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Rail trails are breathing new life into thousands of kilometres of former railway corridors around Australia. But beyond abandoned passenger train infrastructure, many thousands of kilometres of freight-specific lines also lay dormant.

In Far North Queensland, the tourist towns of Mossman and Port Douglas may soon be connected by a cycling and walking path along an abandoned rail corridor once used to transport sugar cane.

The Queensland Government’s Active Transport Grants Program is on track to deliver 50/50 funding for the 20km Port Douglas to Mossman Principal Cycle Network project, linking the two popular tourism destinations by repurposing the historic cane train line.

Local advocates say planning would cost around $500,000, including survey works and preliminary design, with council’s contribution earmarked for the 2026/27 annual budget.

Local tour operator Steve Rankine welcomed the announcement, telling the Cairns Post that rail trails for bike riders and walkers would provide an important point of difference for adventure tourism in the region.

“There is much more to the Douglas Shire than just the reef and rainforest,” he said.

“It would significantly help tourism in Mossman in particular, as visitors could ride safely out to 

Mossman Gorge, which would also benefit local cafes, restaurants and retailers.”

Beyond tourism benefits, the proposed trail would offer riders a safer alternative to the notorious Captain Cook Highway - a relatively narrow main road with limited shoulder space.

Regional Queensland has around 4,000km of unique narrow-gauge cane train railway infrastructure. Much of it now lies dormant following the closure of numerous sugar mills and the shift from small-scale rail to road transport.

The Mossman Mill closed in 2024 after processing cane since 1897, marking the end of more than a century of sugar refining in the region and perhaps the start of a sweet cycling route.

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