Northern Rivers Rail Trail

[g-boaf]

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/vig ... 5cunt.html

So people whinge about riders being on the road, then they put nails and tacks on paths as well.

[Bunged Knee]

Vigilantes’ target cyclists on new $15 million bike path

The Northern Rivers Rail Trail, which opened on March 1, runs along 24 kilometres of old railway line between Murwillumbah and Crabbes Creek in the Tweed Shire. It cost almost $15 million to build, using state and federal government funding.



https://amp.smh.com.au/national/nsw/vig ... 5cunt.html

But it was disappointing that someone had a dislike to this rail trail by dumping the tacks and nails on this trail that caused the punctures on some riders.
I do hope that it will not be ongoing.

Tacks and nails have been thrown on to a new multimillion-dollar bike and walking track in northern NSW in an act of sabotage that has left riders stranded and the local community fuming.

[elantra]

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/vig ... 5cunt.html

So people whinge about riders being on the road, then they put nails and tacks on paths as well.

You could write a book about the dramatic birthing process of the new Railtrail.
And the delusional and contradictory beliefs of its various opponents.

As we see sometimes see in Australian politics, these dramas create very strange political bedfellows.
The bogans don’t like one cent of public money being spent on a facility that can be used for the benefit of people who ride bicycles. Presumably we are the class enemy.
The Greens think that the railway corridor could be better used to rebuild a railway service. But this would have cost the NSW Government a bit more than a thousand million dollars and what’s the point if people find cars, trucks, and buses more personally convenient and cost-effective.
Interestingly, the Tweed Shire Council says that over 8 thousand people have used the Railtrail in its first 2 weeks after opening.

This of course is not just enthusiastic cyclists from all over northern NSW and southern Qld. This number includes diverse groups such as locals walking for exercise, locals walking to see parts of their environs they have not seen before, runners of all levels of commitment, backpackers enjoying great walking conditions like a mini el Camino, Dog walkers, people in wheelchairs, School groups, family groups, bird watchers, Railway history enthusiasts, and Lots of people who look like they are on a bicycle for the first time in quite a while (because there’s nowhere else safe to ride)

This tally of 8 thousand Railtrail users in 2 weeks would far exceed the total number of people who used the train, in or out of Murwillumbah in any 2 week period in the years before the closure of the Rail service in 2004.
Quite an irony when you consider that one of the repeated objections to the creation of the Railtrail in the local community was that “no one would use it”

[fat and old]

Here

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... aced-nails

Beth Shelley, the chairperson of the Northern Rivers Railway Action Group, said there was “a lot of anger” in the community, as many felt there had not been adequate community consultation and landholders concerned about people coming through their property. The group does not condone the leaving of nails on the trail, she said.

How is this “their” property?

[warthog1]

I think Elanta mentioned this elsewhere but good to have a thread.
I like the title, F & O

[fat and old]

Fair dinkum, that group sounds like a liberal member at the Aston post election do

[elantra]

Here

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... aced-nails

Beth Shelley, the chairperson of the Northern Rivers Railway Action Group, said there was “a lot of anger” in the community, as many felt there had not been adequate community consultation and landholders concerned about people coming through their property. The group does not condone the leaving of nails on the trail, she said.

How is this “their” property?

https://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/vie ... 3&t=107301

Yes - that Railway corridor was built a loooong time ago (1894) when Railway construction was booming across the globe and the excitement of Australia’s federation was gaining momentum.
Now all over the world (and in Australia), Railway corridors are being re-invented because this technology is no longer relevant except in high freight mass, high urban density or very long distance applications.

The Railtrail has been open for a month now and it’s level of useage by the community has been staggering.

For SOME people it is a source of irritation that it has temporarily “brought in” “outsiders” “bicycle riders” from Gold Coast, Brisbane, Ballina, Byron Bay, Lismore, Coffs Harbour, Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast, Sydney, New Zealand, Poland, France, Germany and Switzerland etc etc etc.

