This Saturday, 23 March will see the exciting opening of the Casino to Bentley section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail opening.
There will be a full day of activities and entertainment starting from 9am at the Old Casino Station precinct. The official opening for the Richmond Valley section of the rail trail is at 10am with everyone welcome to join in.
From bike mechanics ready to check out your bike to Serenity Shaved Ice and Ma & Pa’s ice cream available at various locations along the trail as well as a a delicious BBQ hosted by the Lions Club at the Old Casino Station site there is plenty going on.
There will be mesmerising performances by the Byron Taiko drummers throughout the day and you will be able to learn about microbats with expert Elizabeth Williams near the Naughtons Gap tunnel.
So get your bikes, wheel chairs, legs and prams and make sure you get out to be one of the first to enjoy the Casino to Bentley Rail Trail this weekend.
Be great for our great grandchildren to enjoy Bangalow Byron Mullumbimby in 2124.. Can’t wait for the green council to mobilise..In 70 years or so.
They’ve given it the nod Bob!
It’s a lamentable shame that the sheer retarding influence of the Richardson/Basil years, is now so clearly on display within the regional arena.
The Lismore to Bentley section of the Rail Trail will not be far away from completion either, for people to explore and enjoy.
But poor Byron will have to wait, as it is only now at the funding application stage.
Oh dear…
Yes, its sad that the lobby pushing for a return of trains to the north coast line have confused and temporarily derailed the BYRON section of the fabulous Northern Rivers Rail Trail…but it seems that now, finally, the council is on board …it will happen!!!…but there needs to be a prompt decision as to whether the Byron Mullum section will be used to service the electric train, or NOT…
I don’t think it was ever envisaged that the service would be electric. The operators of the Elements to Byron CBD shuttle have ruled out interest in extensions I believe. We’re all waiting breathlessly for the results of the “Degredation Study” promised. One with the relevant details that is!
We are also waiting on the business case that Northern Rivers Rail LTD company secretary and spokesperson, Lydia Kindred, told the Byron Council months ago would be ready “in about three weeks”.
She project to the council that the report would show how sixteen hourly services each way per day between Mullumbimby and Byron Bay would carry an average of fifty passengers per service. This is the equivalent of about twenty percent of the population of Mullumbimby taking return journeys every day of the year. It is almost as many passengers as is carried by the Brisbane to Gold Coast railway.
Lydia also explained that the fares would be less than ten dollars each way, even less for weekly or season tickets, and make a profit of up to $3 million per year. The profit alone would amount to more than five dollars per fare.
The degradation study put the cost of resurrecting the Mullumbimby to Bayshore Drive section of the railway at $20 million. Northern Rivers Rail LTD reported their financials in December showing a net liability of $1,610. Draw your own conclusions.
https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/charities/d6f4a104-de8d-eb11-b1ac-000d3a6b220f/documents/005723bd-febf-ee11-9079-00224893bc23
“the lobby pushing for a return of trains to the north coast line” – delusional …