General News
3 February, 2026
Rail bridge flood toll
A RAIL bridge at Einasleigh that was recently repaired by the State Government and is critical to the Savannahlander train has been severely damaged by raging floodwaters.
Member for Cook David Kempton described the Copperfield bridge rail line as “looking a little worse for wear” but reassured locals that once the river levels dropped, Queensland Rail would inspect the damage.
“Once the river levels have dropped and Queensland Rail has had an opportunity to assess the damage, I will be in a position to sort out what needs to be and can be done to bring the Savannahlander line back into service,” he wrote on a Facebook post.
“We need to bear in mind the overall damage to road and rail infrastructure throughout the west and north following the massive rain events and the prioritisation of repair.
“I will keep you informed of developments. The fact that we just repaired this bridge shows how vulnerable our infrastructure in the north is to natural disaster.”
Savannahlander train driver Wil Kemp also took to Facebook to describe how he felt about the situation.
“I reckon most of you would have seen videos and pictures of the Copperfield River in action and the flooding of the small town of Einasleigh over the last 24 hours,” he wrote last week.
“First and foremost, our thoughts are with the Einasleigh residents. Everyone is safe but many have had their homes and businesses flooded. I know these people are resilient but it will take time, money and support to come back from that.
“Especially, seeing as the Einasleigh Hotel was taken over by new owners a little over a week ago. I couldn’t imagine what is currently going through their minds.
“Secondly, the rail bridge that had just been straightened, the bridge that created a lot of noise last year, the bridge that brought the communities together, has been pretty banged about and damaged from what we can see, but at least it’s still there and still standing.
“Of course, we’re pretty devastated over what we’ve seen so far. So much effort and work went into drawing attention to the Copperfield Bridge situation, acquiring the funding for its repair and finally the repair job itself.”
Mr Kemp said that despite the situation, they would find a way to operate the Savannahlander for the upcoming season.
“We are starting to put together different scenarios as to what we may have to salvage from this, how we can operate the Savannahlander for this season and what kind of experience we can offer,” he wrote.
“But don’t worry, the greatest minds the Savannahlander has ever seen are on the task and I know we’ll come up with something.”
