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77-560: The East Gippsland Rail Trail is a rail trail located in East Gippsland in Victoria, Australia . The trail is a popular cycling route, beginning in Bairnsdale and extending to Orbost , following the route of the former Gippsland railway line . The Gippsland railway line was opened in 1916 to serve the agricultural and timber industry, and required numerous substantial bridges because of

154-515: A cutting around a steep hillside, then providing views over the Snowy River floodplain before descending to the end of the trail at Burn Rd, north of the Princes Highway at Newmerella. Across the road from the end of the rail trail is an off-road shared pathway which was constructed in 2007/08 and which leads into Orbost, about another 2 km further on. The original Orbost terminus of

231-609: A corridor to be " Rail Banked " or placed on hold for possible conversion back to active status when or if future need demands. While many rail trails have been built, other proposals have been cancelled by community opposition. The stature of the conversion organization, community involvement, and government willingness are key factors. On the other hand, there are a growing number of cases where existing rails and infrastructure, in service or not, are being called to be torn up for trails. Two cases of this are in New York State , against

308-480: A gradually rougher track surface, and after 9 km reaches the old Bumberrah railway station where there is a rest stop with a shelter and information board in a remnant grassy woodland reserve. From Bumberrah the trail travels 8.5 km on to Mossiface, passing through various cuttings , fills and tunnels from the old rail route. The surface is smooth compacted gravel of good standard through much of this section, including occasional wombat holes, but there

385-439: A historic 22-mile railroad corridor circling downtown and connecting many neighborhoods directly to each other. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a nationwide nonprofit group that advocates for rail trails and has many documents and advice on building a rail trail. Per their records, the U.S. currently has 22,107 miles of rail trail complete. As of 2015 , Michigan has the most total mileage (2,381) of any state. Germany has

462-501: A linear park under the provincial park system, the T'Railway consists of the railbed of the historic Newfoundland Railway as transferred from its most recent owner, Canadian National Railway , to the provincial government after rail service was abandoned on the island of Newfoundland in 1988. The rail corridor stretches from Channel-Port aux Basques in the west to St. John's in the east with branches to Stephenville , Lewisporte , Bonavista , Placentia and Carbonear . Following

539-512: A number of cities disused rail tracks have been converted into linear parks . One example is the High Line (also known as "High Line Park"), a 1.45-mile-long (2.33 km) elevated linear park created on an elevated section of a disused New York Central Railroad . Inspired by the 3-mile-long (4.8 km) Promenade plantée (tree-lined walkway), a similar project in Paris completed in 1993,

616-514: A number of former railway bridges including some large trestle bridges , and starts alongside the Mitchell River and crosses the Nicholson River , Tambo River and Snowy River , as well as several minor watercourses on its way to Orbost. The East Gippsland Rail Trail does not officially begin at the Bairnsdale railway station itself due to the poor condition of the old rail bridge over

693-484: A pedestrian and bicycle trail. The development of rail trails in southeastern Australia can be traced to the gold rushes of the second half of the 19th century. Dozens of rail lines sprang up, aided by the overly enthusiastic " Octopus Act ", but soon became unprofitable as the gold ran out, leading to a decreased demand for timber in turn. Decades later, these easements found a new use as tourist drawcards, once converted to rail trails. Dozens exist in some form, like

770-565: A rail to trail conversion. Even residents who are not encroaching on railway lands may oppose conversion on the grounds of increased traffic in the area and the possibility of a decline in personal security. Because linear corridors of land are only valuable if they are intact, special laws regulate the abandonment of a railroad corridor. In the United States, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) regulates railroads, and can allow

847-427: A shed, an incinerator stack, and former mill houses. The former Waygara railway station was also in this location, however little sign remains of it. The trail again starts heading back towards the highway and soon crosses Simpsons Creek and then Simpsons Creek Rd through more forested areas which preserve a significant amount of biological diversity from early and pre-European settlement times. Another 3 km on

