Belgrave Rail Trail
Encyclopedia
The Ringwood - Belgrave Rail Trail is a shared-use path for cyclists
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...

 and pedestrian
Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...

s, which follows the Belgrave railway line from the Mullum Mullum Creek Trail
Mullum Mullum Creek Trail
The Mullum Mullum Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows Mullum Mullum Creek in the outer eastern suburbs in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....

 in Ringwood
Ringwood, Victoria
Ringwood is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east of Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maroondah. At the 2006 Census, Ringwood had a population of 15,185....

 to Belgrave railway station in Belgrave
Belgrave
-People with the surname Belgrave:*Barrington Belgrave*Charles Belgrave, a British adviser to the rulers of Bahrain from 1926 to 1957*James Belgrave*John Belgrave*Marcus Belgrave-Other:*Belgrave, Cheshire, a village*Belgrave, Lancashire, a village...

, in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

.

This trail is known to be a convenient and popular trail as it connects with various other trails in the area as well as being directly serviced by eight railway stations on the Belgrave railway line along its 19.2 km route.

Following the trail

Despite the trail being marked in several publications and on cycle route websites, the trail currently has no directional signage at all, so it is best to have a map of the trail on hand if the rider is unfamiliar with the trail.

Ringwood - Bayswater

Starting in Ringwood and ending in Belgrave, the trail begins as a turn-off from the Mullum Mullum Creek Trail
Mullum Mullum Creek Trail
The Mullum Mullum Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows Mullum Mullum Creek in the outer eastern suburbs in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....

 near the Ringwood Bypass
Ringwood Bypass
The Ringwood Bypass is a short stretch of road extending from EastLink to Maroondah Highway in Melbourne, Australia. It allows the Maroondah Highway to bypass the main shopping centre in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Ringwood....

 underpass in Ringwood
Ringwood
Ringwood is a historic market town and civil parish in Hampshire, England, located on the River Avon, close to the New Forest and north of Bournemouth. It has a history dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, and has held a weekly market since the Middle Ages....

, before the trail travels on a short 250 m section of local streets before a short path goes to the Maroondah Highway
Maroondah Highway
Maroondah Highway , is a major east-west thoroughfare in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne and a highway servicing the lower alpine region Victoria, Australia.-History:...

 / Ringwood Bypass
Ringwood Bypass
The Ringwood Bypass is a short stretch of road extending from EastLink to Maroondah Highway in Melbourne, Australia. It allows the Maroondah Highway to bypass the main shopping centre in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Ringwood....

 / Mount Dandenong Road intersection. The trail resumes at the south-east corner of this intersection before travelling through Ringwood Lake and crossing the Lilydale railway line before travelling through Bedford Reserve on a sealed access road.

The trail now follows Bedford Road east for 170 m, which can be traversed either on-road or via the roadside footpaths and the pedestrian traffic lights outside Ringwood Secondary College
Ringwood Secondary College
Ringwood Secondary College is a co-educational public secondary school located in the eastern suburb of Ringwood in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....

. The trail takes a right and runs south down Lena Grove for 360 m before the off-road shared path resumes at the cul-de-sac
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...

. The trail now follows the Belgrave railway line on the eastern side until Heathmont railway station, before the trail swaps to the western side of the railway at Canterbury Road. The trail now goes downhill to H.E. Parker reserve in Heathmont
Heathmont, Victoria
Heathmont is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 24 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maroondah. At the 2006 Census, Heathmont had a population of 8449.-History:...

. Using the reserve access road heading south, a left turn at the footbridge over the Dandenong Creek
Dandenong Creek
Dandenong Creek, originally known as Narra Narrawong, runs from the Dandenong Ranges in the Dandenong Ranges National Park, in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, through the urban areas of Boronia and The Basin, eventually meeting Mordialloc Creek and the manmade Patterson River...

 takes you to the Dandenong Creek Trail
Dandenong Creek Trail
The Dandenong Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows Dandenong Creek through the outer eastern and south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-Following the Path:...

. At this point, the Ringwood - Belgrave Rail Trail and the Dandenong Creek Trail share the same path for 835m east before the trails branch off from each other. A right turn immediately after the tunnel under the railway then takes you south along the eastern side of the railway line towards Mountain Highway and Bayswater railway station
Bayswater railway station, Melbourne
Bayswater is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Bayswater, on the Belgrave railway line. Bayswater is classed as a Premium Station and is in Metcard Zone 2.-Facilities:...

.