For other locals it is a source of irritation that the land they purchased or rent, adjacent to abandoned overgrown government property is now alive with happy people.

For the people who think that there was ever going to return, look at the changes that have occurred in the Tweed Valley over the last 50 years.

50 years ago, due to declining local patronage and the effectiveness of local trucking companies, the NSW Government tried to reinvent this Railway corridor by promoting it as a motorail service mainly aimed at Sydney and Brisbane customers.
At about the same time the local demographics started to change - the extensive Sand Mining operations ceased along the Tweed Coast and houses started to appear in Casuarina, Bogangar and Pottsville, well away from the Railway corridor.

Today, most of the Tweed population lives in these new (and rapidly expanding) coastal suburbs and one day, if a clear case emerges for the construction of a new Railway, it will be built to service these areas of population density

It is telling that in the first month of the new Railtrail, more people have used it in one way or another than would have used the Railway service in its last YEAR of operation (2003)

And that’s not just people who like bicycles, it’s also large numbers of local people who are using it for walking, running, pushing prams, walking dogs, walking the kids, doing bird photography, Railway architecture photography, School groups studying wildlife or history, Disabled persons or aged care residents on excursions in pedal powered chairs, and so forth.

[warthog1]

Here

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... aced-nails

Beth Shelley, the chairperson of the Northern Rivers Railway Action Group, said there was “a lot of anger” in the community, as many felt there had not been adequate community consultation and landholders concerned about people coming through their property. The group does not condone the leaving of nails on the trail, she said.

How is this “their” property?

https://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/vie ... 3&t=107301

Yes - that Railway corridor was built a loooong time ago (1894) when Railway construction was booming across the globe and the excitement of Australia’s federation was gaining momentum.
Now all over the world (and in Australia), Railway corridors are being re-invented because this technology is no longer relevant except in high freight mass, high urban density or very long distance applications.

The Railtrail has been open for a month now and it’s level of useage by the community has been staggering.

For SOME people it is a source of irritation that it has temporarily “brought in” “outsiders” “bicycle riders” from Gold Coast, Brisbane, Ballina, Byron Bay, Lismore, Coffs Harbour, Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast, Sydney, New Zealand, Poland, France, Germany and Switzerland etc etc etc.

For other locals it is a source of irritation that the land they purchased or rent, adjacent to abandoned overgrown government property is now alive with happy people.

For the people who think that there was ever going to return, look at the changes that have occurred in the Tweed Valley over the last 50 years.

50 years ago, due to declining local patronage and the effectiveness of local trucking companies, the NSW Government tried to reinvent this Railway corridor by promoting it as a motorail service mainly aimed at Sydney and Brisbane customers.
At about the same time the local demographics started to change - the extensive Sand Mining operations ceased along the Tweed Coast and houses started to appear in Casuarina, Bogangar and Pottsville, well away from the Railway corridor.

Today, most of the Tweed population lives in these new (and rapidly expanding) coastal suburbs and one day, if a clear case emerges for the construction of a new Railway, it will be built to service these areas of population density

It is telling that in the first month of the new Railtrail, more people have used it in one way or another than would have used the Railway service in its last YEAR of operation (2003)

And that’s not just people who like bicycles, it’s also large numbers of local people who are using it for walking, running, pushing prams, walking dogs, walking the kids, doing bird photography, Railway architecture photography, School groups studying wildlife or history, Disabled persons or aged care residents on excursions in pedal powered chairs, and so forth.

[baabaa]

Fair dinkum, that group sounds like a liberal member at the Aston post election do

A bloke ran as an independent in the last NSW state election in one of the South Western Slopes electorates.
His number one policy was for "no more rail trails in NSW".
He “found” 565 votes out of 43,369 formal votes (992 people voted informal)

Think you could say many, if not the majority of regional people now understand that rail trails bring many benefits to a community

[g-boaf]

Fair dinkum, that group sounds like a liberal member at the Aston post election do

A bloke ran as an independent in the last NSW state election in one of the South Western Slopes electorates.
His number one policy was for "no more rail trails in NSW".
He “found” 565 votes out of 43,369 formal votes (992 people voted informal)

Think you could say many, if not the majority of regional people now understand that rail trails bring many benefits to a community

He might have had more success running on the policy of "no more cycling on roads or paths" and then swapping to his alternate idea.

