MEDIA RELEASE
Alarm Bells Over Armidale Council’s Rail Trail Decision
Calls grow to protect New England’s vital rail corridor from removal
Armidale, NSW – 28 October 2025 — After a period of silence and several failed grant attempts, the decision by Armidale Regional Council (ARC) to proceed with preliminary works for the proposed rail trail between Armidale and Ben Lomond has raised serious concerns among community members and regional rail advocates.
The section of line between Armidale and Ben Lomond is not a branch line, but a strategic north–south transport corridor connecting New England to Queensland. Advocates say it could play a transformative role in future regional growth, freight efficiency, and tourism, if restored for rail rather than removed for a bike trail.
“This rail line could be the key to New England’s long-term prosperity — linking us with Queensland and opening up major opportunities for freight, tourism, and renewable energy logistics,” said Dr. Siri Gamage, regional rail advocate. “Once the rails are removed, they will never come back, and the cost of reconstruction could be five times higher than restoration.”
The NSW Government is currently developing a New England Regional Transport Plan, which aims to improve integration across all transport modes. However, two local councils — Armidale Regional Council and Glen Innes Severn Council — are pursuing plans to dismantle the existing rail infrastructure in favour of a recreational cycle trail.
Critics argue this approach undermines the state’s own transport planning process and contradicts federal and state efforts to decarbonise freight transport and shift more goods from road to rail.
“If councils are genuinely committed to active transport, there is ample space to build cycling trails alongside the existing line,” said Dr. Gamage. “Destroying a vital rail corridor for a niche recreational project is short-sighted and divisive.”
Community groups are calling on the NSW Government to suspend all works related to the rail trail until the Regional Transport Plan is finalised, ensuring the future of the corridor is considered in a broader regional transport strategy.
Media contact:
Dr. Siri Gamage
Regional Rail Advocate, New England
Mobile: 0434289371
Email: siri.gamage1951@gmail.com
New England Times Latest Article
Rail Trail fight gets ugly again as Armidale votes to spend $500k on a ‘dead horse’
by Kath Jacobs
Link
I recorded a video on the subject for face book and you can view it by using this link:
https://www.facebook.com/stories/1756512634369978/UzpfSVNDOjI0NDc2MzMxNzU1NDAxMTM5/?view_single=1