Save Our Railway line from Armidale to Queensland from being ripped up by Armidale and Glen Innes Councils!  Urgent request for Support

Sign this petition to prevent part of the Main North Line from Armidale to the Queensland border being ripped up to build a bike trail for recreational purposes.

A current proposal to build a bike riding track from Armidale to Glen Innes on the existing railway line - called a rail trail - is close to being successful as the two councils passed motions recently to proceed with preliminary work and seek NSW government approval.  A bike riding track is all well and good, but they shouldn't rip out existing essential transport infrastructure to do it. 

 How can a bike track be superior to a train line?

Rail is, and has always been, critical infrastructure. As the federal government has decided to terminate Inland Rail line at Parkes in NSW, it is absolutely essential that we do not cut off New England from rail freight services to the North or South. This is not the time to remove our rail asset connecting New England with Queensland for a recreational bike and walking trail for the few. This is the time to adopt a long term vision for New England and seek a better transport investment from both levels of government as a united community with one voice. Divisive politics should be left to others.

Additionally, it is time those in power recognized the need for many people in New England to go north to Brisbane as much as they need to go south to Sydney.  They have family in Queensland, doctors, schools, jobs and services we need in Queensland, and we do business with our Queensland neighbours. The plane service out of Armidale has always been prohibitively expensive. It can cost $600 for a return ticket(Armidale to Sydney costs about $500) . The buses between Sydney and Brisbane that used to stop in Armidale have ceased operations during the pandemic, so there are no direct bus services between Armidale and Queensland. If the two councils remove the rail line as planned,  the area north of Armidale can be removed from the fast-growing SE Queensland where there is over 4 million people and services over the border. We need rail to be part of the public transport mix for New England and adjoining areas in NSW.

Growth in industry throughout the New England is also dependent on businesses being able to get goods to neighbouring towns and beyond to major centres efficiently and at lower cost. If the region is to grow - while people fed up with life move from cities to regions including to New England, we need our councils and NSW government to design plans for the future -not for the short term. A bike trail can be built anywhere in the LG areas, or on the side of the rail line or New England highway. Thus a plan to remove the rail line for a recreational track is short sighted. We need to support new businesses to flourish by ensuring they can get goods and people in and out of the region – with good rail services both north and south.

Plus, with the Olympics coming to the Gold Coast – with a significant expansion of rail services to support that event – now is absolutely not the time to be cutting New England’s rail line to the north!

Now is the time to fight for potecting our rail line, not allow the two councils to rip up the track.

This short-sighted proposal is based on the pessimistic view that our towns in the New England, which desperately need public transport now, will never again have a passenger rail service north of Armidale. Councils' argument is that tiny visitor numbers from the tiny community of able-bodied people that like to ride bikes for pleasure in the LG area is better than essential public transport and industry made possible by being connected to the rail network to the north and south.  Armidale and Glen Innes Councils should be champions of seeking better transport services for the two LG areas fom the State government.   Why Armidale Council is reluctant to send even a submission  emphasising this to New England Nothwest SRITP is a mystery!

Well, if you rip up the rail line, of course we won’t  have passenger rail again fo decades to come! We must come together as a community to protect our critical rail infrastructure, and not allow more services and opportunities to be denied to our communities without a strong voice.

The group supporting the proposal, New England Rail Trail (NERT) commissioned a Rail Trail Plan several years ago.  The two councils simply accepted it without conducting "an independent cost benefit analysis". Both councils worked closely with NSW Public Works (part of Dept of regional NSW) to progress the project and lease the rail corridor for a 30-year period.  Motions passed by the two councils in 2024 allowed the General Managers to sign deeds for the grants and leases. Both Armidale Regional Council and Glen Innes Severn Council had been allocated partial funding for the rail trail since 2022. Under the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund, $8.7m government funding had been allocated to the Glen Innes Severn Council to construct the Ben Lomond to Glen Innes section. In 2024, GISC wanted to use the grant for a shorter 22km  section from Glen Innes to Glencoe but the funding agency did not like the idea and withdrew the grant. Armidale Regional Council had been allocated  5.4 million grant since 2022 from the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery fund. In 2024, it wanted to spend the grant for a 9.3km section from Armidale to Dumaresq. The funding agency did not like the idea and withdrew the grant. Apparently, the two councils could not meet other requirements set by funding agencies also.

