As a regular commuter on the Byron solar train, I’ve seen a steady increase in patronage.
Tourists love the short, but beautiful train ride into town from Sunrise.
However, in a region where most of us are totally car dependent, when will the solar train extension to Mullumbimby happen?
A Byron to Mullumbimby service would be a brilliant addition to our region and a major tourist attraction in its own right.
Over two million visitors travel to Byron Bay each year. Even if a small portion of those visitors travel on the train to Mullum, especially on wet days when there’s little for them to do, think of the opportunities for small businesses in Mullumbimby.
Locals would benefit too from a direct line between Byron Bay to Mullumbimby by avoiding the traffic on Ewingsdale Rd and not having to park in town.
Lots of politicians talk of helping the environment, how about some action on getting more cars off our roads! A Byron to Mullum train on the old rail corridor ( yes, the infrastructure is already there) benefits the environment, helps small businesses and enhances our region.
I call on Council and our state and federal members to double their efforts to make this dream a reality.
Many have been promising this train for years, but your actions speak louder than words. The interest is there.
It just needs someone in power with vision to make it happen.
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. 
