Location:
Length:
Surface:
Start / End:
Public Transport:
Suitable for:
The proposed 74km rail trail linking Cootamundra, Coolac, Gundagai and Tumblong will run through rural areas of southern New South Wales and take in the historic town and timber bridges of Gundagai, passing close to the Dog on the Tuckerbox precinct.
Notable features of the trail include the well-preserved Gundagai Railway Station precinct, and the heritage-listed timber railway bridge across the Murrumbidgee floodplain. The trail will run close to the Hume Highway in the Coolac to Tumblong section. Remnants of the old railway line are clearly visible.
The Murrumbidgee Valley Rail Trail will bring increased tourism revenue to the region in the same way that the Tumbarumba to Rosewood trail has grown visitor numbers and local businesses.
Nearby Attractions
- Cootamundra offers a variety of tourist attractions with rail links from Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra
- Gundagai has historic buildings and an interesting history as a river crossing town; the flood marker in Middleton Drive on the north side of the river is notable
- Other NSW southern region townships with tourist attractions close by, including Tumut, Adelong, Jugiong and Blowering Dam
Last updated: 14 July 2023
The trail will run for 74 km through open farmland. There will be a number of access points including the Dog on the Tuckerbox park on the Hume Highway north of Gundagai, the main intermediate point on the trail.
Important note: This rail trail is not yet open. The alignment is owned by Transport NSW and much of it passes through private property. Trespassing on the alignment is prohibited.
Section Guides
This trail is not yet open.
Gundagai Station (2007)
Gundagai Station Cutting (2007)
Murrumbidgee River rail bridge (2009)
Historic rail and road bridges over the Murrumbidgee River at Gundagai. Photo: Leon Patterson
Murrumbidgee Valley trail corridor
Rail corridor near Gundagai, looking towards Tumblong
Do you know of a bike hire or transportation service on this rail trail that should appear here? If so, let us know at admin@railtrails.org.au.
Information and Links
This Trail is a proposed Rail Trail only at this stage. It is not yet constructed or open.
The railway corridor is owned by the NSW State Government, and trespassing is prohibited.
For further information or to get involved see:
- Gundagai Rail Trail Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/gundagairailtrail/
- Trail walks page: https://www.trailhiking.com.au/murrumbidgee-valley-rail-trail/
- About the historic Gundagai rail bridges: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murrumbidgee_River_railway_bridge,_Gundagai
Contact Rail Trails Australia
To contact us about this rail trail, email nsw@railtrails.org.au
Background Information
Traditional owners
We acknowledge the Ngunawal people, the traditional custodians of the land and waterways on which the rail trail will be built.
Development and future of the rail trail
Local community advocates for the Cootamundra to Tumblong rail trail have been working for many years to bring this rail trail on a long-abandoned government rail corridor to life, for the benefit of the Cootamundra Gundagai Regional Council region.
Rail line history
The Cootamundra to Tumut and Kunama line was a 104 km long branch of the Main South Line, branching south from Cootamundra to the towns of Gundagai and Tumut. At Gundagai the line crosses the Murrumbidgee River on a large iron girder bridge and a historic wooden viaduct, both in disrepair. Villages on the line include Brawlin, Muttama, Coolac, Tumblong and Gilmore.
The line opened as far as Gundagai in November 1885. The line was finally extended to Tumut on 12 October 1903 and the branch to Batlow opened in 1922, being extended to Kunama shortly after. The steep Kunama line was mainly used for fruit haulage from the orchards around Batlow until services were suspended in 1983. The line beyond Batlow is formally closed and the line has been lifted.
The Tumut line was suspended after flooding in 1984, and part of the alignment was taken over by Hume Highway upgrading works.
The substantial Gundagai railway station was restored in the 1990s, and is the longest timber railway station in New South Wales.
The substantial Gundagai railway station was restored in the 1990s, and is the longest timber railway station in New South Wales.
Cootamundra to Tumblong Rail Trail on the move
Posted: 07/10/20
At a meeting in late September 2020, Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council (CGRC) endorsed a budget allocation for ...
More...Nearby Trails
Batlow – Tumut Rail Trail
400 km southwest of Sydney
Tumbarumba to Rosewood (Riverina Highlands) Rail Trail
470km south of Sydney, 460km north of Melbourne
21 km
Wagga Wagga to Ladysmith (Riverina Highlands) Rail Trail
460 km south-west of Sydney
Yass Rail Trail
280 km southwest of Sydney, in the southern NSW tablelands
Boorowa Galong Rail Trail
330 km southwest of Sydney
Nearby Trails
Batlow – Tumut Rail Trail
400 km southwest of Sydney
Tumbarumba to Rosewood (Riverina Highlands) Rail Trail
470km south of Sydney, 460km north of Melbourne
21 km
Wagga Wagga to Ladysmith (Riverina Highlands) Rail Trail
460 km south-west of Sydney
Yass Rail Trail
280 km southwest of Sydney, in the southern NSW tablelands
Boorowa Galong Rail Trail
330 km southwest of Sydney
One review of “Murrumbidgee Valley Rail Trail”
Still hoping this disused government rail corridor will be developed one day for broader tourism purposes. The whole area has much to offer, and constructing a rail trail to connect the route from Cootamundra through to the Dog on the Tuckerbox, the Gundagai historic bridges and the Tumblong area would bring many new tourists to the region.