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Category: Tourism / Lifestyle and Leisure

Tourist rail backers fight plan to create cycle track on disused line

Monday, 1 Feb 2016 08:05:03

It is anticipated the rail trail project will bring at least 30,000 more people to our region. (ABC News: Sallese Gibson)

Supporters of tourist rail in Tasmania's north-east are fighting plans to turn a section of disused railway track into a cycling trail.

A cycling group wants to create a tourist trail on a section of disused rail line that is due to be ripped up.

The Federal Government last year allocated $3 million for track removal to create a corridor for cyclists and pedestrians.

Railway sleepers have already been removed from a 28-kilometre stretch of the North East Line, from Scottsdale to Legerwood, and converted into a "rail trail" for cyclists and walkers.

There are plans to extend that to Launceston.

Sarah Hirst from the North East Rail Trail board said the project would be a game-changer.

"The rail trail project will bring at least 30,000 more people to our region," she said.

But Clynton Brown from the group Keep Our Rail line wants the track kept for tourist rail.

He is urging the State Government to retain the line, and consider the group's alternative tourist rail proposal.

''Where lines exist, there's a greater potential to run tourist trains, which generate more money," he said.

"There's more benefits as in it's available to more people.

"So your grey nomads, in their caravans, I'm sure the majority of them would prefer to go on a train over a 70-kilometre mountain bike ride."

Man works on north-east rail line in Tasmania Photo: Clynton Brown's group Keep Our Rail Line wants the Government to keep the track a tourism rail venture. (ABC News: Sallese Gibson)

The State Government said it supported the rail trail project and was working with the local council to progress it.

Derwent Valley wants answers on rail redevelopment

In the state's south, the Derwent Valley Council is urging the State Government to decide which rail corridor redevelopment proposal it will support.

One group wants to turn a disused section of the Derwent Valley rail line into a tourist railway, with a second group lobbying for a cycling trail.

Mayor Martyn Evans said the Government had not made its position clear in the south.

"The State Government own it so we need a decision from the state to say 'yes, they're supporting rail' or 'yes, they're supporting the bike/walking concept or a combination of both'," he said.

The Government said it would continue to work with both groups to determine the best use for the rail corridor.

Last November, the tourism industry was told there had been an 83 per cent increase in visitors to the north-east from mountain biking alone.

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