In 2024, Armidale Regional Council (ARC) lost the $5.4 million grant previously allocated to the New England Rail Trail (NERT) because it failed to meet the milestones required by the funding agency. Council blamed administrative barriers within the NSW Government, but the outcome was clear: the project could not deliver. Two further grant applications submitted last year were also unsuccessful.
Despite this poor record—and strong community opposition to using ratepayers’ money on the project—ARC has allocated nearly $500,000 in next year’s budget for preliminary works. This contradicts an earlier Council motion stating that there should be no net cost to ratepayers from the rail trail. Once again, Council seems determined to repeat a failed strategy, hoping for a different result.
At its meeting on 22 October 2025, ARC resolved to restart preliminary work and seek approvals for the rail trail between Armidale and Ben Lomond (67 kilometres). In addition to $500,000 in ratepayers’ funds, Council intends to draw on another $600,000 from an undisclosed external source—spending more than $1 million in total. By comparison, Glen Innes Severn Council is spending only $170,000 on its section. One must ask why ARC’s consultancy costs are so much higher.
Converting an important regional rail corridor that links New England with Queensland into a cycling trail is a short-sighted decision. Restoring the railway from Armidale to the Queensland border would generate far greater benefits—improving mobility, freight capacity, tourism, arts and culture exchange, and environmental sustainability. Rail reactivation supports genuine regional development, while a rail trail removes that opportunity forever.
Local councils are not the ideal level of government to shape region-wide or national transport strategies. They are often driven by narrow local politics and short-term thinking. This case illustrates that point well. In an era when even smaller nations such as East Timor are investing in modern rail systems, how can we justify dismantling an existing corridor?
The NSW Government’s approach to regional transport renewal remains deeply unsatisfactory. While Victoria continues to invest billions in upgrading and reopening regional lines, NSW relies on endless planning exercises—like the so-called Strategic Integrated Regional Transport Plans (SIRTPs)—which appear to delay action rather than deliver it. Meanwhile, billions continue to be spent on Sydney infrastructure while regional communities are left behind.
Both major parties have failed to deliver regional transport justice. Perhaps it is time for the minor parties in Parliament to challenge this imbalance.
At the federal level, the government speaks of decarbonisation and shifting freight from road to rail but has done little to reactivate the Northern Railway Line from Armidale to the Queensland border. Each time I write to the Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Catherine King, I am referred to the State Minister. Each time I write to the State Minister, I am told to wait for the SIRTP process or produce yet another business case. This, after more than 10,000 people signed a petition to the NSW Parliament in 2024 calling for the line’s reactivation. Many residents across New England have received the same dismissive responses.
We are, quite frankly, stuck between a rock and a hard place: dependent on governments to meet our transport needs, yet repeatedly let down by their inaction.
I call on the NSW Government to:
- Conduct a feasibility study for restoring the Northern Railway Line;
- Fund a comprehensive business case for reactivation; and
- Include the Armidale–Queensland rail link in the upcoming Strategic Integrated Regional Transport Plan for New England–North West—instead of prioritising a rail trail from Armidale to Glen Innes.
Our local MPs, ministers, and mayors must also engage in good faith with communities to develop a balanced transport framework—one that allows for recreation but does not destroy our capacity for future rail. Councils should unite communities, not divide them.
If any readers have ideas or suggestions on the way forward, I would welcome hearing from you.
Got something on your mind? Go on then, engage. Submit your opinion piece, letter to the editor, or Quick Word now.
It’s completely insane and quite obviously some kind of scam…the $ necessary to maintain it for a select portion of the population to ride it while keeping loads of cars on the roads to Queensland…?!?!
Michelle Grace the same cars that are on it now, do you mean?
Lee-Anne McKinnon exactly this. I’m not sure what cars they think will come off the road, but there is little to no demand for regular passenger rail services along this corridor when a car is going to be significantly quicker and more able to get you to where you need to be (which is not at the station…) . Freight is also very limited in applications, given that the regions economic uses are mostly around more perishable produce and livestock… so yeah, really no solid arguments in either direction.
Scotty Harrison I agree!!
If the train was up and running people would definitely use it, and it would keep excess cars and freight trains off the roads. With a growing population and a worsening climate, it’s crazy not to improve public transport wherever possible.
Michelle absolutely rubbish. People barely use it now. Armidale is lucky to have the daily train they do. The average number of people thst use it would fit on a decent sized coach – as for the busses that connect and run further north. You might as well run a Hiace or a Coaster than a full sized coach.
Michelle Grace are you talking about the idea of spending an insane amount of money for the very small section Of community that would use a train service?
The train service would be twice a day if your lucky, and at inconvenient times. You can’t commute to work on an inland train line. Yet you could commute to work on a rail trail, at the time that suits you.
Seriously how frequently would you, your family your neighbours catch this train. I would be amazed if it was more than once a year (taking visitors on a trip)
Whereas towns with rail trails have a lot of locals who ride it 2 or 3 times a week. Then you add on the once or twice a year tourists.
Grant Hodgins and how many people would commute to work on a rail trail who would live more than a few klm out of town. Hope work has showers 😂😂😂
Michelle Grace If the scam is obvious, you should have no trouble describing it here.
The way things are run in this country, there’s probably some contractor (for “cleaning up the trail”) with ties to the council. They’ll all cash in on the government grants before leaving it to ruin.
…to hazard a guess. I didn’t say the scam was obvious- only that there obviously is one.
