Old bicycles, trikes and even the occasional scooter, spray-painted in sunny yellow, have been popping up all around the Tumut and Tumbarumba districts.

The bikes are being used as symbols of support for the planned Tumut-Batlow Rail Trail, and already more than 50 of them are being displayed by businesses and landholders.

Phil Barton, the chairman of the Tumut-Batlow Rail Trail Committee, said it was hoped that 100 of the bikes would eventually be scattered around the region.

“We don’t want too many more than that. We don’t want them to look like litter,” he said.

Mr Barton said the ‘trail bikes’ were the brainchild of Batlow’s Harald Tietze and the pair now paint donated bikes and distribute them to supporters.

He said the bikes have been put on display as far as Gundagai, Talbingo and Khancoban, and are on private properties and at businesses.

“Things are happening behind the scenes with the rail trail, but because it appears to be quiet, this is a way to remind people about it,” Mr Barton said.

“We don’t want people to think nothing is happening.”

In June 2017, the state government passed legislation to close the disused rail line between Tumbarumba and Rosewood, freeing it up for development of the tourist-oriented rail trail, which could be up to 35 kilometres long, and appeal to hikers and cyclists.

Mr Barton said the rail trail committee had presented a detailed submission to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, and he was hoping to discuss it further with her in person in the near future.

“Our role is to have a proposal that is shovel-ready,” he said.

Mr Barton said NSW was “lagging behind” other states like Victorian and Tasmania when it came to opening up disused rail lines for recreational tourism.

“They’ve been successful in other states for a number of years,” he said.

“In NSW, we’ve been very slow to the party.”

Rail trails are sometimes controversial because, although the land is publicly owned, it often cuts through privately owned properties.

Mr Barton said the Tumut-Batlow line had been in the works for some years.

“We did all the fighting with farmers three-and-a-half years ago,” he said.

Mr Barton is also an advocate for upgrading the Brindabella Road, which he said was crucial in helping to bring people from Canberra to the Tumut region.

“There are 400,000 people in the ACT who could use it,” he said.

A 44-kilometre stretch of the 120km road remains unsealed.