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924-517: A short connecting path taking it into Orbost . Water and most facilities are only available in these towns, so trail users are required to be self-sufficient. The trail follows the long gradual inclines and sweeping curves of the former railway line, reaching a maximum altitude of 129m at Colquhoun. Along its route it passes the former railway stations and/or sidings at Nicholson , Bumberrah , Mossiface , Bruthen , Colquhoun , Nowa Nowa , Tostaree , Waygara and Orbost . It passes across or past

1001-513: A small subset of rail trails in which a railway right-of-way remains in use by trains yet also has a parallel recreational trail . Hundreds of kilometers of rails with trails exist in Canada, Europe, the United States, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates. Nicholson River (Victoria) The Nicholson River is a perennial river of the Mitchell River catchment, located in

1078-539: A total of 1,200 km (750 mi) , a significant figure considering the size of the country. The gradient is never more than six per cent, and the tracks are open to all forms of non-motorised travellers, including cyclists, horse-riders, hikers and even roller-bladers. There is also the Vennbahn , which runs along an unusual border between Belgium and Germany. Baana is an old cargo rail track in Helsinki converted into

1155-402: Is dictated by the free market value of the land, so that land in urban and industrial cores is often impractical to purchase and convert. Therefore, rail trails may end on the fringes of urban areas or near industrial areas and resume later, as discontinuous portions of the same rail line, separated by unaffordable or inappropriate land. A railroad right-of-way (easement) width varies based on

1232-455: Is significant flora and fauna, as well as some good views of adjacent farmland and hills. Mossiface, a tiny locality of only a few houses and facilities, was the site of the former Mossiface railway station and offers views of the Tambo River flats and historic hop kilns of the region. Following Mossiface the trail continues north for about 2.5 km on a smooth gravel surface and crosses

1309-515: Is the first crossing of Joiners Rd, and from this point to Newmerella - about 5 km distance - the trail travels very closely to the Princes Highway with increasing signs of development such as timber mill operations and a pumping station for the underground gas pipeline . The trail crosses Prestons Road, which provides access to the small town of Newmerella , while the trail itself continues for another couple of kilometres, doglegging through

1386-432: Is the site of the former Colquhoun railway station and siding, which, at 129m is the highest point on the trail, however the site is rapidly being overgrown by forest. Further along, about 4.5 km west of Nowa Nowa is the spectacular Stony Creek Trestle Bridge, built in the early 1900s and measuring 276m long and 19m high. Due to its poor condition the bridge itself is fenced off, and trail users must travel down and up

1463-628: The Beltline Trail and the West Toronto Railpath . In central Ontario, the former Victoria Railway line, which runs 89 kilometres (55 mi) from the town of Lindsay, Ontario , north to the village of Haliburton, in Haliburton County , serves as a public recreation trail. It can be used for cross country skiing, walking, and snowmobiling in the winter months, and walking, cycling, and horse riding from spring to autumn. The majority of

1540-757: The Catskill Mountain Railroad in Kingston, New York , and the Adirondack Scenic Railroad in Old Forge, New York . In Connecticut, the not-in-service section of track on the Valley Railroad has been proposed by locals to be converted to trail. Though perceived by residents to be, as it has not carried a train since the 1960s, the railroad has never been formally abandoned. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection acquired

1617-666: The East Gippsland region of the Australian state of Victoria . The Nicholson River rises below the Angora Range in the lower reaches of the Victorian Alps within the Great Dividing Range , near the small settlement of Marthavale, west of Ensay . The river flows generally southeast passing through the small town of Nicholson before entering Lake King, one of the main lakes in the extensive Gippsland Lakes system. Within

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1694-464: The Gippsland Lakes . Parts of the trail are accessible to any bicycle , but significant sections are suitable only for mountain bikes or sturdy hybrid bikes . The East Gippsland Rail Trail travels from just east of the current Bairnsdale railway station along the old Gippsland railway line easement, past or through the small towns of Nicholson , Bruthen , Nowa Nowa , and Newmerella , with

1771-583: The Great Alpine Road at the site of a former railway trestle bridge which used to take the railway over the highway. The section at the trestle bridge is subject to mud and water inundation after rainfall. Just past the trestle bridge, 2 km out of Bruthen , the track diverges, with one route (the Bruthen-Wiseleigh path) travelling alongside the Great Alpine Road directly into Bruthen, while