Bayswater - Upper Ferntree Gully

Around Bayswater railway station, the trail runs past the bus stops and the station car park, which usually creates a congested environment with many pedestrian and vehicular movements, so care needs to be taken when traversing this section. The Department of Transport is currently (2008) working with Knox City Council
City of Knox
The City of Knox is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of and has a estimated population of 155,969 people.-History:...

 on an alternative route through the station car park. The trail then continues on the western side of the railway until Bayswater Road, where the trail then switches back to the eastern side. The trail then travels uninterrupted to Boronia railway station where the user has to cautiously navigate through the Boronia Junction Shopping Centre car park to reach the Boronia Road / Dorset road intersection. The trail resumes on the south-east corner of the intersection, where it once again follows the railway on the eastern side. The turn-off for the Blind Creek Trail
Blind Creek Trail
The Blind Creek Trail is a shared-use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the Blind Creek from the Dandenong Creek Trail in Wantirna South to the Ringwood - Belgrave Rail Trail in Boronia, in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.This trail is one of the major...

 is encountered halfway between Boronia and Ferntree Gully. Once reaching Ferntree Gully railway station, the trail travels through the station car park to the level crossing, where the trail resumes. After crossing at the Alpine Street / Station Street / The Avenue intersection, the trail contuinues south on the western side of the railway, with a scenic footbridge over Forest Road before the trail arrives at pedestrian traffic lights at Burwood Highway in Upper Ferntree Gully. A short 400 m shared use path takes the user to the entrance to Upper Ferntree Gully railway station while crossing at the traffic lights takes you further along the trail.

Upper Ferntree Gully - Belgrave

The trail now travels south on a shared use path alongside Forest Oak Drive before arriving at the turn-off for the Ferny Creek Trail
Ferny Creek Trail
The Ferny Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows Ferny and Corhanwarrabul Creeks through the suburbs of Knoxfield and Ferntree Gully in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....

. A left turn then takes you east through the area immediately south of Victoria
Upper Ferntree Gully, Victoria
Upper Ferntree Gully is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 32 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Knox and Shire of Yarra Ranges...

. Most of this section runs along shared-use paths alongside local streets. Upon reaching the railway bridge over Burwood Highway
Burwood Highway
Burwood Highway is a major transportation link with Melbourne's eastern suburbs. It begins in the suburb of Kooyong, Melbourne at the junction of the Monash Freeway as Toorak Road between Monash Freeway and Warrigal Road, and finishes in Belgrave, Victoria in the Dandenong Ranges...

, the trail runs east alongside native trees and shrubs between the northern side of the railway and the southern side of Burwood Highway. This takes the user to Upwey
Upwey, Victoria
Upwey is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges and City of Knox. At the 2006 Census, Upwey had a population of 6,760.-History:...

 and Upwey railway station
Upwey railway station, Melbourne
Upwey is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Upwey, on the Belgrave railway line. Upwey is unstaffed and is in Metcard Zone 2.-Facilities:...

. Staying on the northern side of the railway, the trail continues to run alongside Burwood Highway until Glenfern Road, where the trail leaves the highway and follows the railway once again until arriving at the end of Campbell street in Tecoma
Tecoma, Victoria
Tecoma is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 34 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges...

. A 130 m trip along Campbell Street and a right turn down McNicol Road leads to an immediate right turn to Tecoma railway station while an immediate left turn is where the trail continues. A short trip down this final section of shared use path leads to the back of the Belgrave
Belgrave, Victoria
Belgrave is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 35 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges. At the 2006 Census, Belgrave had a population of 4094...

 strip shops where a short 220 m on-road trip down Blacksmiths Way east leads to the entrance to Belgrave railway station, where the trail finishes.

Connections

Travelling downhill, from south to north, the Ferny Creek Trail
Ferny Creek Trail
The Ferny Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows Ferny and Corhanwarrabul Creeks through the suburbs of Knoxfield and Ferntree Gully in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....

 is encountered first, then the Blind Creek Trail
Blind Creek Trail
The Blind Creek Trail is a shared-use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the Blind Creek from the Dandenong Creek Trail in Wantirna South to the Ringwood - Belgrave Rail Trail in Boronia, in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.This trail is one of the major...

, then the Dandenong Creek Trail
Dandenong Creek Trail
The Dandenong Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows Dandenong Creek through the outer eastern and south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-Following the Path:...

 and finally the upper Mullum Mullum Creek Trail
Mullum Mullum Creek Trail
The Mullum Mullum Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows Mullum Mullum Creek in the outer eastern suburbs in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....

.

The start of the Birds Land Reserve to Lysterfield Park Trail starts near the Belgrave Rail Trail. Leave the trail at Tecoma railway station and head south down McNicol Road, arriving at the reserve 2.5 km later. Alternatively leave from Belgrave railway station and head south, down the Belgrave-Hallam Road. Turn right (west) at Kaola Street 600 m later cross the very small reserve to Apsley Rd. Continue down Apsley Rd and turn left at McNicol Road, cross the bridge and arrive at Birds Land reserve, 3 km all up.

The south end of the Birds Land Reserve to Lysterfield Park Trail starts at the very south end of Lysterfield Park, just 4.5 km by quiet roads from the Hallam Bypass Trail
Hallam Bypass Trail
The Hallam Bypass Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians running along the Hallam Bypass between Doveton and Berwick in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.The trail was completed in 2003.-Route:...

. Leave the Hallam Bypass Trail using the freeway underpass 400 m west of Ernst Wanke Road. Follow the shared path, than travel along Drysdale Road and Heathdale Road. At the small roundabout turn left (north) up Glenwood Road. Cross Belgrave-Hallam Road and continue north up Jacques Road. Turn left (west) at Heatherton Road and then right (north) up Reservoir Road.

North end at 37.810814°S 145.233744°E.
South end at 37.909461°S 145.354609°E.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK