Surge in users coming down the tram line

Half a million trips a week predicted

THE Gold Coast light rail could be transporting up to 520,000 people a week by 2030, with supercharged operations during the Commonwealth Games providing a glimpse into that busy future.

Services for next April’s Games are set to run as little as six minutes apart, at each tram’s 309-person capacity, with services running up to 24 hours a day when needed.

The entire fleet of 18 trams will operate for the 11-day event, including four new ones added with the launch of the extension of the service to join the heavy rail at Helensvale.

The first paying passengers on the Gold Coast light rail boarded the trams three years ago today, with more than 20 million trips taken since then.

Currently the service provides just over 150,000 trips a week – but it has the capacity to carry far more people, up to 700,000 a week once stage two is running.

Planners believe patronage will continue to grow between seven and 10 per cent each year after an initial higher jump when stage two launches.

The uptake is well above budgeted year-on-year growth of 3.2 per cent and has validated the early planning decision

to use 43m trams instead of the 30m option first considered.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Transport Jackie Trad said patronage had increased 27 per cent since 2014-15.

“Light rail is now such a vital link in our integrated transport network of buses, trains and trams on the Coast with an average of 665,000 people a month travelling on the G,” she said.

“When Light Rail Stage 2 opens, passengers will be able to travel through the Gold Coast University Hospital to Helensvale, which will provide a state-of- the art one-transfer connection to the heart of Brisbane.

“Trams will play an important part in showcasing our world class transport system during the upcoming Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games where more than six million additional trips are forecast across the Gold Coast transport network.”

GoldlinQ’s latest customer survey found more than three quarters of tram passengers were locals, with 38 per cent living within 500m of the system and 28 per cent of them travelling more than 5km to get to it.

Shopping was the most popular reason for using the light rail, with 56 per cent of those surveyed saying they were coming or going to the shops.

GoldlinQ Chairman John Witheriff said patronage of nearly eight million trips in the third year of operations demonstrated that passenger growth had continued.

“Each year almost 1.5 million people board the tram at Cavill Avenue station alone and with the Stage 2 extension to come online ahead of the Games, we look forward to moving more people each day,” he said.

“The local community and visitors have continued to use light rail to move around the city for business and leisure.”

GoldlinQ’s survey found 46 per cent of passengers surveyed use the trams regularly, while a quarter are new users.

Passengers aged between 18 and 34 made up 46 per cent of the passengers, while 24 per cent were over 55. Six per cent of those surveyed had a disability.

The survey saw 1013 passengers interviewed between 7am and 7pm on every day of the week between May 2 and May 8. Paid passenger services on G:link commenced on 21 July 2014 following a fare-free community day.