1848-873: The Middlewood Way in Cheshire and the Ebury Way in Watford . Notable rural rail trails include the Dava Way , running along the route of the former Highland Railway between Grantown and Forres in the Scottish Highlands , and the High Peak Trail in the English Peak District . In London , a more unusual scheme has been proposed to convert some disused London Underground tunnels into subterranean rail trails under

1925-710: The Milton Keynes redway system runs throughout Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, England, in parts using the former trackbed of the defunct Wolverton to Newport Pagnell Line (closed 1962) and the Grand Union Canal towpath. Together, these paths form part of the long-distance National Cycle Network Route 6 and Route 51 . Other urban and suburban rail trails include the Fallowfield Loop Line in Manchester ,

2002-465: The Mitchell River . The trail begins on the south side of the Princes Highway opposite the Howitt Park sports grounds at McEacharn Street. The rail trail is accessible from the town via the road or footpath on the Princes Highway road bridge across the river. Toilets and good car parking facilities are available in the main section of Howitt Park on the north side of Princes Highway. Safe access to

2079-578: The National Arts Council . The disused railway consists of the main line from the Tanjong Pagar railway station to Woodlands, extending either 24 km (15 mi) or 26 km (16 mi), depending on the source. There is also the Jurong spur line, 14 km (8.7 mi) in length. The area occupied by the railways is at least 80 ha (200 acres), and up to 173.7 ha (429 acres) when

2156-573: The Trans Canada Trail and other walking trails are abandoned railways. A small railway line from Musquodoboit Harbour ( Musquodoboit Trailway ) to Dartmouth are nearly fully used by community members and tourists. Another extremely large section is used from Halifax to New Germany to Yarmouth to Grand Pre . A considerable part of the Trans Canada Trail are repurposed defunct rail lines donated to provincial governments by CP and CN rail rebuilt as walking trails. The main section runs along

2233-682: The supply of town water to Lakes Entrance, until 1995. In its lower reaches, the river is traversed by the Great Alpine Road , the Princes Highway , and the East Gippsland Rail Trail , a shared purpose rail trail that was formerly the part of the Orbost railway line . There are a number of Australian Aboriginal names for the river including: from the Brabralung language Yowen-burrun and Dart'yung , both meaning "root of water plant"; Geremoot , with no clearly defined meaning; and in

2310-591: The 37-kilometre (23 mi) Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail , but only a few – such as the 95-kilometre (59 mi) Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail — have been fully developed. Progress is frequently hampered by trestle bridges in unsafe condition, easements that have been sold off to farmers, and lack of funds. Funding is typically contributed in roughly equal parts from federal, state, and local governments, with voluntary labour and in kind donations contributed by local groups. The latest addition to

2387-591: The Bruthen Station site and passes below the Great Alpine Road through the former railway tunnel. It then skirts around the southern edge of Bruthen following the route of the railway line. The trail goes over the Storer Bridge, a former railway bridge over the Tambo River now sealed with boards as the trail surface, and then passes behind the sports ground at the eastern edge of the town, where an alternative detour into Bruthen can be accessed. After leaving Bruthen

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2464-678: The Colquhoun Forest, 11 km out of Bruthen, the Gippsland Lakes Discovery Trail provides a connection to Lakes Entrance , approximately 25 km to the south. This section of the trail is suitable for mountain bikes only. The East Gippsland Rail Trail itself continues east through the Colquhoun State Forest on a generally good surface at a gradual decline. A few kilometres on from the Discovery Trail turnoff

2541-740: The High Line has been redesigned and planted as an aerial greenway and rails-to-trails park. Railroads in North America were often built with a mix of purchased land, government land grants, and easements. The land deeds can be over a hundred years old, land grants might be conditional upon continuous operation of the line, and easements may have expired, all expensive and difficult issues to determine at law. Railroad property rights have often been poorly defined and sporadically enforced, with neighboring property owners intentionally or accidentally using land they do not own. Such encroachers often later oppose

