Northern Rivers Rail Trail - Tweed section

As anticipation for the region’s newest recreational asset builds, the community is being urged to wait until the Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail is safe for public use.

The warning comes after reports of people using the trail in recent weeks, despite it not yet being open for public use.

Construction crews are still hard at work along many sections of the 24 km trail and works are scheduled to continue into early 2023.

Project Director Iain Lonsdale explained that construction materials may cause risks to members of the public who access the trail prior to its opening early next year.

Construction materials and heavy machinery are still in use on many parts of the trail and signage has not yet been installed.

“It is great to see people so eager to use the trail. Many have waited a long time to see this project come to fruition and it is not long now until we will all have access to an incredible resource for locals and visitors to enjoy,” Mr Lonsdale said.

“But public safety is our first priority. Construction crews are still working across the length of the trail and there are a range of safety hazards that pose a risk to trail users trying to get a sneak peek ahead of the opening.

“We ask the community to please be patient. We know with the holiday season nearly upon us, people are keen to check out the trail. We want to make sure everyone has a safe and positive experience, so we urge everyone to hold off until the trail opens early next year.”

Work is expected to be completed on the trail early next year, weather permitting, with a host of community activities in the planning to mark its official opening.

To stay updated and be alerted to when the opening date is scheduled, visit northernriversrailtrail.com.au and follow Northern Rivers Rail Trail on social media.

The restoration of 2 heritage-listed rail bridges on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail is now complete with construction of the Tweed section of the trail on track to open early next year.

Mayor of Tweed Shire Chris Cherry and Member for Tweed Geoff Provest visited the historic Dunbible Creek Rail Bridge, which has been fully restored to its former grandeur under the guidance of some of Australia’s pre-eminent rail restoration experts.

Dunbible Creek Rail Bridge and Burringbar Under Bridge No.1 first opened in 1894 and are 2 of the largest and most historically significant landmarks on the Rail Trail.

Tweed Mayor Chris Cherry said restoration of the bridges will give the public access to a nature-filled 24 km trail that takes in some of the most beautiful parts of the Tweed Valley.

“You can sense the excitement building in the community as we start the countdown to the rail trail opening early next year and will be a great addition to our vibrant community,” Cr Cherry said.

“The rail trail will not only be an incredible way to experience nature in the Tweed, it will also preserve some of the important railway heritage which is which is exemplified by the most grand and newly-restored heritage-listed bridges at Dunbible and Mooball.”

Member for Tweed Geoff Provest said it was wonderful to see the remarkable historical landmarks restored to their former 1890s glory.

“I applaud the project team for their commitment to restoring our history and to delivering a high-quality recreational asset for the community and visitors to enjoy for decades to come,” Mr Provest said.

“The rail trail will be a priceless public asset not only for activities like cycling and walking but also because it will underpin new business opportunities and support local jobs in the Tweed.”

Prior to the restoration works, trees and vegetation had overgrown and obscured parts of Dunbible Creek Rail Bridge and it was unsafe for public use.

The complex restoration process took about 5 months and was completed under the guidance of some of Australia’s leading steel treatment experts, including the team behind the steel preservation treatment of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

It involved workers using reverse pressure enclosed scaffolding to protect themselves and the environment while removing the old lead paint and applying the state-of-the-art steel preservation treatment.

Dunbible Creek Rail Bridge is a classic example of the American-inspired steel through-truss bridges that became a hallmark of the North Coast Railway Line after it opened in 1894.

The restoration of the Upper Burringbar Underbridge No.1 near Mooball, a bolted plate girder bridge, also involved complex preservation works.

Construction will now continue to finalise the approaches to both bridges with finishing works to include new balustrades and decking.

Project Director Iain Lonsdale said the Tweed section of the rail trail was on track to open early in 2023.

“The Tweed section of the rail trail between Murwillumbah and Crabbes Creek is looking fantastic and the contractors are well on the way to completing the earthworks, bridge restorations and installation of the gravel surface,” Mr Lonsdale said.

“In the next and final phase of works, the focus will shift to works in and around the villages of Burringbar, Crabbes Creek and at South Murwillumbah.

“Anticipation is definitely building in the community with a lot of people making plans about how they will enjoy the trail and take advantage of the many opportunities it presents.”

Funding for the Tweed section was provided by the Australian Government, under its Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Package Fund, and the NSW Government under the Restart NSW fund.

Construction work on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail ramped up with work starting on the final gravel surface for the Tweed section of the trail.

After an extended run of dry weather, work to lay down the new compacted gravel surface started at several points along the trail including at Burringbar, Stokers Siding and South Murwillumbah.

It will progress at about 300 to 400 metres per day until it is completed later this year.

Project director Iain Lonsdale said he was pleased with progress on the construction of the trail despite the heavy rains and flood event earlier this year.

