Dear Rail Supporter,

There is no time to be complacent now.  Both Armidale and Glen Innes Councils have passed motions recently authorising council staff to progress the initial works required for the realisation of rail trail -though in two sections- between Armidale and Glen Innes. In the middle, still there will be no bike rail for a while as the councils require more fundings.

Those in Guyra and Ben Lomond will not benefit from the planned bike trails between Armidale station to Dumaresq and Glen Innes to Glencoe.

For the initial work, Armidale Council plans to spend $1.6M from the Bushfire grant while Glen Innes council plans to spend $170,000 from the General fund for similar work.  It is not an accounting error.

If the governments approve the repurposing of the grants already received and future application for the lease of rail corridor by either council, our aspirations for future rail services between Armidale and Queensland border will only be a dream that we cannot realise for the near future.

Removal of rail line to build the bike trail will affect other initiatives such as by the New England Railway Inc. to restore the two train sets parked in Armidale and run heritage trains north of Armidale.

At a time when air travel is becoming expensive and those resident in our region need better ground transport, especially public transport, and the councils are eager to attract more population, industry and business along with professionals like GPs, we cannot move forward by removing our only rail line that connects us to Queensland on one hand and with a cycle track that is appealing to professional cyclists on the other.

Following the recent motions passed, both Councils are now required to investigate the option of building the bike trail on the side of rail line without removing it.  How much emphasis the councils will place on this amended requirement is yet to be seen?

We have to encourage our supporters who have not signed this petition yet to do so.  Also ask them to circulate the link to those they know. We need to reach a target of at least 6000 in the next couple of weeks to show to the NSW government and both councils the residents in New England and NSW want to protect the rail line north of Armidale for trains.

Please do your bit to achieve this goal immediately.

Siri