[Brendan H]

Can confirm,this rail trail is good. Have used it several times since opening. Usually late afternoon when least pedestrian traffic about.

So nice to be able to get a good workout without road bogans harrassing me. Only takes 10mins to ride from home to the trail start at Murwillumbah station. 95% of the way is on shared path if I choose so.

takes me exactly 2 hours to ride to the end and back at good excercise pace.ie plenty of hard breathing and leg burn.

Brendan
Murwillumbah

[elantra]

Can confirm,this rail trail is good. Have used it several times since opening. Usually late afternoon when least pedestrian traffic about.

So nice to be able to get a good workout without road bogans harrassing me. Only takes 10mins to ride from home to the trail start at Murwillumbah station. 95% of the way is on shared path if I choose so.

takes me exactly 2 hours to ride to the end and back at good excercise pace.ie plenty of hard breathing and leg burn.

Brendan
Murwillumbah

Yeah it’s an absolute ripper.
A credit to all those who were involved.
There are some good options for extra miles on (mostly) quiet side roads, but the best of these are fairly gnarly gravel.
The intoxicating hope is that it will be extended, but this requires the cooperation of Byron Shire Council - a bit like waiting for the next stage of the Pitch drop experiment at the University of Queensland
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitch_drop_experiment

The Railtrail currently “ends” precisely at the Shire boundary between Tweed and Byron Shires, it’s low-key termination under the Wooyung Road bridge contrasting with its razzmatazz start in the historic Murwillumbah Railway Station.
And from the Wooyung bridge it is only about 5km along the derelict railway corridor to the vibrant village of Billinudgel, which is the start of a few potential bicycle routes to places like Brunswick Heads and Mullumbimby etc…

The good news is that another section of Railtrail will be completed in Northern NSW later this year, from the Rural city of Casino heading east to the village of Bentley. Hooray !
It is only 13 km, about half the distance of the Tweed Railtrail, but hopefully one day the two will be linked, which is the original concept of the Northern Rivers Railtrail, a total distance of just over 130 km.
That would be a World class achievement

[Brendan H]

Next ride ,possibly tomorrow , is rail trail from Murbah, to the end,up the little track to wooyung rd. Follow that to the beach. Then explore the track behind the beach.Same way back home. Have you been to the trail behind wooyung beach? I have a Surly midnight Special with 48mm Slicks. Hoping they will be OK for behind wooyung beach.

[elantra]

Next ride ,possibly tomorrow , is rail trail from Murbah, to the end,up the little track to wooyung rd. Follow that to the beach. Then explore the track behind the beach.Same way back home. Have you been to the trail behind wooyung beach? I have a Surly midnight Special with 48mm Slicks. Hoping they will be OK for behind wooyung beach.

Brendan, I am only vaguely familiar with the area south of Wooyung.
Yes, I have been along the coastal track (sometimes referred to as the “Old Coastal Rd”) but I didn’t really enjoy the experience- more like mountain biking than gravel. Your Surly would handle it easily but it’s just a single track these days- hard to believe that until about 30 yrs ago it was a road !
Nicer on a gravel bike is Jones Rd, it connects Wooyung to Yelgun. Easy enough on a bike but cars cannot get through.
It is quite nice if you are heading south from Wooyung towards Billinudgel, but not so nice going in the other direction, because there is a painful little climb up the Tweed Valley Way and then a very scary crossing of the TVW to get onto the southern end of Jones Rd.

Locals tell me that the “Optus track” is a useful connection from the mid portion of Jones Rd to Golden Beach township, but I’ve not done it !