“Our contractors Hazell Bros are doing a great job and we are very pleased with the progress they have made since the floods,” Mr Lonsdale said.

“Workers have removed almost all of the railway track along the 24km Tweed section of the trail to make way for the new surface so that is a significant milestone.

“Now the focus is shifting to the trail surface itself which will be a compacted gravel surface along the majority of the trail with some asphalt and concrete at the railway stations.

“In January, we laid 2 test sections of the gravel surface and they performed very well during that period of heavy rain and are showing the level of durability we were looking for. We are feeling confident this next phase of works on the trail surface will be a success.”

Construction on the Tweed section of the rail trail scheduled for this month includes:

• restoration works continuing on steel and timber bridges
• construction of numerous bypasses and culverts around existing bridges
• excavation and earthworks
• laying of pipes and drainage
• installation of hardwood decking and other surfaces over bridges
• trail access works.

Mr Lonsdale said the railway track would be recycled and reused in other infrastructure projects including for stabilisation within new building foundations.

“Sustainability has been an important guiding principle for this project and our projections show the recycling of the steel alone will contribute to a fairly significant savings in greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.

“We will also reuse the rail sleepers within the rail trail landscape, including seating, benches as well as retaining the best for reuse in future public structures and art works along the trail.”

Federal Member for Richmond Justine Elliot said: “The rail trail will be a unique opportunity to showcase our beautiful region. It will also provide an important tourism boost for our local economy.”

Member for Tweed Geoff Provest said funding for the rail trail was something he had worked on with Janelle Saffin, the state MP representing Murwillumbah.

"It’s going to be such an important tourism boost for rural communities like Burringbar, Mooball and Crabbes Creek," Mr Provest said.

When completed, the full length of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail will preserve the 132km scenic rail corridor between Murwillumbah and Casino, creating a safe, car-free connection between the villages and towns along the route.

It will be constructed in 4 stages, each delivered separately by local councils, as funding allows.

The Tweed section will be the first to open by early next year and will connect the rural villages of Crabbes Creek, Mooball, Burringbar and Stokers Siding with Murwillumbah. Trains on the former North Coast line ceased running in 2004.

Funding for the Tweed section was provided by the Australian Government, under its Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Package Fund, and the NSW Government under the Restart NSW fund.

Family owned construction company, Hazel Bros, has now finalised the Trail Alignment Plan for the Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail. The plan displays a series of maps that identify the trail's alignment from Murwillumbah to Crabbes Creek.

This 'first look' at the trail alignment provides residents and rail trail enthusiasts with a greater insight into the trail route and identifies sealed and unsealed sections as well as locations for where the trail goes off the formation of the rail line.

View the Final Trail Alignment Plan.

The Northern Rivers Rail Trail will be a great resource for our community and will help make the Tweed an even greater place to live and visit, helping our local businesses to thrive.

A more detailed Trail Development Plan is expected shortly.

Family-owned construction company, Hazel Bros, have temporarily downed tools on the construction of the Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail to assist with the clean-up in flood-affected local communities. Construction activity will pause for about 4 weeks and is not expected to impact the completion of the rail trail in December this year.

Work has begun to restore Dunbible Creek Railway Bridge, one of 5 bridges to be restored as part of the construction of 24km Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail.

Much of the rail and bridge infrastructure along the trail is significantly damaged and decayed, making it unsafe and unsuitable for public use. These restoration works will see some bridges receive a much-needed facelift including removing the old lead paint and repainting.

American-inspired steel through truss bridges became a hallmark of the North Coast Railway Line which first opened in 1894.

Since construction of the trail began in late 2021, contractors have completed an archival record of 11 bridges across the length of the Tweed section of the trail to ensure. These records will be shared with Tweed Regional Museum to add to their collection.

Other preliminary works also underway include the completion of Geotechnical and Foundation Study, clearing works and the installation of a trial surface which has required rails to be removed.

“The rail infrastructure is in a state of disrepair, and while its condition is unsuitable for its intended purpose, it is important to us that we reuse, recycle and minimise waste,” Project Director, Iain Lonsdale explained.

“It is likely that the majority of rails removed during construction works will be repurposed as pylons within the foundations for new building construction overseas. We are retaining a small length of reclaimed rail to potentially incorporate into infrastructure such as seating, sign/fence posts, or tables along the rail trail and have earmarked metal sleepers, plates, clips and bolts to be recycled at the Newcastle Steel Mill.”

As contractors continue construction and restoration works along the trail, there may be traffic delays in the following locations in February 2022:

• Dunbible - Stokers Rd

• Stokers Siding - Stokers Rd and The Bloodwoods Rd & Tunnel Rd

• Mooball - Tweed Valley Way

• Crabbes Creek - Tweed Valley Way

Anticipation is building for local businesses, cycle enthusiasts and walking groups after crews started construction works at a number of locations along the Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail.

