After a period of silence and several failed grant attempts, the decision by Armidale Regional Council to proceed with preliminary works for the proposed rail trail between Armidale and Ben Lomond should ring alarm bells for anyone concerned about the future of this vital rail corridor.
This is not a branch line—it is an arterial connection linking New England to Queensland. The line holds enormous potential for future regional growth and prosperity if councils and governments work together to plan for its reactivation for train services, rather than converting it into a bike trail.
Ultimately, the fate of this line will be determined by the NSW Government, which is currently seeking public input for the New England Regional Transport Plan. This plan aims to better integrate all modes of transport—rail, road, and air—to strengthen regional connectivity.
Yet, two councils in the region appear determined to take us backward by dismantling the rail line for a recreational cycle trail. Their claims that the corridor could be “returned to the government” for rail use in the future are misleading. The cost of reconstructing a removed rail line could be up to five times higher than simply restoring the existing infrastructure.
If proponents are truly committed to developing a cycling facility, they should build the trail alongside the existing rail line, not destroy a valuable transport corridor. There is ample space in the region to build trails for recreational cyclists—without sacrificing the infrastructure essential for New England’s economic future.
Got something on your mind? Go on then, engage. Submit your opinion piece, letter to the editor, or Quick Word now.
I’ve asked Siri time and time again to provide the figures he spouts about the cost of restoring the line for years now, and have yet to get an answer.
Shane McGee most credible recent estimates come from the degradation study conducted by Northern Regional Railway Company together with New England Railway Inc in 2024. A summary of the costs is available from NRRC website. To operate heritage trains the cost is approximately less than $500,000. To run trains with heavy load and high speed,cost is 1.2m per km.
Siri Gamage link?
Is this the one where they want $148,000 for a copy of the report?Media: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10162405943138867&set=p.10162405943138867&type=3
https://www.nrrc.com.au/post/stage-1-armidale-to-wallangarra-railway-reopening-costs-released
Shane McGee https://www.nrrc.com.au/post/stage-1-armidale-to-wallangarra-railway-reopening-costs-released
Shane McGee cost up to $1.7 millionMedia: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1911471546067357&set=p.1911471546067357&type=3
Media: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10238978176335715&set=p.10238978176335715&type=3
The battle for trains has taken a ne twist. Without a diesel subsidy, regions like ours without rail will be seriously economically impaired. I have made this call before. The Albanese government has to look at ways of reducing carbon emissions and fewer trucks on our roads may be psrt of the answer. The costs of rail renewal will be offset in part by reduced road repair bills – creating safer driving and cycling conditions.
Michael Hargreaves, speaking of emissions you might be interested in this. We compared land transport options for getting to net zero. Hands down, electric rail is the best. Link: https://theconversation.com/we-compared-land-transport-options-for-getting-to-net-zero-hands-down-electric-rail-is-the-best-234092
Michael Hargreaves remember the days of housing bubble was going to burst, well it didn’t, they can’t keep up supply and demand and the population shift they always wanted to develop rural Australia is now happening. The cities are overcrowded and over priced, can’t buy can’t afford the rent, the sea change has run its course, and now the tree change is on.
If we don’t concentrate on better planning for the future populations, it’s needs for supply chains and security, moving people around to get to work and supporting industry, it will become a major failure and everyone will suffer from the lack of forward planning for what’s ahead.
Media: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1911363956078116&set=p.1911363956078116&type=3
Gosh. Wish they’d give it a rest. The RT is an excellent initiative. Many more supporters than you realise.
Can’t hold up the rail line for thirty years with a bike path.
Glen to Armidale especially needs better connections and now.
So does places like Stanthorpe to Warwick to Toowoomba. Major farming, grain production, mining, renewable energy, as well as the growing populations if people don’t see the need for the railway, then they’re stuck in the past.
Time to grow up New England. Catch up with the rest of Australia and the world.
Tanya hate to tell you, but the rail line north of Armidale is dead and buried, it’s never coming back. It’s just about the worst possible alignment for a freight trains you could possibly have, and if you start running heavy freighters over the Woolbrook Bridge and Tamworth viaduct – both of which have 10kph limits – you’ll likely see the existing bridge damage accelerate to a point they’ll be closed *permanently*. But what would I know? I’ve only driven trains – including to Armidale – for 20 years…..
Robin Wills when you have a degree in railway engineering and construction then come back and comment. Plenty of freight trains run on snakey tracks and let’s not forget the railway was used for freight in the past.
It’s not impossible with today’s modern engineering and technology and construction ability.
Tanya you don’t need to be an engineer to understand basic train handling and route access standards… For example, the heaviest wagons north of Tamworth are limited to 19.5TAL, that’s less than 80T a wagon – buttt…..
Notwithstanding the above – freight trains are not currently permitted unrestricted access across either of those bridges I mentioned – each is managed on a case-by-case basis which should tell you something about the condition of those structures, and whether they’d be suitable for use in an on-going basis. (Hint, not in a snowballs chance…)
The other thing to consider is just how many people use the existing public transport connections they have now… There was exactly one – yes, 𝑶𝙉𝑬 – checked bag from the two road coaches that connected with the Armidale train this morning. I know this for a fact because I carried that bag to the train. We had 67 people on the Xplorer out of Armidale this morning. You could almost fit that many people on a single 𝙗𝙪𝙨!
Until people north of Armidale start using the coaches, there’s no incentive for anyone – Government or private industry – to put so much as a post-it note towards reconditioning the track.
It’s all well and good saying “But people will use the train” – except they don’t 𝙣𝙤𝙬….But people are always free to ignore reality….
Robin Wills driving trains dosnt qualify you as an engineer, sure you know trains as they say.
You’ve driven them. Yes it requires upgrades for freight. Just like it required upgrades but the government’s fix was just make trains go slower. Just like they fix roads, pop a sign up that says rough road ahead, there fixed it.
Modern times modern solutions.
It’s not impossible it can be done.
Far too many excuses being made for inaction.
Tanya well, when you win Powerball, you can put up your own money and prove all us naysayers wrong.
Me, I’m rather more pragmatic and assess circumstances based on the facts – and the 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙨 are that the New England simply doesn’t have the population or population density to warrant anything more. 67 people on one train, that wouldn’t even cover the fuel bill….😂
Robin Wills the train line runs from Toowoomba to Sydney. That’s alot of freight and alot of people.
But I guess just wine like a three year old awww it’s too hard. I can’t do it mummy.
Time to pull our socks up, don’t you think.
No one’s bothered to actually study and analyse our railway line.
They’ve just taken the government fed newspaper printed bullshit for the last fifty years and gone yep.
Robin Wills and you’ll sit there and wine on about money, a railway is still cheaper then building hiways and bypasses by the long mile.
Robin Wills Coffs by pass 2.2 billion and they think they can build a by pass around Tenterfield for 100milion haha they won’t buy the land back for that 😆
The further up the train goes the further up some of the unfavourables will end up.
Where there is no easily accessible public transport you will find very few of these types of people. Sounds harsh but coming from a small country town who didn’t want them and still don’t but had been over run and Guyra/Armidale has become the same the last 3 or so years.
Bring back the trains. Not everyone wants to ride a bike in the bush.
Typical misinformation from the Bill Phuckley fan club. It is a trail with more than third of the users are walkers, runners and hikers not cyclists. That does not suit however the propaganda from the cyclist haters. Do some research before lapping up the BS.