The frustrating thing about this maze of tracks is that it’s only about 5 km along the old railway line from the end of the Railtrail to Billinudgel (and the famous Billinudgel Pastry Shop )
So if Byron Shire Council got their act together at the same time as Tweed Shire Council did then it would now be easy as -straight to the Pastry shop! (And then not far to Brunswick Heads, Mullumbimby, and the rest of Eastern Australia)
But no, that would have been too obvious, too much of a logical thing to allow to happen!

The 5 km of abandoned rail corridor can’t really be walked because it is very overgrown, there are broken bridges and at least one old tunnel.

Cheers and let us know if you need a physical map.

[Brendan H]

Thanks Bloke. I have inspected Google Earth and seen the Optus Track . Wondered whether its ok to use. Got a Ride in Last Sunday , but was Murbah to Mooball and Back at Dark. via Rail Trail.

[elantra]

https://chng.it/Qz64hsKWVp

Above is a link to a petition advocating for an important Railtrail be built on a section of abandoned railway in Byron Shire
(Yes, that’s the Local Government area around Byron Bay)
It’s important because- well all decent Railtrail projects are important- but it is especially important because if constructed it will be an extension to the 24 km of recently opened Railtrail in the adjacent Tweed Shire.
The Tweed Shire Railtrail has become very popular and received great praise as an outstanding example of engineering, community engagement and heritage preservation
(Especially the old railway bridges, which when constructed 129 years ago were state-of-the-art Engineering accomplishments- definitely for Australia in that era !)

Furthermore, the Railtrail extension proposal would directly lead to the nearby towns of Bilinudgel and Mullumbimby, opening up a myriad of active tourism and active transport opportunities for residents along the North Coast between the Queensland border and Byron Shire.
Furthermore there is heritage preservation merit in the restoration of the abandoned Railway corridor as a Railtrail.
At the moment the corridor is an impenetrable undergrowth with a few bridges in a state of advanced decay.
Please consider taking note of this small but important ecologically friendly proposal and consider signing the petition.
The Byron Shire Council meeting (to discuss whether or not to commit to this project) will occur this week

[elantra]

Update on the outcome of yesterday’s showdown in the Byron Bay Council Chambers.

The Byron Shire Railtrail has been given the green light !

Well, to be more specific, Byron Shire Council voted (by a margin of 6 votes to 3) to build an (on-formation) Railtrail to link the end of the current Tweed Shire Railtrail (which ends at the Byron Shire boundary) with the communities of Bilinudgel and Mullumbimby.

This is fantastic news !
When this section is completed, the Railtrail will extend from Murwillumbah in the north to Mullumbimby in the south, a distance of 38 km.
Assuming that the the new section will be built to similar standard as the existing Tweed Shire Railtrail, it will be magnificent.

At the other end of the disused Rail Corridor, Richmond Valley Council have nearly completed a 13 km section of Railtrail between Casino and the Lismore Shire boundary.

Hopefully Lismore Council and Byron Council will eventually agree to fill in the remaining gaps and one day there will be the full Northern Rivers Railtrail of approximately 130 km.
Cheers

[foo on patrol]

Yeah that is great news and not only will the riders benefit from it, so will a lot of small businesses as well.

Foo

[elantra]

Yeah that is great news and not only will the riders benefit from it, so will a lot of small businesses as well.

Foo

Yes there has been a visible boom in visitor numbers to the little towns of Stokers Siding, Burringbar and Mooball.

Some food and accommodation businesses are in an upward trajectory !

Even the classic Roadhouse at Mooball is all of a sudden looking a lot busier and has now just had a major facelift.
It’s still instantly recognisable by its Moo-cow theme and the giant replica Yamaha (motorcycle)

Many will remember this roadhouse was an institution for interstate drivers approaching the Qld border until the NSW Gov opened the new Motorway (which bypassed these towns) about 20 years ago.
Before the road transport boom in the 1970’s these towns were strong dairy farming and banana farming communities. Typical of many towns in northern NSW and southern Qld.
Nowadays there are very few dairy farms left.
But another chapter in the history of these towns has now opened. For the most part, a good one.

Here is a link to the Byron Shire statement on their plans to join the existing Railtrail
https://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Council/Me ... rail-trail

[blizzard]

Yeah that is great news and not only will the riders benefit from it, so will a lot of small businesses as well.

Foo

Yes there has been a visible boom in visitor numbers to the little towns of Stokers Siding, Burringbar and Mooball.

Some food and accommodation businesses are in an upward trajectory !

Even the classic Roadhouse at Mooball is all of a sudden looking a lot busier and has now just had a major facelift.
It’s still instantly recognisable by its Moo-cow theme and the giant replica Yamaha (motorcycle)

Many will remember this roadhouse was an institution for interstate drivers approaching the Qld border until the NSW Gov opened the new Motorway (which bypassed these towns) about 20 years ago.
Before the road transport boom in the 1970’s these towns were strong dairy farming and banana farming communities. Typical of many towns in northern NSW and southern Qld.
Nowadays there are very few dairy farms left.
But another chapter in the history of these towns has now opened. For the most part, a good one.

Here is a link to the Byron Shire statement on their plans to join the existing Railtrail
https://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Council/Me ... rail-trail

I saw a post on FB in a Northern Rivers Rail Trail group early this week showing a heap of bikes at Mooball pub, the number of anti-cyclist and anti-rail trail comments was a bit alarming. Things like there is only 20 bikes so the they only spent $400 in the pub it's worthless; concerns rates will rise to pay for rail trail maintenance; extra road maintenance due to people driving from outside the LGA for the rail trail. It was infuriating.

[elantra]

I saw a post on FB in a Northern Rivers Rail Trail group early this week showing a heap of bikes at Mooball pub, the number of anti-cyclist and anti-rail trail comments was a bit alarming. Things like there is only 20 bikes so the they only spent $400 in the pub it's worthless; concerns rates will rise to pay for rail trail maintenance; extra road maintenance due to people driving from outside the LGA for the rail trail. It was infuriating.

Yes I saw that one as well through someone sharing it to one of the local fb groups.

Those negative comments I believe were on a Lismore district fb group, which is not even where the Railtrail is currently located !

These days of course most local areas have their “own” fb group.
The Railtrail is currently only located within the Tweed Council area and ends unceremoniously at the Byron Council boundary point.

The latest saga in the Railtrail debate is that Byron Council has a few days ago pressed the Start button to transform the abandoned rail line from this point (their Shire boundary with Tweed) about 14 km further down the corridor to the iconic hamlet of Mullumbimby (better known in this part of the world as”Mullum”)

Needless to say that decision provoked a bit of argument in the social media of neighbouring Lismore, whose Council is I believe keen to also get their part of the abandoned railway corridor turned into a Railtrail.

There was a lot of acrimony on social media a few years ago when Tweed Council voted (at a rather spectacular Council meeting) to build the Railtrail in their area.
Some of the opponents are no doubt rehashing their old arguments in other fb groups (such as Lismore) because the Murwillumbah fb group is generally now pro-Trail !!!
(The Railtrail starts in Murwillumbah and people cannot help to notice how popular it is and how it has been embraced by most of the community)

Which of course is not to say that there haven’t been various issues around the popularity of the Railtrail in Murwillumbah, as you would expect.
But most people in the Murwillumbah community would concede that it has been and will continue to be a nett asset to their Local area.
And the importance of the Railtrail as a community recreation facility will of course be very significantly enhanced when it continues into Byron Shire, and probably eventually through Lismore Council area and links up with the nearly completed section of Railtrail in Richmond Valley Shire (provincial city of Casino)

The success of the Tweed section of the Railtrail has given the other Councils a bit of a push along to get on board, and you may well end up with one of the most outstanding Trails in Australia - perhaps our own version of the Camino trail in Europe !