Cyclists are quickly becoming the bread and butter of many small towns as the rail trail phenomenon grows, and locals of the Warrumbungle Shire want their piece of the pie. 

After two successful Rail Trail pilots in NSW, the cycling paths are continuing to pop up in more towns, repurposing decommissioned railway corridors to attract tourism to the area. 

Baradine business owner Suz Fuller has become a crucial supporter of the project over the last two years, where tracks in the region have been left abandoned and overgrown for years. 

“It takes a lot of resources to get these things up and running, but once it’s there, it's such a boom to the area,” Ms Fuller said. 

“Every single area that’s put in a rail trail has just flourished."

While Ms Fuller said that the businesses of Baradine are well supported by locals, the tourism draw card could help the town thrive. 

“We’ve got empty shops here in town. How exciting would it be to have some young person open up a cycle shop where they do cycle repairs and sales?”

Cyclists travelling to explore the region could be a lucrative investment for the shire. (Suz Fuller)

Warrumbungle Shire Council mayor Ambrose Doolan said that while the rail trail could offer a promising opportunity for Baradine and other areas of the shire that are proposing a trail, there’s been little discussion about it in council. 

“It would be good, but it’s just an idea that people are talking about at this stage,” Cr Doolan said. 

According to Rail Trails Australia, there are 36 rail trails across NSW, proving their popularity. 

“The cyclists saved Mendooran, it’s taken off with cycling,” Ms Fuller said. 

Despite members of the community throwing their support behind a similar project for the past decade, stalled attempts have led to some skepticism in the project. 

“It’s a bit ‘wishy washy’ because they did it ten years ago and nothing happened…once you lose that momentum, it’s hard to get it back again,” Ms Fuller said.

According to the Department of Regional NSW, a proposal from the local council to receive government support for a Rail Trail would need to include evidence of community support, a viable business model for construction and maintenance, and address the potential environmental impact. 

“If we can get this up and running, it’ll just make our little town stronger and better,” Ms Fuller said.