2618-633: The Nicholson boat ramp on the west bank of the river to the south of the Princes Highway. The rail trail crosses the Nicholson River on the former railway bridge. The bridge surface has been sealed with concrete and affords excellent views. Beyond the bridge the track heads inland away from the Princes Highway, and remains asphalt until Stephensons Road, and the surface then becomes a smooth compacted gravel. The trail passes through undulating farmland, veering from its easterly route to northerly direction on

2695-571: The Rail Trail scene in Victoria is The Great Victorian Rail Trail which is the longest rail trail in Victoria covering 134 km (83 mi). It has become popular with tourists as it meanders through steep valleys and open farm country. The Rail Trails Australia website is a good source of local information. about trails in Australia. A number of rail trails have been established through New Zealand;

2772-715: The Sarnia Bridge was inducted into the North America Railway Hall of Fame . A railroad between Gateway Road and Raleigh Street (i.e. streets immediately parallel to the railway on each side) in Winnipeg , Manitoba , was turned into a 7 km (4.3 mi) asphalt trail in 2007. It is called the Northeast Pioneers Greenway, and there are plans for expansion into East St. Paul , and eventually to Birds Hill Park. In Nova Scotia , almost every section of

2849-666: The abandonment of the Prince Edward Island Railway in 1989, the government of Prince Edward Island purchased the right-of-way to the entire railway system. The Confederation Trail was developed as a tip-to-tip walking/cycling gravel rail trail which doubles as a monitored and groomed snowmobile trail during the winter months, operated by the PEI Snowmobile Association. In Quebec, Le P'tit Train du Nord runs 200 km (120 mi) from Saint-Jérôme to Mont-Laurier . In Toronto , there are two rail trails,

2926-596: The best known are the Hauraki Rail Trail (linking Thames, Paeroa, Te Aroha and Waikino/Waihi), Otago Central Rail Trail and the Little River Rail Trail . The New Zealand Cycle Trail project, a Government-led initiative, will greatly accelerate the establishment of new trails. The first seven projects (not all of them rail trails, though) were announced in July 2009 and will receive NZ$ 9 million in funding of

3003-626: The border from Malaysia. Government agencies such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) have taken responsibility for developing and implementing ideas and activities for the former rail lands. The URA has a dedicated web site on Rail Corridor. An example of activities permitted include street art on a section of the disused railway, supported by the SLA, URA, Land Transport Authority and

3080-586: The city, but this scheme has not been officially approved. With more than 2,500 kilometers of rail trails (Via Verde) in a network of 117 cycling and walking itineraries, Spain ranks high in the European greenways scene. The trails are managed or coordinated by the Spanish Railways Foundation, an institution created in 1985. Many of the converted tracks were originally built for the mining industry, connecting remote mountain sites with port locations on

3157-457: The coast, now offering picturesque rides from wild interior landscapes to the seaside, following near-flat routes with long-spanning viaducts and bridges, plus a number of tunnels. Cuts to Ireland's once expansive rail network in the mid 20th century left Ireland with a vast network of disused railways. While many lines were ripped up and the sections of the land acquired by private owners, a number of former railways do exist intact, thus providing

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3234-426: The federal government passing legislation promoting the use of railbanking for abandoned railroad corridors in 1983 which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1990. This process preserves rail corridors for possible future rail use with interim use as a trail. By the 1970s, even main lines were being sold or abandoned. This was especially true when regional rail lines merged and streamlined their operations. As both

3311-590: The former Galway to Clifden railway into a greenway, but negotiations are still underway with landowners regarding its routing. A section of the Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway railway line, from Claremorris to Collooney has been touted for redevelopment as a greenway, but has met with some recent opposition from groups wishing for reestablishment of the railway itself. The RAVeL network in Belgium combines converted tracks, byways and towpaths , adding up to

3388-432: The former Tostaree railway station and travels just north of the small locality of Tostaree, and then drops down to another low level creek crossing over Hospital Creek, bypassing the third of the former railway trestle bridges. The track climbs again and soon diverges from the highway, then travels through light forest and occasional farmland on a quite wide but rough surface, before reaching Partellis Crossing Road at about

