Train Ride to End Polio - 2026
Every year around World Polio Day (a day early this year on Friday 23rd October 2026), Rotarians from all over Sydney embark on a marathon effort to visit every station in Sydney in one day, known as the Train Ride to End Polio. This is in an effort to raise funds to eradicate polio.
It used to be that trains were part of the polio problem, as they gave the poliovirus the perfect way to rapidly spread far and wide. Then, in 2001, trains became part of the solution with mass vaccination drives centred at Railway stations. Since 2018, there has been a Train Ride to End Polio in the Sydney Metropolitan area to raise money for the Rotary Foundation's END POLIO NOW Campaign. The Sydney events have raised over $880,000 to date. Since 1979 the Rotary Foundation has been working towards eradicating polio. In 1988 Rotary and the World Health Organisation launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. In 1988 there were 350,000 cases in 125 countries. In 2026 we are down to two countries (Afganistan and Pakistan) with only 146 cases year to date.
A team of 14 Rotarians from all over Sydney, led by Beecroft Rotary, will start at Cronulla at 04:33 and work their way through the network, ending at Tallawong at 22:33. We are not aiming for the record. Our goal is to meet Rotarians and dignitaries from all over Sydney to get their support for this campaign. In 2025 we met up with around 400 people throughout the day.
But why should people in Australia care? We have been free of Polio since 2001. Well, Polio is still only a flight away. There was a minor outbreak in PNG last year, and Polio was detected in Perth's water in May this year. We need to get to zero cases to eradicate the disease for good. If we stopped our efforts today, it would spread and return to Australia within a decade.
Transport for NSW have been very supportive of this campaign, and I would just like to express my gratitude. Also, Brothers Ben Cafe in Petersham have been supporting us via breakfast.
If you wish to support (and get a tax deduction), please go to:
https://raise.rotary.org/en-GB/project/dave-train-ride-to-end-polio-2026