Northern Rivers Rail Trail - Tweed section

Community consultation for this project has concluded

The brand-new Northern Rivers Rail Trail website is now live. Visit today and start planning your first adventure with us. Jump online and plan ahead your first visit to the Rail Trail. Find safety tips, all you need to know and what to prepare, plan and pack for your trip.

Mark these dates in your diary! The rail trail opens to the public from 1 March. The weekend of Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 March is set to be a memorable one for the whole community to celebrate the Tweed's newest attraction!
Stay tuned for updates on what you can expect and how the Rail Trail will come alive for our community celebration.

The best way to stay up to date with events and activities is via Trail Tales, the Northern Rivers Rail Trail's dedicated newsletter. Sign up here.

Winding through some of the most spectacular countryside in Australia, the Northern Rivers Rail Trail will transform the former scenic rail corridor into the region’s newest must-do experience for visitors and locals.

The trail is a new shared user path connecting the Tweed Valley with Byron Shire, Lismore and Casino, with the first 24km leg from Murwillumbah to Crabbes Creek due to open in 2023. To be delivered in four stages, the 132km trail is expected to draw thousands of visitors each year to explore and discover the natural beauty and history of the Northern Rivers.

Lismore has secured funding for the 16.3km South Lismore to Bentley section and work is underway to secure funds for the 15.5km between Eltham and South Lismore. In Richmond Valley, the 13.4km between Casino and Bentley is fully funded and due to open in 2023.

Find out more about the Northern Rivers Rail Trail

Tweed section

The 24km Tweed section of the rail trail will start in Murwillumbah and end in Crabbes Creek and will feature the heritage-listed Murwillumbah Railway Station, 18 historic railway bridges, 2 tunnels and stunning scenic landscapes of the World Heritage listed Caldera.

The trail winds through Stokers Siding, Burringbar and Mooball and will provide a safe, off-road active transport route for residents and visitors by connecting the larger hub of Murwillumbah to Tweed villages.

The section of the trail between Murwillumbah Railway Station and the Tweed Regional Art Gallery will be asphalt, while gravel will form the trail surface as it passes through the countryside.

Design and construction

Council awarded the design and construction contract to family-owned construction company, Hazell Bros. Pty Ltd, in June 2021. This contract represents the funded construction works that will be completed prior to the opening of the trail in early 2023.

View the Construction Plan – Tweed Section

This design and construction was jointly funded by:

• Australian Government in the amount of $6.5 million
• NSW Government totaling $7.8 million
  An additional $600,000 was provided as a pre-election commitment of the current NSW Government to assist with early operational costs and promotion of the rail trail over the first 3 years.

Council is also considering potential additional works that might be required following the opening of the rail trail, subject to funding.

View the Draft Optional Construction Works Plan from page 48.

Get involved

Help us create a Rail Trail we can all be proud of.

• Register your interest in building a business around the rail trail
  
  
• Share your ideas of how the Tweed can we make the most of this opportunity