Cooma Monaro Railway Inc.

09/05/2026

12/04/2026

🚂🌿 Market Day is underway at Cooma Monaro Railway from 9am to 1pm today! 🌿🚂

It’s a beautiful day here at the station with the platform buzzing with locals, visitors, artisan stalls, fresh produce, handmade crafts, coffee, preserves, books, quilts, jewellery and so much more.

🔥 The CMR BBQ is now serving:
🥓 Bacon & egg rolls
🥓 Bacon rolls
🍔 Cheeseburgers
🍔 Hamburgers
🌭 Sausage in bread

🥣 And for something warm on this crisp day, we also have hot homemade soup with crusty bread:
🥔 Potato & leek
🎃 Pumpkin

Come down and enjoy the heritage station atmosphere, grab a hot breakfast or lunch, browse the amazing local stallholders, and support your community.

📍 Cooma Railway Station
🕘 Today 9am–1pm

09/04/2026

🚂 Artisan Markets this Sunday at Cooma Railway | 9am–1pm
Live music, great stalls, coffee, local produce and more across the historic railway precinct. 🎶🛍

06/04/2026

Another exciting day on the Monaro line.

Today, CMR volunteers were out on the track carrying out a corridor inspection as preparations continue for the return of rail activity between Snowy Junction and Chakola.

Starting at Chakola and working through to Bunyan, the team inspected track, bridges, culverts, drainage, formation and vegetation conditions across this important section of corridor.

The inspection confirmed what we already know — this line still has enormous potential.

While some areas will require targeted maintenance and recovery works, large sections of the corridor remain in encouraging condition and provide a strong foundation for the staged recommencement of rail operations.

The first phase will see track maintenance vehicles and work equipment return to the line, allowing volunteers to progressively restore access, address identified defects and prepare for future heritage rail operations.

Seeing volunteers back on the corridor, boots on ballast and measuring wheels in hand, is a powerful reminder that this railway is not a memory, it is a living project with a real future.

Step by step, sleeper by sleeper, CMR is working to bring the Monaro line back to life.

A huge thank you to everyone involved in today’s inspection and the many volunteers whose work behind the scenes continues to make progress possible.

21/03/2026

🚆 Big week for Cooma Monaro Railway!

From recognition on the NSW stage to hands-on railway work, it’s been a fantastic week across the Cooma Monaro Railway precinct.

👏 Congratulations to Aiden Moore
Aiden represented Snowy Mountains Grammar School and heritage railways across Australia at the 2026 SHAPE Exhibition at University of Technology Sydney — an outstanding achievement.

Even more impressively, Aiden was named Runner-Up in the Spruson & Ferguson Award for Good Prospects in IP Protection and Commercial Success for his Rail Rover project.

👉 What is a Rail Rover?
A Rail Rover is a lightweight track vehicle designed to run on railway lines, capable of scanning the track, measuring geometry and identifying defects, while digitally recording inspection data. It offers a safer and more efficient way to monitor and maintain railway infrastructure.

Aiden’s project was inspired by his volunteer work with Cooma Monaro Railway and reflects the type of practical innovation that supports safe, efficient railway operations — aligning closely with the work currently underway across our corridor.

🚍 Tour group visit success
We were pleased to host a group of 37 visitors from Near or Far Bus & Coach (Springwood), who enjoyed a relaxed visit including morning tea, lunch on the platform, and time exploring the station.

A big thank you to Sam, Rob, Ken, Andrew, Lynn, Ben and Esther for making the day run so smoothly — the feedback from the group was overwhelmingly positive.

These visits not only showcase Cooma’s history but also provide an important boost to supporting ongoing work at the railway, as we continue working towards the return of heritage passenger services on the Monaro.

🛠️ Asset management in action
Behind the scenes, Esther has been preparing kilometre marker stencils for bridges and culverts across CMR’s Heritage Operations Licence (HOL) area.

This work forms part of our asset management program, ensuring critical infrastructure is clearly identified, recorded and managed — an important step in maintaining a safe and sustainable railway.

At the same time, Jacob and Sam have continued inspections of bridges and culverts along the line.

