There is still a chance to save our wonderful railway line between Casino and Murwillumbah, especially in the Byron Shire, from being demolished, if the candidates that support the return of rail services are voted into council.
Members of the rail groups, Trains On Our Tracks (TOOT) and Northern Rivers Railway Action Group (NRRAG) as well as the not-for-profit charity Northern Rivers Rail Ltd, ask that if you support regular rail services with a bike/walking trail beside the tracks, please make sure you vote for the candidates who have expressed their support for having both.
We are at the crucial crossroads where if people don’t stand up for what they believe in and vote accordingly we will lose any hope for a future rail service in the Northern Rivers!
As we had a very profitable railway service up until 1990 it shows we could have an even more popular and financially viable passenger and tourist service now as we have so many more people living in and visiting our region.
We are concerned that an elite group has been ‘peddling’ untruths about the potential for rail, saying it would cost $953 million ($7.25 million per km of track – when it is already there!) and that it would not be widely used. Through our research over many years we’re convinced a vast majority of locals and visitors would happily ride the rails on a community owned unique solar powered light rail service, accommodating everyone, including the youth, the elderly, disabled, commuters, school kids, shoppers, those who’d like a night out without the worry of drink driving, and the 2.4 million visitors annually to Byron Bay.
Please see our advertisement to see the councillor and mayoral candidates to vote for.
Let’s have both rail and trail – as they do around the world so successfully!
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