3465-566: The history of the railroad. Their primary revenue is tourist operations, so rail traffic is seasonal; though all three have been granted rights to carry freight, should customers show interest. Though rare, there are several cases in which trails convert back to active railroads. One example occurred in 2012 in Clarence, Pennsylvania , where the R.J. Corman Railroad Company received permission to rebuild 20 miles (32 km) of railbanked line to serve new industries. Conrail had ceased operating over

3542-582: The lake, the Nicholson River forms its confluence with the Mitchell River, which joins with the Tambo River ; with the Mitchell River draining into Bass Strait southwest of Lakes Entrance , in the Shire of East Gippsland . The river descends 440 metres (1,440 ft) over its 83-kilometre (52 mi) course . The river is impounded by the Nicholson River Dam, that forms a water reservoir used for

3619-573: The land around the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and other nodes are included. Given the location of the railway lands in land scarce Singapore, there was concern that the lands would be developed. Organisations such as the Nature Society Singapore developed comprehensive plans to maintain the rail lands for nature-related pursuits. The Green Corridor web site is a campaign website dedicated to preserving its natural form. In

3696-605: The largest number of rail trails in Europe, with 677 rail trails with a total length of 5,020 kilometres (3,120 mi) (as at February 2015). 80 more projects are being planned or under construction. Some of the longest rail trails are in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate . These are the Maare-Mosel-Radweg with 39 kilometres (24 mi) on the old rail track, the Ruwer-Hochwald-Radweg with 44 kilometres (27 mi) on

3773-458: The line from Penn Central in 1969, and subsequently signed a long-term lease with the railroad. The railroad has been continually working to bring this section of the line back into service. Both Departments strongly support the preservation of the line, and have provided support to the railroad with property encroachment from abutters and the provision of railroad ties . All three of these examples are heritage railroads , which serve to protect

3850-598: The line in 1990, and 10 miles (16 km) was converted to the Snow Shoe Rails to Trails. Most original rail lines were surveyed for ease of transport and gentle (often less than 2%) grades . Therefore, the rail trails that succeeded them are often fairly straight and ideally suited to overcome steep or awkward terrain such as hills, escarpments, rivers, swamps, etc. Rail trails often share space with linear utilities such as pipelines, electrical transmission wires, and telephone lines. Most purchase of railway land

3927-547: The line was on the west bank of the Snowy River, with the train never actually crossing the river into Orbost itself. The shared pathway travels near this station site, but little remains of it. There is however a low level causeway over the river flats consisting of a series of timber and steel bridges called the Orbost Viaduct , which shows the original route of the railway, however there are no plans to reopen this as part of

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4004-725: The majority of rail trails are maintained by either the local authority or charitable organisations such as Sustrans , the Railway Ramblers or Railway Paths . A 31-mile (50 km) section (between Braunton and Meeth ) of the Tarka Trail in Devon is one of the longest of these. Many of these former railway lines form part of the British National Cycle Network , connecting with long-distance paths and towpaths along Britain's extensive network of canals . For example,

4081-415: The midpoint of this section of the trail. There is a picnic table, seats, and toilet facilities at this location, however no water is available. Continuing on from Partellis Crossing the trail continues for several kilometres through mixed forest and farmland, and then past the former timber mill site of Waygara. Native vegetation is reclaiming this site but some signs of the former mill are visible such as

4158-431: The nature of the terrain. Due to the decline in traffic and heavy operating costs, the line was finally closed in August 1987 and the track infrastructure removed in 1994. The shared trail is also available for walkers and recreational horseriding , however motorised vehicles are prohibited. The trail is 96 kilometres (60 mi) long and passes through a variety of forest and farmland landscapes with occasional views of

4235-406: The old rail track and the Schinderhannes-Radweg with 36 kilometres (22 mi) on the old track of the Hunsrück Railway . Up to date, the 23 km long Nordbahntrasse in Wuppertal is still the rail trail with the highest standard in Germany and is a prime example of conversion of an abandoned railway track into a multiuser cycling path. With almost 150 lines in use, the United Kingdom has