Even after the withdrawal of two grants, the councils are determined to continue with the failed rail trail plans instead of critically reflecting why this happened? ARC has applied for another 21m grant under the Federal government's Regional Precincts and Patnership program . No information has been provided to the public about this plan yet? GISC passed a motion in its october 2024 meeting to continue with the rail trail plan and seek funding from the government. 

Armidale Regional Council voted to spend $500,000 from council budget and $600,000 from an undisclosed external source  for the rail trail preliminary work by engaging NSW public works in the council meeting held in October 2025 (Duing this meeting it was disclosed that Armidale Mayor, Deputy mayor and another councillor who are supporting the rail trail  are also members  of  New England Rail Trail Association (NERT) creating a significant  Conflict of Interest). Glen Innes Severn council is spending only $170,000 for its rail trail preliminary work. How can this be? To make matters worse, ARC has included one and half million in the next financial year's budget "to complete" the rail trail preliminary work . Draft budget is on public display and you can have your say by 22nd May 2026. Use the following link: 

https://yoursay.armidale.nsw.gov.au/

Until now neither council has been able to raise necessary funds for the New England Rail Trail. Armidale to Ben Lomond section - 67 kms- is estimated to cost 21 million for constuction alone. Ben Lomond to Glen Innes section will cost a similar amount or more. Though the rail trail is still at the planning stage yet again after previous failures, ARC has started community consultations already in May 2026. Concerned rate payers  recently met Armidale Council  mayor and several councillors with a request to convene a roundtable meeting of all stakeholders who want to use the rail corridor north of Amidale and find an alternative way to build a bike or rail trail "without removing the rail line". Mayor did not agree to reasonable request. In a resolution passed by the ARC previously, amendments made to a resolution by Cr. Dorothy Robinson, the council staff were requested to investigate this option. 

We believe the current rail trail plan is very divisive and harmful for community harmony and well being. Civic leaders have a cardinal duty of care especially for the disadvantaged and vulnerable sections of the community who deserve deserve public transport as an essential service.

I cannot understand why the two councils do not have the wisdom to call a roundtable meeting with all stakeholders that want to use the rail corridor for future transport in any form and identify common ground so that they can advance region's transport plans for funding with stronger community support?  TFNSW  has been  formulating a Strategic Regional Intefrated Transport Plan for New England-Northwest.  It has released the Draft Regional Transport plan recently. While the draft plan proposes to intoduce bus services connecting towns within the region and across the state, the statement saying that the State or Austalian govenments are not planning to restoe the nothern rail line is very disapointing. Imafgine the consequences of this decision if included in the final egional tansport plan valid fo next 20 years? After the draft plan was released ny NSW governemnt , Federal govenment announced that it will not fund Inland Rail beyond Parkes. This will leave a hiuge gap in moving freight between North and South. Onluy rail connection between NSW and Queensland will be the coastal line and it has reached its maximum potential. Major investment by the Austalian and State govenment will be necessay to impove the line.  Here lies the opportunity to utilise the unused northen railway line between Armidale and Queensland for freigh and impove the section between Tamworth and Armidale for freight services. Where are the Couincil voices about this oppotunity of a life time? Public can send their feedback about the draft regional transport plan until June 14th 2026. Use this link to send your feedback without a fail.  https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/sritp/new-england-and-north-west

So, we must act now!

Please sign and share this petition! Let the two Councils, MPs and NSW government ministers of Regional NSW (Hon.Tara Moriarty) and Regional Transport (Hon.Jenny Aitchison) know you want the rail line for future train services as a priority! Not a rail Trail.  Mention that  there are many bike paths in both LG areas but you can't see the thousands of cyclists arriving to use them ?   Show you opposition to Armidale Regional Council  using your money for the  rail trail planning process or later for constuction.  Attend community meetings organisewd by Armidale council and express your views. Urge the two councils to be active poponents of better public transport in the LG areas instead of promoting a bike trail in the rail corridor.  Ask the councils to support the plans by New England Railway inc and Northen Regional Railway Company to operate trains from Armidale to Llangothlin as a first step. Insist that the council should seriously explore building a bike trail in the rail corridor without removing the rail line.  There are other exanples  where this has been done. e.g. Parramatta to Carlingford ,  Oberon to Torana.  It is not rocket science.