Why are Rail Trails so Popular?

• Following the route of the railway, Rail Trails cut through hills, over embankments and across gullies and creeks.
• As they were designed in the Steam Train era, the steepest grade of a railway line is seldom more than 1 in 30. This means no sharp rises and falls, no sharp bends, just sweeping curves and gentle undulations. Visibility ahead and behind is usually very good. This is why abandoned railway lines make such superb and safe pathways for walkers, runners, riders of all ages and those simply strolling.
• The high embankments and bridges often provide breathtaking views. Shady cuttings provide variety and respite from wind and sun. The routes are quiet and serene. You can hear birds and insects, the sounds of the breeze and rustling leaves. You can smell the earth and the scents of flowers and eucalypt.
• Many rail trails take you to otherwise inaccessible places.
• Rail Trails provide a window into the past, to a time when railways opened up the country. Historic buildings and equipment can be seen and provide opportunities for cafés, souvenir shops and other services.
• Towns and villages along the way offer refreshments, meals and accommodation.

What makes a rail trail a superior experience compared to other shared paths?

• No motor vehicles means it’s much, much, much SAFER
• They are quiet and people friendly.  No motor vehicles so only distant or no road traffic noise.  It’s easier to hear what is happening around you, from breezes in the trees to chirping birds to approaching bicycle bells and the crunch of feet and tyres on the pathway.
• No steep hills and few sharp bends.  Excellent vision ahead and behind makes for a safer, carefree journey.
• The heavy engineering for trains also benefits walkers, pram and wheelchair pushers and people on bicycles.  Steady gradients, sweeping bends, tunnels, cuttings and embankments make locomotion easier for everyone.
• People can travel relatively easily from town to town with scenic and historic attractions along the way, enhancing the users’ experience while benefitting the towns and villages too. 
• Modern e-bikes and e-wheelchairs increase the travel range of people of all abilities.
• You move through countryside, passing adjoining farms while safely fenced off from livestock and separated from other farm activities.
• While they start and finish in towns or villages, you can join or leave them at various points along their length, such as road crossings or along other connecting paths.
• No motor vehicles so no or very little road traffic noise.  No flying gravel or glass.
• No road debris like shredded truck tyres, bottles and cans and no stinking road kill.  No flying gravel and glass kicked up by speeding vehicles.
• Often more shade and lots of fresh air plus the smells of nature, with people friendly landscaping along the way.
• Helps preserve and highlight railway artefacts, old buildings and historical equipment.  They also can provide a showcase for public artworks
• It is a linear park along established corridors for flora and fauna.  There is usually a greater variety of plants and wildlife to be seen.  
• They offer wonderful views from the embankments and bridges along the way.  The deep cuttings offer shade and variety.
• The pathway preserves the route in public ownership, so should a rail service become viable in the future, the corridor will be available.
• Rail trails attract users from cities, interstate and overseas.  Users develop a thirst and appetite.  Overnight visitors need accommodation.  The businesses in towns and villages along the route benefit from increased patronage.
• Amenities like toilets, water and seating are often located along the pathway.
• Locals can use them for daily exercise, community events like fun runs and sometimes for commuting.  Schools find them safe venues for excursions. 
• They generate social and health benefits for sometimes quite isolated little communities that all too often decline when the rail services cease.
• They are relatively cheap to develop and to maintain.  Any local council has the knowledge and equipment to maintain footpaths and bridges.