but would not be happy to remove the possibility of the rail corridor being reinstated for steam trains etc in the future. I missed out on riding on the train when it did operate but I did follow along with the train in my car, it was a truly amazing sight to behold. I am quite alarmed at what the State Government and the New Norfolk Council are doing and I would have thought a full feasibility study report into the options for the train line should prepared followed by a decent length and thorough public consultation on either reinstating the train line or converting it to a rail trail ONLY IF the train line option is not viable or supported.

Thanks for that Robert.

For the record, I am an absolute rail trail enthusiast and my comments about the Derwent Valley Rail Museum is NOT a statement of personal preference for their activities. It is just a simple observation of a possible conflict which may or may not arise, regardless of anything we say here. In all probability there could be a perfectly reasonable compromise.

The NRRT out of Murwillumbah is amazing, and has great local and interstate support. The local shires and councils maintain it, with volunteer support. There were also many objectors in the early days of the proposal, as they too, wanted to reinstate trains on the lines. However, feasibility study showed it would never be an economic success, and so the Rail Trail supporters won the day. Two sections have been completed, a lot more to go with required funding, but the signs are good it will be a long term success.
I doubt Tassy will get both trail and rail.