Thanks to input from industry experts and stakeholders including traditional owners, local residents, businesses, community and interest groups, the trail’s construction will see heritage bridges and railway station buildings restored, local places of cultural significance acknowledged and celebrated, and will deliver an accessible community resource for people of all abilities to enjoy.

Project Director Iain Lonsdale said construction works on the Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail were progressing well and on schedule to be finished by December next year.

Work to clear vegetation along the Tweed section of the trail began earlier this year while detailed design and preliminary site works have been underway since the $11.8m construction contract was awarded to family-owned construction company Hazel Bros in June.

“We are excited to be moving into the onsite construction phase of works now that the detailed site design works are nearly complete,” Mr Lonsdale said.

“Murwillumbah locals may have seen the main site office set up at the Murwillumbah Station in recent days and people may start to see crews preparing for the first construction works, set to begin at Dunbible on 15 December.”

The first official works will include restoration and resurfacing of the historic Colin Street Bridge in South Murwillumbah. A compacted gravel surface will also be installed along a 200 metre stretch of the disused rail line to trial the installation process and evaluate the surface’s suitability for local conditions. As part of this process, a section of the old railway track will be removed to enable construction of the new surface.

“It is really important to us that we respect our Aboriginal heritage and our built environment and I am proud this project will restore so much of this important local history and put it on show for people to enjoy and learn more,” Mr Lonsdale said.

Excitement building

Council’s Senior Economic Development Officer Kym Kranen is looking forward to the project getting underway.

“The Rail Trail will be a fantastic resource for our community and make the Tweed an even greater place to visit, helping our local businesses to thrive,” she said.

“It will be a destination for the whole community to enjoy - whether you want a safe place to ride with friends and family, go on a long distance ride with your cycle club, or just walk through the countryside to explore local villages, experience our beautiful scenic landscapes or learn about local history.”

When completed, the Northern Rivers Rail Trail will preserve the 132km scenic rail corridor between Murwillumbah and Casino, creating a safe, car-free connection between the villages and towns along the route.

The 24km Tweed section will link Murwillumbah Railway Station with the Tweed Regional Gallery and travel south through the villages of Stokers Siding, Burringbar, Mooball and Crabbes Creek.

“The Rail Trail will be a wonderful backdrop for a whole host of new eco-tourism ventures,” Ms Kranen said.

“We think it is really going to be something special and we’re excited about the ideas we’re already hearing from the local business community. They are really excited too – a workshop for local entrepreneurs and business operators hosted by Destination North Coast this week was booked out.”

Ms Kranen said some of the ideas at the workshop included coffee vans and kiosks, food trucks, paddock-to-plate experiences, horse-riding, arts and crafts stalls and brewery and distillery tours.

The Australian Government’s Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Package Fund and NSW Government’s Restart NSW program have provided the funding required to construct the trail.

Train services ceased operating on the Northern NSW Branch Line between Casino and Murwillumbah in May 2004 and the NSW Government formally closed the line in October 2020.

The Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail (NRRT) is on track to be completed by December 2022 and is anticipated to attract increased tourism to the Tweed, help stimulate the local economy and provide a valuable recreation asset for the region.

The project was given the green light in June when Tweed Shire Council awarded family-owned construction company, Hazell Bros (Qld) Pty Ltd with an $11.8 million contract to design and construct the Tweed section.

The Tweed section was the first stage to be fully funded thanks to grants from the Australian Government’s Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Package Fund and NSW Government’s Restart NSW program and will connect Crabbes Creek, Mooball, Burringbar, Stokers Siding and Murwillumbah.

“Momentum is building. We have been working with the contractor to fully ‘test’ the concept plans against all the technical requirements and site constraints to ensure that it is ‘constructible’ and feasible and we are almost there,” Project Director, Iain Lonsdale explained.

“A range of other project works are also underway – including liaising with private landowners and evaluating suitable locations for onsite offices, construction materials and site access.”

Work will soon start on the Master Plan which will include a Delivery Plan to describe the final trail alignment, finishes and features such as signage, seating and access paths; and also an Embellishments Plan that will outline potential future opportunities to enhance the trail as resources and funding permits.

“We’ll be working closely with technical experts, tourism bodies, local businesses, recreation groups, residents and other important stakeholders to help make sure we get it right. We’re already hearing the excitement build in the community and we believe that by working together we can make the best of the opportunity we have.”

Eventually, it is envisioned that the NRRT will stretch from Murwillumbah to Casino within the rail corridor of the former North Coast Rail Line. It will be constructed in 4 stages, with each delivered separately by the 4 local Councils as funding allows. The Casino to Lismore section is also now fully funded.

Councillors resolved to support the recommendation of Council’s Tender Evaluation Panel and award the contract to Hazell Bros (Qld) Pty Ltd following a rigorous tendering process.

The detailed design and construction planning phase will now take place, after which the community will be able to view the final rail trail design plans.