OUR COMMUNITY-DRIVEN RAILWAY COMPANY:

The community-driven Northern Rivers Rail Ltd (trading as Northern Rivers Railway) is committed to bringing back trains to the Northern Rivers as renewable-energy powered public transport.

The COUNTRY TO SURF TRAIN, powered by the sun:

The proposed 'Country To Surf Train' (CTST) project will connect our towns with a state-of-the-art, renewable energy-powered train service, extending from the world's first Solar Train in Byron Bay to Lismore via Bangalow, and to Yelgun (on the Tweed and Byron Shire border), via Mullumbimby and Billinudgel.

OVER TWENTY YEARS OF CAMPAIGNING:

Northern Rivers Rail Ltd was registered in 2020 in response to years of community campaigning to return much-needed train services, after our late night service was stopped in 2004 by the State Government.

EXTENDING BYRON BAY'S WORLD FIRST SOLAR TRAIN SERVICE:

A much-needed boost to restoring rail services came in 2017 when the privately funded Byron Solar Train commenced its heritage rail operations. Acknowledged as the World's First Solar Train, it has run a regular daily service, transporting thousands of people from Byron Beach Station to North Beach Station & Industrial Estate (3kms).

ALL TECHNICAL AND FEASIBILITY REPORTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED:

After 5 years of working in partnership with the Northern Regional Railway Company (NRRC), all the required technical and feasibility reports are now completed for the restoration of the railway corridor infrastructure, and now submitted to UGL Regional Linx. The project is costed and achievable and ready to now seek major funding for Stage 1: Byron to Mullumbimby. This service will extend another 12.6 kms of track to Mullumbimby, from where the current solar train operates. Stage 1 is part of the broader 72 kms rail corridor, linking Lismore - Bangalow - Byron Bay - Mullumbimby - Billinugel and Yelgun.

URGENT CALL FOR DONATIONS TO SUPPORT ONGOING ADMIN COSTS:

Within this back-drop, Northern Rivers Railway is putting out an urgent call for donations to support the ongoing administration costs, so that we can focus on the process of seeking corporate investment, and apply for major grants: to fund Stage 1 of the 4 Stage restoration of the railway corridor infrastructure.

The CTST project will provide a renewable energy-powered, non-road public transport solution for local communities and the two million visitors to Byron Bay each year, to help them access other towns.

The Global Oil Crisis, with rising fuel costs, limited regional transport options, and increased isolation, particularly following the 2022 floods, have intensified the need to restore our tracks and provide reliable train services, to help connect our towns and villages' local mobility.

The proposed service directly addresses these challenges by providing accessible, low-emission transport for commuters, young people, older residents, and individuals with disabilities.

Our proposed Country to Surf Train will provide for bicycles, prams, surfboards, wheelchairs, walking frames and luggage, supporting travel for work, education, recreation, and tourism.

This service will help families reduce the burden of long-distance driving for school and sporting activities, while improving safety and convenience. As many entertainment venues are close to railway stations it will also help to provide non-road travel to avoid DUI.

The CTST will strengthen connectivity and local economies throughout the region. It will enable access to employment and education, reducing traffic congestion and parking pressures, and will promote an increase in visitor movement between towns.

The potential of having a parallel recreation path alongside the train line will also expand active transport options, and can create a combined infrastructure outcome with broad community benefits.

Your financial support via this GoFundMe campaign will provide essential administrative funding to enable us to continue with this important project, covering insurance, database management, accounting, and legal costs that are critical to progressing the project.

Contributions to this campaign will directly assist the organisation’s ability to focus on grants and corporate investment in order to provide a much needed transport solution for the region’s resilience, decarbonisation and future sustainability.

YOUR $UPPORT TO DONATE TODAY IS GREATLY APPRECIATED :

Your support at this stage ensures the project remains active, investment-ready, and is positioned to deliver long-term economic, environmental, and social benefits for the Northern Rivers region.

follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/northernriversrailltd

Website: https://northernriversrail.com.au/

Info: Lydia Kindred, Secretary NRRL: mob. text only: 0422 007 724