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The Cooma Monaro Railway
 Before the era of paved roads in New South Wales, the rural railway was about the only way people could afford to get around efficiently. Today, many former rural rail lines are gone, their remains languishing in undergrowth, their legacy paved over by dual-lane highways and realigned roads.
The railway line from Sydney to Cooma opened in 1889 following completion of Cooma railway station and brought visitors to the Snowy Mountains? gateway town for almost 100 years. However, major flooding in 1988 damaged the bridge over the Numeralla River, forcing the line between Cooma and Canberra to close. For a decade, no trains ran at all and the track fell into disrepair along with the various station buildings and livestock facilities along its route.
How it all began
The Cooma Monaro Railway began with a public meeting in 1992 to discuss restoration of Cooma?s local railway station. Unsurprisingly, the station had fallen into disrepair since the closure of the line.
With the station restored, the team of volunteers behind the effort decided to attempt a tourist railway. Luckily, four railmotor vehicles became available from nearby Tumut. For generations, the self-propelled railmotor was the work horse of railway travel between country towns. By April 1994, four decrepit-looking railcars had arrived in Cooma aboard lowloaders. Restoration got underway and, four years later, two railmotors and one of the two trailers had emerged from the shed looking as good as new.
But there was still the matter of getting permission to operate the railmotors on the line heading out of Cooma for Canberra. Negotiations with the State Government resulted in authority to begin operations in late 1998, just in time for the Cooma Jockey Club's race meeting on December 5th of that year. Since then, the railway has grown from strength to strength, serving casual visitors, locals and tour groups visiting Cooma from around the world.
The Railway Line
The line from Cooma to Chakola (an Aboriginal work for 'Lyre Bird') runs 19 kilometers alongside the Numeralla River. There are two intermediate stations, Snowy Junction and Bunyan. Snowy Junction once had a branchline to an industrial area. Today, the platform enables horse-racing enthusiasts to reach the annual Cooma Cup race meeting each December. The platform is also used to distribute rail operations crew responsible for protecting level crossings.
The other intermediate station is Bunyan, nine kilometres from the Cooma. The current platform was built by the CMR adjacent to site of the original platform and livestock loading facilities that have long since disappeared. At Bunyan, passengers wishing to make the full trip from Cooma to Chakola change from one railcar to another.
Planning Your Visit
Trains depart Cooma Railway Station on weekends year round. Special charter group and school excursions can be arranged as well. It?s best to check with the Visitors Centre for operating times and options. Painstakingly restored self-propelled railmotors provide motive power. A trailing carriage features as a dining/lounge car for special chartered excursions.
Hours of Operation:
- Summer (October-June)- Saturday/Sunday at 11am, 1pm and 2pm
- Winter (June 14th - end September) - Sunday at 1pm and 2pm only
- Public Holidays - each day (except Christmas Day)
Some other attractions in and around Cooma
Cooma is the largest town in the Snowy Mountains. It was the base for the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, Australia?s biggest civil engineering project that employed 100,000 migrants attracted from 30 countries to work on the project. The scheme began in 1949 and was completed in 1974. Cooma?s historic streets and heritage railway station are reminiscent of life in the mid-1800s.
Things to do include a drive to the top of Mount Gladstone for sweeping views of the mountains and the Monaro Plains, a trip to the Tuross Falls in Wadbilliga National Park, horse riding on the high plains and trout fishing in the surrounding streams and lakes. The Snowy Mountains Authority Information & Education Centre in town has an excellent interactive presentation of the history and development of the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric scheme.
Contact information: Jim Hatfield, General Manager, Cooma Monaro Railway E: manager@cmrailway.org.au T: (02) 6452 7791
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