🔧 Loco shed works
Cleaning and preparation also continued in the loco shed ahead of roof repairs and a detailed inspection into termite damage affecting structural timbers and doors.

A great mix of innovation, community engagement, and hands-on railway management — exactly what Cooma Monaro Railway is all about.

15/03/2026

📣 Great response to our April markets!
Platform stalls are now fully booked, with Station Forecourt stall spaces still available.

Great response to our April markets!

📣 CMR Artisan Markets – Stallholder Update

Thank you to everyone who has already booked a stall for the April Artisan Markets at the Cooma Railway.

We’re pleased to say that all Platform Stalls are now fully booked.

However, we still have Station Forecourt stall spaces available in front of the historic station building, and we would love to welcome a few more stallholders to complete the market.

📅 Sunday 12 April 2026
🕘 9am – 1pm
📍 Cooma Railway Precinct

With artisan stalls, mini train rides and the BBQ marquee, the markets continue to grow as a relaxed Sunday morning destination for locals and visitors.

🎪 Book your stall here:
https://cooma-monaro-railway.square.site/shop/markets/10?page=1&limit=30&sort_by=category_order&sort_order=asc

We look forward to another great market morning at the Railway 🚂

14/03/2026

🚂 Another busy week at Cooma Monaro Railway

It’s been another lively and productive week around the station and rail yard at Cooma Monaro Railway.

On Thursday we welcomed two coach tour groups visiting the Monaro region, travelling with Port Stephens Coaches as part of the Life of Riley Tours. The groups were staying locally at the Lake Jindabyne Hotel and included Cranbrook Residents and Macquarie Seniors & Individuals, who stopped at the Cooma Railway Museum to explore the station and learn about the history of the Cooma–Bombala railway line.

Our volunteers Ken and Sam hosted the groups, sharing stories of the railway, the heritage station precinct and the ongoing work being carried out by CMR volunteers to preserve and reactivate this important piece of regional history. It’s always wonderful to see visitors enjoying the station and learning more about the railway’s role in the development of the Monaro.

🦉 While the tours were underway we also had a different kind of visitor quietly observing events. An owl has taken up residence in the rafters of the Good Shed, keeping a watchful eye over the activities below!

🎪 Today you’ll also find CMR at the Cooma Show, where we have a display stand showcasing the railway and chatting with the community about our plans and volunteer activities.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes plenty of work continues:

🛠 Andrew and Dave J have been busy tidying the Good Shed and painting the historic rail tricycle.
🌿 Around the yard, volunteers continue the never-ending task of track and grounds maintenance, keeping the precinct safe, tidy and ready for visitors.

Every week brings a mix of history, visitors, wildlife and volunteer effort, all helping to keep the story of the Monaro railway alive.

📍 If you're at the Cooma Show today, drop by the CMR stand and say hello!

11/03/2026

📣 Stallholder bookings now open

The CMR Artisan Markets return Sunday 12 April (9am–1pm) at the historic Cooma Railway Precinct.

If you make, bake, grow or create something unique, we’d love to have you join us.

🎪 Book your stall here:
https://cooma-monaro-railway.square.site/shop/markets/10?page=1&limit=30&sort_by=category_order&sort_order=asc

Come and be part of another great market morning at the Railway 🚂

07/03/2026

🚂 Another Busy Week at Cooma Monaro Railway

There’s always plenty happening behind the scenes at Cooma Monaro Railway, and this week was no exception. A big thank you to all of our volunteers who put in the time to keep the railway precinct looking great and moving forward.

🌿 Grounds & Precinct Maintenance

Keeping the station precinct tidy is an ongoing job — particularly with the recent rain and warmer days bringing everything to life around the yard. Even our fruit trees are flowering at this time of year, but the weeds are certainly taking off as well.

This week Rob was out with the push mower, while Dave R handled the zero-turn mower and brush cutting. Sam was driving the Suzuki HyRail with the spray tank on board, while Gordon worked alongside spraying weeds around the yard and station precinct.

🛠 Restoration & Workshop

Restoration work continued on one of our historic railway hand trolleys, with Dave J applying more fresh paint and bringing the old trike back to life.

Meanwhile Andrew was in on Wednesday continuing the big job of cleaning and organising the workshop — a task that makes everyone’s work a little easier.

