For those who are keen to access the Tweed section of the rail trail the reality is in sight. Tweed Shire Council (TSC) has announced that the 24km of rail trail they are working on will be open to the public in early 2023 subject to weather.
The trail is seeing the restoration of a range of heritage-listed bridges including both the the historic Dunbible Creek Rail Bridge and the Burringbar Under Bridge No.1 near Mooball, a bolted plate girder bridge, first opened in 1894. They are two of the largest and most historically significant landmarks on the Rail Trail.
‘These are unique heritage bridges that really add to the look and feel of the area with the 100m timbre bridge at Mooball being restored,’ said Project Director Iain Lonsdale.
Tweed Mayor Chris Cherry (Independent) 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 exemplified by the most grand and newly-restored heritage-listed bridges at Dunbible and Mooball.’
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 five 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.
‘There are 28 bridges on the Rail Trail with 14 significant ones,’ said Mr Lonsdale.
‘We had a specialist contractor in to bag the bridge and vacuum out the dust and lead paint, so that there was no contamination of the creek and waterways, 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.
Construction will now continue to finalise the approaches to both bridges with finishing works to include new balustrades and decking.
‘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.’
Rail trail opposition
Mayor Cherry said that while her personal position to the rail trail was on public record that ‘when it became clear that was the action being taken I had to move on. Yes we had a loss but we are going to retain the heritage trail line land and it can be returned to public transport in the future if we need it. So let’s enjoy what is here.’
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.’
Innovative opportunities
‘The Dunbible Creek Rail Bridge cost around half a million dollars with the total costs of this section being approximately $14.3m,’ said Mr Lonsdale.
‘There si no future funding guaranteed so we are looking at ways to raise money to support the maintenance of the rail trail. For example we have the rail trail branding, we can lease parts of the rail trail, which is 40m wide at points, to operators who want to develop businesses that will complement the rail trail.
‘It is about making opportunities that complement the rail trail, not about exploiting the rail trail for commercial businesses. The environment is the most important asset and it is about balancing the interests of the environment and private businesses,’ he explained.
‘This is a public asset for the public. Paid parking is absolutely not part of our thinking.
‘It is about achieving financial sustainability as we can’t keep relying on the rate payers to fund the trail. What I love about the project is that it is opening the floodgates for a range of innovative ideas that will come forward. But we are taking it with baby steps and community representation is fundamental to any rail trail.’
♦ Update: the article originally said the rail trial would open on 23 January 2022. No set date has been confirmed for the opening at this stage. Major works are due to be completed on January 23.
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