Funding for Castlemaine Maryborough Rail Trail Feasibility Study
Maryborough, Victoria
Plans for a Castlemaine Maryborough Rail Trail (CMRT) in Victoria have been boosted by a $120,000 Victorian Tourism Grant to help complete a feasibility study and pre-design for the trail.
“The impressive Maryborough Railway Station was once described by famous American writer Mark Twain as ‘a railway station with a town attached’.”
The Central Goldfields Shire and Mt Alexander Shire councils submitted a joint application for funding, which was confirm last Friday by the Victorian Sport and Major Events Minister, Martin Pakula.
CRMT coordinators will now develop a detailed business case, feasibility study and the design for the 55km trail’s first stage.
Their next steps will be appointing consultants and securing significant capital funding to move to construction within the next year.
Formal approval is still required from VicTrack and other consultation work relating to the environment and cultural heritage will also need to be completed.
The impressive Maryborough Railway Station was once described by famous American writer Mark Twain as ‘a railway station with a town attached’.
Northern Rivers Rail Trail
A more detailed alignment plans for an initial stage of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail was released last week, with the 24km section in the Tweed Shire still on track for completion in 2022 despite devastating flooding early in the year.
The alignment plans identify sealed and unsealed sections, and where the trails will deviate from the disused rail line.
The plans also reveal the location of pathways linking the rail trail to Tweed Regional Gallery and Crabbes Creek village, as well as locations of bridges, platforms, bypasses and emergency markers.
Project Director Iain Lonsdale said a more detailed Trail Development Plan would be released in coming weeks, provide further details of the final design and landscape treatments along the trail.
The project will restore heritage bridges, while acknowledging and celebrating places of cultural significance.
The trail alignment plans can be viewed at www.yoursaytweed.com.au/railtrail.