Frequently asked questions
The rail trail will be free to use, however we ask guests to support the rail trail and trail experiences, products and services that contribute to the ongoing management and maintenance of the rail trail.
We will be recommending that riders and walkers use the Trail between sunrise and sunset. As community open space, there will be no set open or closed hours. The rail trail will be open year round.
The rail trail is 35 kilometres long from Ulong to Glenreagh. How far you go, your fitness level and whether your walk, ride or explore will influence the time it will take to complete. There will be several places along the trail where your ride or walk could be terminated and thus shortened.
Management of the Rail Trail
Tallowood Ventures Ltd is a not for profit company and registered charity. They own the rail corridor and heritage rail assets. The Tallowood Ventures Board consists of community members with heritage rail experience, mountain bikers (Woolgoolga Mountain Bike Club), and an independent, corporate experienced Chairperson. Professional staff assist in day-to-day operations. All of us are passionate locals.
We are in discussions with Dorrigo Steam and Railway Museum to allow access for the rail trail into Ulong. It would be run beside the existing rails, without disturbing them. The people of Ulong are keen to see the rail trail enter their village too, so that they are able to enjoy the benefits.
The rail trail will be managed and maintained by Tallowood Ventures Limited. The cost of the maintenance will be supplied by the surplus generated by running the steam engine at Glenreagh.
Community and landowners
During the design phase, one on one discussions with neighbours will be required to ensure that access, signage, fencing and other issues are successfully addressed. Then during the construction phase, these issues will be catered for.
At all times, the community will be informed of progress through our Facebook page, our website, and when necessary through meetings.
Tallowood Ventures takes its responsibilities in this regard very seriously. We spend a lot of time and effort on minimising weeds by removing them from the rail corridor. We also understand our responsibilities to biosecurity and ensure these responsibilities are met.
We will consult with rail trail neighbours about fencing. Some landowners may only require trees as a boundary, or prefer fences and gates due to livestock and biosecurity concerns, while others have requested no fencing at all. Presently, landowners are advised by email when we are working or walking along the corridor adjacent to their property.
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Tallowood Ventures will have signage approved by neighbours on the fences, gates, and other access points along the rail trail. We do not condone or approve of trespassing in any form. It will be made clear to every user of the rail trail that trespassing is illegal, and if perpetrators are caught, they will be reported to the authorities.
Gates which are put in place to provide access across the trail for neighbours to use may be locked by the neighbours.
During the construction phase, the rails and sleepers will be removed.
Our first goal is to survey the corridor before any feasibilities studies or environmental impact studies can be done. The corridor is currently being cleared just enough to allow surveyors to walk along, by removing woody weeds and fallen trees – in the most sensitive manner possible, mostly by hand by volunteers. It’s a huge task! Let us know if you’d like to help.
Endangered species habitat and sensitive areas can be avoided by rerouting the trail or raising a platform, especially in wet areas. Rail trails don’t have to be straight like railways. Bridges and culverts will pass over creeks and wet areas. The design will be carefully managed to meet our environmental guideline
The Rail Trail is an opportunity to showcase local settler history, and the building of the line in 1914-1924 through information boards and refurbishing the rail infrastructure along the trail. This includes the stations at Lowanna, the siding at Timbertop and rail infrastructure at Moleton and Glenreagh. We are planning a small museum at Glenreagh.
Usage of the Rail Trail
Rail trail users are cyclists, walkers and runners. Rail trails are for both locals and tourists.
Glenreagh Mountain Railway and Dorrigo Steam and Rail Museum have tried to bring trains back for many years but have failed for many reasons. The cost to rebuild the railway is estimated at $300 – 500 million, as new bridges, culverts and sleerpers are needed along essentially the entire route. A rail trail will cost a fraction of this. The 24 km section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail from Murwillumbah to Crabbes Creek cost $14 million and brings many benefits to the area. It is possible to run a rail trail alongside the track in the flatter areas around Glenreagh and possibly Lowanna, this is not feasible for the remainder of the corridor where there are narrow cuttings, steep topography, bridges and tunnels.
We plan to bring the locomotive 1919 steam engine back to life to celebrate the rail history of the area. Two kilometres of the railway from Glenreagh to Tallawudjah Creek Rd is suitable for running the steam engine.
The people who typically use rail trails include families with children and older people. The traffic makes it too dangerous for these people to cycle on road unless there is an existing cycle way built into the road. Having a rail trail enables all these riders to ride in a safe way through the bush, enhancing their fitness and taking in the enjoyment of being outside.
The rail trail offers a shorter route between Ulong and Lowanna than the road. This part of the rail trail is planned to be surfaced with bitumen.
As the rail corridor is owned by Tallowood Ventures, cyclists will be encouraged to ride on the rail trail through the proposed Great Koala National Park, allowing visitors to have an up-close experience with the beautiful trees and wildlife.
We will have signage at both ends of the rail trail as well as at each road crossing informing riders that motorbikes are not allowed on the trail. If we receive reports that motorbike riders are using the trail, we will set up cameras to identify the offenders and inform the authorities.
Feasibility of the Rail Trail
Yes, this rail trail will be one of the best rail trails in Australia. It will run from the Dorrigo Plateau at Ulong around 600m above sea level down to the coastal plain at Glenreagh. It will pass through grazing country, forest, across bridges built more than 100 years ago, down the escarpment through rain forest and two tunnels over a distance of 35 kilometres. As such, it will be a very popular addition to the tourism industry in the Coffs Harbour and Grafton Council areas.
It is expected that the rail trail alone will bring between $5 million and $8 million into the local community each year.
This is based on an estimation of between 30,000 and 50,000 people cycling and walking on the rail trail each year. As a comparison, over 140,000 people used the Northern Rivers Rail Trail from Murwillumbah to Crabbes Creek in the first 12 months. A Queensland University study undertaken in 2021 on the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail found that people using the rail trail on a single day spend around $120 per person and for multiple day trips, it’s $180 per person per day.
It is expected that design and construction costs will be borne by the State and Federal Governments. Both are very supportive of these plans.
We are using the construction method used very successfully on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail as a model. This would involve the removal of the rails and sleepers, laying of a stable gravel bed, and topped by a finer gravel as the riding/walking surface. In some areas such as near Glenreagh and between Lowanna and Ulong, the surface may have a bitumen surface.
Got another question or feedback for us?
Send us a message if you have a question about the rail trail, and we will try to answer it for you. Or maybe you have some feedback on the rail trail proposal, let us know below.