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Register for news updatesAs Rail Trails Australia (RTA) ramps up its efforts to assist New South Wales increase the number of rail trails in the state (see our news item Working to Increase NSW’s Rail Trails) it is timely to update and relaunch RTA’s industry-leading Rail Trail Establishment Guidelines.
The Rail Trail Establishment Guidelines have been refined and updated over decades since being first released in 2005, including this new update, and outline the steps and considerations for establishing, maintaining and promoting a rail trail. It includes an extensive array of documents in a Resources appendix with more detailed specific information.
One of the documents in the appendix is the story of the 134 km Great Victorian Rail Trail, which is of interest to anyone curious about what was involved in constructing that major rail trail. As they say in that report: “The project is a fine example of what is possible in a partnership between local, state and federal governments, and our rail trail is one of the biggest local government-delivered rural infrastructure projects in Victorian history.” You can download the report and read it here.
Download a summary of the Rail Trail Establishment Guidelines here. The complete Rail Trail Establishment Guidelines can be obtained by contacting ad***@************rg.au.
The guidelines are free for volunteers, not-for-profit organisations and local government. There is a cost of $150 for commercial use.

If you live in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, regional Victoria and NSW, Adelaide and Tasmania and are available to count bik...
Long-standing rail trail supporter Ms Rosamund Lesley Heit has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in...
Rail Trails Australia had 289,000 visits to its website in 2025, many by people looking for information on specific rail...
Byron Shire in northern NSW is working on getting approvals and funding for the transition of the 132km rail corridor th...
A 49km rail trail west from New Norfolk to mountain bike park centre Maydena is an exciting proposition from Derwent Val...
Pioneer Valley Rail Trail volunteers Mike and Margie Browne have won an Excellence in Community Project Achievement awar...
Update: as of 25 January 2026, Cycle Dindi 26 has been postponed due to damage to the Great Victorian Rail Trail (GVRT)....
Construction has begun on the next 1.5km stretch of the Yarra Valley Trail in Victoria, which will extend to the Birraru...
We know that rail trails are not exclusively enjoyed by cyclists: horse-riders, runners, walkers and mobility aid users ...
Queensland’s Somerset Regional Council and City of Moreton Bay have confirmed they have undertaken a Multi Criteri...
Hilltops Council is inviting the community to have their say on the Boorowa Galong Rail Trail Concept. The concept explo...
The 2026 Victorian bushfires caused widespread damage to many communities and also severely damaged 2 rail trails in nor...
Northern Tasmania’s Latrobe Council and Kentish Council have released the Latrobe-Kentish Trails Strategy to guide the...
Friends of The Bendigo – Kilmore Rail Trail (FBKRT) continue to improve the O’Keefe Rail Trail, with 2 recent wo...
In December, Logan City Council (bordering Brisbane) decided to proceed with a staged development of the 11.5km section ...
As Rail Trails Australia (RTA) ramps up its efforts to assist New South Wales increase the number of rail trails in the ...
Stay up to date with the latest news about Rail Trails with our free email news.
Register for news updatesIf you live in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, regional Victoria and NSW, Adelaide and Tasmania and are available to count bik...
Long-standing rail trail supporter Ms Rosamund Lesley Heit has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in...
Rail Trails Australia had 289,000 visits to its website in 2025, many by people looking for information on specific rail...
Byron Shire in northern NSW is working on getting approvals and funding for the transition of the 132km rail corridor th...
A 49km rail trail west from New Norfolk to mountain bike park centre Maydena is an exciting proposition from Derwent Val...
Pioneer Valley Rail Trail volunteers Mike and Margie Browne have won an Excellence in Community Project Achievement awar...
Update: as of 25 January 2026, Cycle Dindi 26 has been postponed due to damage to the Great Victorian Rail Trail (GVRT)....
Construction has begun on the next 1.5km stretch of the Yarra Valley Trail in Victoria, which will extend to the Birraru...
We know that rail trails are not exclusively enjoyed by cyclists: horse-riders, runners, walkers and mobility aid users ...
Queensland’s Somerset Regional Council and City of Moreton Bay have confirmed they have undertaken a Multi Criteri...
Hilltops Council is inviting the community to have their say on the Boorowa Galong Rail Trail Concept. The concept explo...
The 2026 Victorian bushfires caused widespread damage to many communities and also severely damaged 2 rail trails in nor...
Northern Tasmania’s Latrobe Council and Kentish Council have released the Latrobe-Kentish Trails Strategy to guide the...
Friends of The Bendigo – Kilmore Rail Trail (FBKRT) continue to improve the O’Keefe Rail Trail, with 2 recent wo...
In December, Logan City Council (bordering Brisbane) decided to proceed with a staged development of the 11.5km section ...
As Rail Trails Australia (RTA) ramps up its efforts to assist New South Wales increase the number of rail trails in the ...