A New Side of the Tracks

Located approximately 45 km north of Brisbane, Caboolture is is considered the northernmost urban area of the greater Brisbane metropolitan area.

If you were to travel by train to Caboolture in the early 1900s it would take roughly 2 hours - you would have shared your trip with timber, food, mail and many other supplies. In December 1909 a new section of track was opened, connecting Caboolture to Woodford, and in 1913 the railway was extended to reach Kilcoy. Wamuran, along with Moodlu, Bracalba and D’Aguila was one of the few railway sidings constructed along the Caboolture to Woodford railway.

In 1964 the Railway line between Wamuran and Kilcoy was closed, but the section of rail between Wamuran and Caboolture remained open and was mainly used to transport pineapples to the Cannery at Northgate or bananas to the markets of Brisbane. The line was officially closed in September of 2008.

In 2016 MBRC put forward a 3 stage development to turn the disused railway corridor into a 10.5 kilometre shared pathway. Council’s vision was to promote healthier and smarter lifestyle and transport choices by providing key bicycle and pedestrian network connections extending from Caboolture to Wamuran and to showcase the history of the railway.

Stage 1, has now been completed. This once abandoned, now repurposed railway corridor, provides an all weather pathway connecting users to the Caboolture CBD, train station, local schools, parks and recreational facilities. 

Although the days of transporting produce and supplies are now a thing of the past, the Caboolture to Wamuran Rail Trail celebrates this history and character through signage and visual communication design.
Inspired by the former rail line, the historical reference proved a treasure of graphic and material elements to draw on. Stencil markings, found on the pineapple and banana freight boxes, timber markings from the logging industry, industrial cast-iron steam engine and railway components formed the basis of the visual communication, including a bespoke identity for the newly named ‘Rail Trail’. We designed a custom stencil font, and applied colours drawn from the industrial language of trains, and train tracks. A series of maps were designed to help users quickly map their journey. These dynamic and fluid Rail Trail maps are supported by directional signage directing users off and on the 10.5km route.