For all of the merits outlined, there is a significant lack of detail of costings laid out in this piece. Any reopening of the line to the north will cost in the order of 100’s of millions of tax payers dollars. A rail trail is in the millions, two orders of magnitude less. Unless rail can deliver two orders of magnitude in economic benefic, there is no case to be made here.
Scotty Harrison you are absolutely right the costings for the rail trail are ridiculous and will cost more to put it in. Than it is to reopen the rail line.
Phill Phill clearly you have a long an prosperous career ahead in bridge building and engineering…
Whats so funnyMedia: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2592141044519038&set=p.2592141044519038&type=3
Scotty Harrison See what’s happening in Qld – 610 km from Thallon to Toowoomba being resleepered with 100,000 sleepers. 1000 a day going in for both grain and railtourism. A great pity NSW contracted out track maintenance, QR did not and get the job done very efficiently. 440 grain trains plus tourism in a year. Tap up WATCO for the grain side.
Cycleways only benefit the young and fit; passenger trains benefit everybody who wants an alternative to cars to get places.
There shouldn’t need to be an economic benefit.it seems that governments have forgotten that they are meant to make our lives better. That we vote them in to provide services that support us. That Australia used to be a social democracy and we thrived.
Now we are a capitalist democracy and we aren’t.
Oh and if the economic benefit is a requirement please explain the $50+ millions spent on the Karmay Ferry Wharf in Kurnell. It goes no where as there is none just two glorified fishing platforms that weren’t asked for, serve no purpose and create no economic benefit past the build.
https://cityhub.com.au/sydney-to-unveil-78-million-ferry-wharves-ferries-not-included/
Media: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2592056061194203&set=p.2592056061194203&type=3
A romantic notion of Choo Choo trains puffing along with the clackity-clack of steel wheels. An anachronism of the highest order and wasteful to appease the minority. Look at southern NSW and Newcastle and see how rail trails have improved life.
Chris Celovic the “oh so popular full of wallets on wheels” Tumbarumba RT yesterday! Cricket’s! A complete waste of money.Media: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10164028776015798&set=p.10164028776015798&type=3
Chris CelovicChris Celovic No one is talking of choo choo trains. Railtourism is booming. Check out Southern Downs, Mary Valley Rattler, Kuranda-Cairns, and the Savannahlander.
The Armidale Council doesn’t own the line, so not their decision.
Ask Goondiwindi if 300 overnight stays is worth it, ask Stanthorpe if 150 coffees on the platform is worth it.
If the Lycra set want a cycle track, build it next to the rail line.
Chris Celovic Bike trails are great, just not at the expense of viable existing rail infrastructure.
Peter Ellston the Main North past Armidale isn’t viable.
Peter key word being “viable”…
Bike trails are no use to the elderly or the very young, or parents with small children. Passenger rail services will provide the most benefit to the most people. Cyclists have plenty of existing roads to pedal on.
Hear. Hear. Reopen the line and connect the region, as well as those nearby, with QLD. It just makes sense.
No it doesn’t at the cost of many hundreds of millions of dollars. Even if it is done, people will be kicked off the train at the border. Complete nonsense to think it is viable or worthwhile.
For the naysayers, check out what is happening on the SouthWest line in QLD. QR is resleepering 610 km of track for a combination of commercial and rail tourism. 100 000 sleepers going in at the rate of 1000 per day.
You guys can do the same if you wanted to from Armidale to Wallangarra. Couple of hundred km. At the QR rate you’d have it done in 30 days. Replace a few bridges, none with any extreme engineering issues and address a few highway crossings. Put a private company in to run the commercial and tourism trains. Lease the track to the private company.
Works in SE QLD really well, around Brisbane in the Commissioner’s train with fine dining. The Mary Valley Rattler. The Inlander. Cairns Kuranda twice a day. The Savannahlander.
You are missing a great opportunity.
Start benchmarking and stop procrastinating.
Let the cyclists ride on a track next to the rail line if demand is so great.
Finally, it’s not the Armidale Council’s line.
Bunjurgen Estate Vineyard have you seen that collapsed bridge north of Tenterfield? Major rebuild would be necessary there. Have you seen what business the BVRT and the NNRT generate?
Russel Scholl Not to mention that the line north of Glen Innes is in areas that are difficult for construction equipment needed to upgrade the line to modern standards.
The Wallangarra section in Queensland is permanently closed. What are you suggesting any NSW connection would achieve? https://www.hoby.co.nz/maps/RR%20reading/pdf6/Stanthorpe%20to%20Wallangarra%20line%20closure%20from%20Railway-Digest-May-2024-LowRes-3.pdf
So, is Qld Rail rebuilding the track to Wallangarra?
James King nope
Sometimes I ask myself …” why are ‘they” so opposed to bringing real rail back ” ???”
The rail lobby are not interested in public transport. If they were, they would support other public transport options (most obviously, buses) which would be much cheaper and more flexible than restoring a passenger rail service. They complain endlessly about the cost of a rail trail, yet don’t care how many hundreds of millions it would cost to rebuild the rail line, nor the ongoing operational costs. If they’d put their rail fantasy aside and got out of the way, we’d have a rail trail already – and a lot of the historic rail infrastructure along the line could have been maintained and preserved instead of falling apart.
Anyone who thinks the train is coming back is delusional. We can use the line as a rail trail and attract tourism to our region or do nothing. Those are our only options.
If reinstating the rail is not yet viable, it should be left alone until it is. This trail business is a waste of money benefitting very few.