The Fernleigh Track is a multi-use rail trail

Rail trail

A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...

 near Belmont in New South Wales. The track is being constructed in the way of the former Belmont railway line. The project is a joint venture between Newcastle City Council

City of Newcastle

Newcastle City Council is a Local Government Area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia.-Demographics:According to the Australian Bureau Statistics the City of Newcastle had an estimated resident population of 154,777 as of 30 June 2008...

 and City of Lake Macquarie. When complete, the track will extend from Adamstown

Adamstown, New South Wales

Adamstown is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district. It is part of the City of Newcastle local government area....

 to Belmont

Belmont, New South Wales

Belmont is a suburb in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, located 20 kilometres  from Newcastle's central business district on the eastern side of Lake Macquarie and is part of the City of Lake Macquarie....

 over an approximate distance of 15.5 km (10 mi). The former railway closed in December 1991. The first section between Adamstown and Burwood Road opened in 2003. Construction has continued in stages with the final section between Jewells

Jewells, New South Wales

Jewells is a suburb of the City of Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district on the eastern side of Lake Macquarie and northeast of the town of Belmont.- History :...

 and Belmont completed in March 2011.

The abandoned Belmont railway line was a coal haulage

Haulage

Haulage may refer to:* The business of being a haulier or hauler , also called haulage contractor, common carrier, contract carrier, or private carrier, in other words of transporting goods by road or rail for other companies or one's own company.* The horizontal transport of ore, coal, supplies,...

 and passenger rail line from Adamstown to Belmont. In 1880 a rail line was built to Redhead

Redhead, New South Wales

Redhead is a coastal suburb of the City of Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, Australia, located south of Newcastle's central business district on the Pacific Ocean. It was named for the appearance of its headland when viewed from the sea.- History :...

 with the line being extended to Belmont in 1916. At one stage there was talk of extending the line to Swansea

Swansea, New South Wales

Swansea is a locality and commercial centre at the entrance to Lake Macquarie from the Pacific Ocean in New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the City of Lake Macquarie local government area....

.

A feature of the conversion of the former railway to a multi-use trail is the retention of many industrial heritage features. The trail passes through the brick-lined Fernleigh Tunnel under the Pacific Highway

Pacific Highway (Australia)

The Pacific Highway is a major transport route along part of the east coast of Australia and is part of Australia's national route 1.It is 960 km long and links Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, to Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, along the coast, via Gosford, Newcastle, Taree, Port...

.

At the site of the former Kahibah

Kahibah, New South Wales

Kahibah is a suburb of the City of Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district.Kahibah is the closest suburb to Glenrock Lagoon, and is drained by Flaggy and Little Flaggy creeks which flows into Glenrock Lagoon 2 km to the east...

 station, the cycleway is crossed by the Great North Walk

Great North Walk

The Great North Walk is a walking track which runs from Sydney to Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia. The main track, in length, runs between the Obelisk in Macquarie Place in Sydney to Queens Wharf Tower in Bicentennial Park in Newcastle and is well sign-posted. There are many "side tracks"...

, a 250 km (155 mi) walking trail connecting Newcastle

Newcastle, New South Wales

The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...

 and Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

. The track also passes through the centre of the Glenrock Lagoon

Glenrock Lagoon

Glenrock Lagoon is located south-west of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. The catchment area is bounded by the following catchment areas, Murdering Gully to the north east, Throsby Creek, Hunter Valley to the north and north west, Winding Creek, Lake Macquarie to the west, Dicks Creek and...

 catchment.

Station/platform (distance)

• Adamstown: (0)
• Fernleigh: (2.816 km (1.75 mi))
• Kahibah: (3.782 km (2.35 mi))
• Dudley Junction: (4.587 km (2.85 mi))
• Burwood Platform: (5.09 km (3.16 mi))
• Whitebridge: (5.774 km (3.588 mi))
• Redhead: (9.274 km (5.763 mi))
• Redhead South: (10.561 km (6.562 mi))
• Jewells: (12.13 km (7.537 mi))
• John Darling Platform: (12.392 km (7.7 mi))
• Belmont: (15.51 km (9.637 mi))

Track statistics

• Level crossings, 5
• Tunnels, 1 (curved - 181 m (593.8 ft))
• Over Bridges, 2
• Drive through culvert, 1 (Little Flaggy Creek)
• Stations or Platforms, 10
• Signal Boxes, 4
• Major colliers served, 5
• Maximum gradient, 1 in 40
• Minimum elevation, 5 m (16.4 ft) (nr Belmont Station)
• Maximum elevation, 88 m (288.7 ft) (on main line)
• Length of Line, 15.51 km (10 mi)

History of the line

• 1880 - Rail line opened to Redhead
• December 1916 - Rail line extended to Belmont
• 12 October 1922 - Special train left Newcastle for the opening of "Soldiers' Memorial Hall" at Kahibah.
• January 1925 - Redhead Loop name changed to Fernleigh Loop
• 1967 - Last passenger steam train to Belmont
• 8 April 1971 - At 17:10 the last rail passenger train to Belmont via Kahibah left Newcastle Station.
• 19 December 1991 - Rail line closed
• 2 February 2003 - Adamstown to Kahibah Station stage of the Fernleigh Track (cycleway) opened
• August 2004 - Dudley Junction to Whitebridge Station section of Fernleigh Track completed
• 7 May 2005 - Kahibah Station to Whitebridge Station section officially opened.
• November 2009 - Whitebridge Station to Redhead Station section of Fernleigh Track completed
• November 2010 - Redhead Station to Jewels section of Fernleigh Track completed
• 12 March 2011 - Fernleigh Track fully completed.

External links

• Rail Trails Australia
• Newcastle Cycleways Movement
• Lake Macquarie City Council
• Premiers Council for Active Living
• Kahibah Public School's Fernleigh Track site
• NSWRail.net diagram of Belmont line
• Curve and gradient data including the Belmont line