It was fantastic to see so many people out enjoying the newly completed Casino to Bentley section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail on the weekend.
It has been 20 years since the rail line between Casino and Murwillumbah was closed.
More than 200 people turned up at the Lismore station on May 16, 2004, to watch the last XPT arrive.
It was a sad day for the community, and many have campaigned ever since to bring the trains back.
I miss having trains in our town.
My friends and I were amongst the horde of kids who would make the pilgrimage each weekend via train to Byron Bay.
I'm sure the overnight passengers were delighted to have a bunch of boisterous kids board the train in the morning after a long night of travel.
From memory, it cost about $2 return and we'd jump on at 9am, returning at 5pm. What a cheap, and fun day out.
Then the timetable changed, and it was no longer possible to do the day trip.
It was a beautiful train trip, through some gorgeous scenery.
Despite the weariness of the overnight travellers, everyone would clamber for the first glimpse of the Bay as the train emerged on the bluff at St Helena. Simply stunning, with the sun glinting off the water.
But those days are long past, and the tracks have remained largely unused.
The solar train that runs from Byron township to Elements resort is a fantastic example of how the rail could be utilised to cater to tourists.
But the Northern Rivers Rail Trail has proven to be a huge success in the Tweed Shire.
In the year since the first section of the Rail Trail opened in March 2023, more than 140,000 people have used the 24 km Tweed section.
On the weekend, the second section between Casino and Bentley was opened.
People travelled from near and far to be there for the opening of the section.
One group had travelled from Queensland. Their visit helped the accommodation houses, restaurants, cafes, service stations, and, most importantly, the reputation of the town as a great place to visit. The benefits and opportunities to be had are only just being realised.
The section from Lismroe to Bentley is underway, and hopefully, the remaining sections will follow soon.
You may not be able to catch the train from Lismore to Byron any more, but it would be kind of cool to see a new tradition emerge, that sees people take a different kind of trip to the Bay. I might have to get an electric bike for the trip back up the St Helena bluff though.
Until next week, Cath Adams, editor.
