Rail trail patronage
The Northern Rivers Rail Trail has adopted TRAFx counters and technology on the Tweed section of the Rail Trail to collect, view and manage accurate user data. TRAFx was selected on the basis of its credibility within government agencies and their experience in parks and public lands management. There are numerous collection points along the Rail Trail and comprehensive algorithms at work to ensure the best accuracy. Additional sources of data collected, such as the Northern Rivers Rail Trail Guest Experience Survey, Google reviews, TripAdvisor reviews and qualitative feedback from Visitor Information Centres and local businesses, also support this data. New user data will be recorded monthly and it will be made available each quarter via the Northern Rivers Rail Trail website.
| Since opening, 1 March, 2023) | 197,117 trail users |
| Monthly average | 10,375 users |
| Weekly average | 2,379 users |
| Daily average | 340 users |
| Quarterly total | 30,443 users |
| Monthly average | 10,148 users |
| Weekly average | 2,316 users |
| Daily average | 331 users |
Monthly visitation
| July | August | September |
| 10,249 | 9,478 | 10,716 |
| Quarterly total | 20,053 users |
| Monthly average | 6,684 users |
| Weekly average | 1,543 users |
| Daily average | 220 users |
Monthly visitation
| April | May | June |
| 9,518 | 1,308* | 9,227 |
*May saw reduced usage on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail, influenced by several key factors. There were 16 days of rainfall, including multiple days of heavy rain, which impacted trail accessibility. Visitor numbers also decreased following the peak Easter and school holiday periods in April, and the lack of public holidays in May limited additional weekend visitors.
| Quarterly total | 15,734 users |
| Monthly average | 5,245 users |
| Weekly average | 1,210 users |
| Daily average | 173 users |
Monthly visitation
| January | February | March |
| 5,888 | 3,544 | 6,302 |
| Quarterly total | 22,058 users |
| Monthly average | 7,353 users |
| Weekly average | 1,678 users |
| Daily average | 240 users |
Monthly visitation
| October | November | December |
| 10,079 | 6,565 | 5,414 |
| Quarterly total | 38,201 users |
| Monthly average | 12,734 users |
| Weekly average | 2,907 users |
| Daily average | 415 users |
Monthly visitation
| July | August | September |
| 14,781 | 11,218 | 12,202 |
| Monthly average | 17,187 users |
| Weekly average | 3,966 users |
| Daily average | 567 users |
| Monthly average | 19,068 users |
| Weekly average | 4,306 users |
| Daily average | 615 users |
*The Rail Trail opened on 1 March, 2023.
Busiest days (highest to lowest): Sunday, Saturday, Friday, Wednesday, Thursday, Tuesday, Monday.
Busiest time: 9 am – 11 am
- Over 97% of Rail Trail users are very satisfied or satisfied with their overall experience on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail.
- Over 94% of Rail Trail users are likely to return to the Rail Trail.
- 6o% of Rail Trail users start their journey at the Murwillumbah Railway Station, with over 85% of users opting for round trips over a one-way journey.
- Rail Trail users have scored the Northern Rivers Rail Trail an average of 4.8 stars on Google Reviews and 4.6 stars on TripAdvisor.
- 2 – 5+ hours is the average time spent on the Rail Trail for over 80% of users.