4312-505: The option for the development of many rail trails in the future. The rail-trail on the former Westport to Achill Island line, known as the Great Western Greenway , was completed in 2011. Much progress has been made on the development of a rail-trail on the former Limerick to Tralee / Fenit line, in the form of the Great Southern Trail . As of 2013, a 36-kilometre (22 mi) section from Rathkeale to Abbeyfeale has been completed. Planning permission has been granted to redevelop

4389-448: The rail industry led to the closure of a number of uneconomical branch lines and redundant mainlines. Some were maintained as short line railways , but many others were abandoned. The first abandoned rail corridor in the United States converted into a recreational trail was the Elroy-Sparta State Trail in Wisconsin , which opened in 1967. The following year the Illinois Prairie Path opened. The conversion of rails to trails hastened with

4466-466: The rail trail passes through sparsely populated areas of the Canadian Shield , with historic trestle bridges crossing several rivers. The old Sarnia Bridge in St. Marys, Ontario , was re-purposed as part of the Grand Trunk Trail . The former Grand Trunk Railway viaduct was purchased from Canadian National Railway in 1995. The Grand Trunk Trail was opened in 1998 with over 3 km (1.9 mi) of paved, accessible trail. In 2012, The re-purposing of

4543-483: The rail trail proper continues to follow the route of the old railway about 100m north of the road. About half a kilometre before the town the remains of the former Bruthen railway station can clearly be seen on the rail trail. Shortly past the station site a minor detour from the trail can be taken in order to enter Bruthen itself, the largest town en route, where major facilities such as food, drink, toilets and accommodation are available. The rail trail continues from

4620-484: The rail trail. Rail trail The Bermuda Railway ceased to operate as such when the only carrier to exist in Bermuda folded in 1948. Some of the former right of way were converted for automobile traffic, and in 1984 18 miles were converted to a rail trail, reserved for pedestrian use and bicycles on paved portions. The rail bed spans the length of the island, and connected Hamilton to St. George's and several villages, though several bridges are derelict, causing

4697-444: The river, now sealed with concrete, while just before the bridge is a station name board marking the site of the former Nicholson railway station . The trail passes just to the north of the Nicholson township. Access to the town itself can be gained either by turning south at the Nicholson-Sarsfield Road, or by following a minor track along the west side of the Nicholson River. Toilets, water and barbecue facilities are available at

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4774-411: The route. While the bridge remains, the trail again bypasses it due to the costs that would be involved in making and keeping the bridge safe, descending down and across Wairewa Road, then climbing back up to the level of the railway. Beyond this point the trail heads back towards the Princes Highway and then runs close to it for several kilometres. Near Johnsons Road the trail passes the unmarked site of

4851-653: The second-largest network of rail trails in Europe after Germany. The development of rail trails in the United Kingdom grew after a major programme of railway line closures in the 1960s known as the Beeching cuts . The scheme, named after Dr. Richard Beeching , the then chairman of British Railways , decommissioned approximately 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of railway lines all over Great Britain. Many rural and suburban lines were closed along with selected main line trunk routes. Since then, approximately 1,200–2,200 miles (1,900–3,500 km) of disused railway lines in Britain have been converted to public leisure purposes, and today

4928-450: The second-longest, extending for 321 miles (517 km), the longest being the Ohio to Erie Trail in Ohio at 326 miles (525 km). The BeltLine , in Atlanta , Georgia, is currently under construction. In 2030, its anticipated year of completion, it will be one of the longest continuous trails. The Atlanta BeltLine is a sustainable redevelopment project that will provide a network of public parks, multi-use trails and transit along

5005-549: The south side of the highway and the rail trail can be obtained by following the path alongside the Mitchell River under the road bridge and up to road level, then along between the highway and the Howitt Park sports grounds. The trail travels east from Bairnsdale following the route of the old railway line and roughly follows the line of the Princes Highway. The trail initially passes between industrial and retail properties leading out of Bairnsdale, then travels mainly through open farmland, predominantly for cattle and horse grazing, to

