Northern Rivers Rail Trail Construction to Finally Begin

Wonderful news with the Tweed Shire Council approving construction on the first section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail, NSW’s second rail trail on a government rail corridor.

On the momentous night of 17 June 2021, Tweed Council moved to the next step for the Tweed Valley Rail Trail (first section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail) with councillors voting to accept the recommended contractor to build if on formation, ie. on the original railway alignment.

This 24km Murwillumbah to Crabbes Creek section incorporates 2 tunnels (one being 517m long), 26 bridges and provides multiple vistas of the Tweed Caldera landscape.The New South Wales government has contributed $7.8 million to the project, with a further $6.8 million from the federal government.

Getting to this stage has been an eight-year journey for the Northern Rivers Rail Trail committee and their supporters to gain local, state and federal government support. All while dealing with some community groups who wanted to see train services returned despite the state government firmly ruling this out in 2012.

The Tweed Valley Rail Trail is the second pilot rail trail to be constructed under the NSW Government’s plan to build more rail trails in NSW and is certain to be as popular and successful as the Tumbarumba to Rosewood Rail Trail.

Rail Trails Australia has been busy working with a variety of organisations and its NSW RTA representatives to help rail trail groups across NSW to establish more rail trails. RTA thanks its members and supporters for taking time to contact Tweed Shire Councillors to express their support for this rail trail – it was noted at the council meeting that Councillors had received up to 200 emails in the leadup to their final consideration.

This has been a difficult decision and Rail Trails Australia thank the councillors for supporting the rail trail which will be a great outcome for the community, as it has been in Tumbarumba and many other communities all over Australia.
We also thank the Tweed Shire Council staff for their diligent and professional approach to developing the rail trail to this stage.

Refer to the Tweed Shire Council press release for further details.

We look forward to final plans for the rail trail being available in the next month or so and will let supporters know.

We also look forward to progress on the 13.5km Casino to Bentley section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail which has received $7.5m in federal government funding. The completed rail trail will extend 132km from Casino to Murwillumbah