🚉 Station Restoration

One of the highlights this week was installing a restored “WAY OUT” sign back on the platform.

This was a real team effort:

• Daryl – timber work
• Gordon & Dave R – painting
• Esther – stenciling

Seeing heritage details like this return to the station helps restore the character of Cooma Railway Station.

🏛 Museum Open to Visitors

The museum was also open during the week, welcoming visitors and keeping the story of the railway alive.

Thank you to Ken for opening the museum on Tuesday and Wednesday, and to Esther, Sam, and Max who helped welcome visitors on Saturday.

⚙ Behind the Scenes

Behind the scenes, work is also continuing toward CMR preparing a variation to accreditation to support future operations of our CPH railmotors, Paybus and wagon movements.

Craig has been progressing training packages, while Stuart continues work on elements of the Safety Management System required to support future operations.

While much of this work happens quietly in the background, it is an important part of preparing the railway for the return of operational heritage rolling stock.

Every bit of work — whether it’s mowing the grounds, restoring equipment, cleaning the workshop or welcoming visitors — helps keep the railway moving forward.

28/02/2026

🚂 A Big Weekend for CMR – Cooma & Bombala Update

It’s been another productive few days across the corridor for the Cooma Monaro Railway team.

🏛 Museum Open as Usual

While infrastructure works continue across the yard and corridor, the Cooma Monaro Railway Museum has remained open to visitors.

A big thank you to Ken, who opened and oversaw the museum on Tuesday and Wednesday, and to Esther, who welcomed visitors on Saturday. Keeping the museum open and engaging with the public is just as important as the restoration work happening outside.

🔧 Cooma Yard – Restoration & Maintenance Works

Work has commenced on preparing our VW track machine for a fresh coat of paint — with Lyn leading the effort to give this important workhorse some well-earned TLC. This small but important task strengthens our perway capability as restoration continues.

Earlier in the week, Points 8 & 9 in Cooma Yard received attention as part of ongoing yard infrastructure works. As part of this program, the Thornley lever will soon be installed in a location within the yard where a point lever is required.

The Thornley lever is an independent ground lever and is not connected to the mechanical interlocking system in the Signal Box. Its installation will improve operational flexibility within the yard while supporting the broader restoration of mechanical infrastructure.

🌿 A big thank you to Max, who was out brush cutting in the Cooma yard precinct to keep the site tidy and safe. We also had Rob and Dave carrying out mowing throughout the Cooma precinct. Every hour of volunteer effort — whether on the tools, on the track, maintaining the grounds, restoring equipment, or welcoming visitors — helps move the project forward.

🤝 Bombala – Working with Friends of Bombala Railway

CMR attended the Friends of Bombala Railway Open Day at the Bombala Railway Station Precinct (Railway Park).

We brought along the CMR HyRail vehicle, merchandise, and track tools and equipment so visitors could learn more about railway infrastructure and operations.

While on site, members of CMR’s Rail Infrastructure team carried out a detailed inspection of approximately 550 metres of the Platform Road and Main Line within the Bombala yard.

Track condition varies across sections; however, initial observations indicate that under a staged sleeper replacement program (approximately 1 in 5 to 1 in 6 sleepers), the track could be brought to a standard suitable for rail-based pedal cart operations.

This type of staged activation — similar to rail-based pedal experiences operating elsewhere in Australia — aligns with CMR’s Operational Business Plan for progressive corridor restoration and precinct development. It provides a practical way to bring sections of the railway corridor back into active use, extending beyond the station precinct and progressively improving usable rail length. By activating the corridor in stages, we can preserve infrastructure, demonstrate operational capability and build momentum toward the long-term objective of reinstating heritage train operations to Bombala.

This weekend demonstrated that CMR has the technical experience and rail infrastructure capability to assist Friends of Bombala Railway Inc. in working toward their vision of pedal cart operations as an initial step in reactivating the Bombala railway precinct and corridor.

📸 We’ll share more photos and updates as discussions and planning continue.

The railway corridor remains exactly that — a railway — and we’re working steadily, responsibly and precinct by precinct toward bringing it back to life.