5082-416: The southern areas of Canada connecting most of Canada's major cities and most populous areas. There is also a long northern arm which runs through Alberta to Edmonton and then up through northern British Columbia to Yukon. The trail is multi-use and depending on the section may allow hikers, bicyclists, horseback riders, cross country skiers and snowmobilers. In North America, the decades-long consolidation of

5159-404: The steep slopes of the Stony Creek valley to reach the far side. A car park, toilet and picnic facilities are available at this location. The trail continues to the small town of Nowa Nowa where it diverts through the town, departing from the former railway route. It runs onto an old section of the highway and down to the Lakes Entrance Road, where it then turns sharply onto a concrete path through

5236-401: The supply of potential trails increased and awareness of the possibilities rose, state governments, municipalities, conservation authorities, and private organizations bought the rail corridors to create, expand or link green spaces . The longest developed rail trail is currently the 240 miles (390 km) Katy Trail in Missouri . When complete, the Cowboy Trail in Nebraska will become

5313-475: The terrain, with a 100 feet (30 m) width being ample enough where little surface grading is required. The initial 705 miles (1,135 km) stretch of the Illinois Central Railroad is the most liberal in the world with a width of 200 feet (61 m) along the whole length of the line. Rail trails are often graded and covered in gravel or crushed stone, although some are paved with asphalt and others are left as dirt. Where rail bridges are incorporated into

5390-411: The total project budget of NZ$ 50 million. On 24 May 2010, the Singapore and Malaysia governments agreed to move the Singapore terminus of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) from the Tanjong Pagar railway station in southern Singapore to Woodlands Train Checkpoint in northern Singapore. This resulted in the railway lines in Singapore becoming surplus as the Woodlands terminus is just over

5467-410: The town of Nicholson . There are distant views of the Gippsland Lakes in some sections and a number of crossings of minor roads are required as well as an unsigned crossing of the Princes Highway. The surface is sealed with asphalt and is in fair to good condition as far as the Nicholson River bridge in Nicholson, 9 km from the start of the route. The bridge is the former railway bridge across

5544-465: The town. The path takes an underpass below the highway and leaves town after crossing a bridge over Boggy Creek, finally rejoining the original railway route beyond the east side of the town. The 36 km Nowa Nowa to Newmerella section was the last section of the track to open, being constructed in 2005 at a cost of $ 660,000 and opening in January 2006, with a further 2 km of shared pathway taking

5621-400: The track steadily climbs over several kilometres on a rough loose gravel surface through a gradually drier environment largely composed of banksia and eucalypt vegetation, and areas of open farmland, then descends towards Wairewa Road about 9 km from Nowa Nowa. The original rail line crossed this spot on a spectacular curved timber trestle bridge, the largest of the three on this part of

5698-485: The trail into Orbost . The track leaves Nowa Nowa after crossing the bridge over Boggy Creek and soon rejoins the railway line formation. The former Nowa Nowa railway station is just north of the realigned rail trail, with the station site itself now used as an emergency helicopter landing place. Not far from town the track descends to a creek level crossing over Ironstone Creek, bypassing the first and smallest of three wooden trestle bridges in this section. Following this

5775-464: The trail surface quality declines and becomes more like a dirt back road with some gravel - it passes through some grazing land on a smooth gravel surface, then enters an open eucalyptus forest, the Colquhoun State Forest , where it climbs steadily for several kilometres on a stony gravel surface suffering from a fair degree of washboarding , along with some sandy sections. At Seaton Track in

5852-591: The trail to be fragmented. The Kettle Valley Rail Trail in British Columbia uses a rail corridor that was originally built for the now-abandoned Kettle Valley Railway . The trail was developed during the 1990s after the Canadian Pacific Railway abandoned train service. The longest rail trail in Canada is the Newfoundland T'Railway that covers a distance of 883 km (549 mi). Protected as

5929-480: The trail, the only alterations (if any) tend to be adding solid walking areas on top of ties or trestles, though bridges in poorer condition do receive new guardrails , paint, and reinforcement. If paved, they are especially suitable for people who use wheelchairs. Where applicable, the same trails used in the summer for walking, jogging, and inline skating can be used in the winter for Nordic skiing , snowshoeing , and sometimes snowmobiling . Rails with trails are

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