Link to ‘add millions’ to economy
Mid 2013-early 2014: CHRISTMAS will come early for Gold Coast businesses, with industry and political leaders salivating over the million dollar festive season injection the light rail’s second stage will bring to the city.
Passengers will get their first ride on the tram’s 7.3km new link on Sunday morning with a special community day before regular services begin on Monday.
The weekend launch, more than a fortnight earlier than anticipated, is expected to attract tens of thousands of passengers to enjoy the first ride, with rail fans from as far away as Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and northern NSW expected to make the journey.
It’s a pre-Christmas miracle for businesses and tourism bosses who say the gala event will give the economy a vital shot in the arm which will bring more people to the city and reduce traffic on the M1.
Gold Coast North Chamber of Commerce president Martin Brady said local businesses along the route had plenty to celebrate.
“The timing of this is going to put the city on the map and because of the length the route now covers, the business impact will be felt widely,” he said.
“For retailers who have been doing it tough this year, this will have a really positive impact by bringing huge crowds in right before Christmas.”
Mayor Tom Tate said that Christmas had come early for the Coast with what he tipped to be a “momentous day”.
“We are going to get massive crowds here this Sunday and that means Christmas has come early for the Gold Coast as far as our tourism industry is concerned,” he said.
“This is going to be a momentous occasion for our city as we see the missing link of our biggest ever transport project completed.
“The linking, which connects Broadbeach to Brisbane with just one changeover means plenty more people from Brisbane will be coming here not just on Sunday but more often.
“I envisage many additional long weekends being booked here without putting more cars on the M1.”
The first passengers will embark on the stage 2 route from Helensvale Sunday morning.
It will be the first time people from Brisbane will be able to travel by rail directly to the Coast’s famous beaches since the closure of the old railway at Southport in 1964.
Gold Coast Tourism chief executive Martin Winter said visitors had plenty of reasons to smile.
“The light rail link will now provide a new connectivity from the Gold Coast to Brisbane and beyond,’ he said.
“This is great news for the tourism industry and those visitors who will be coming and, apart from providing easy access, it will also remove a significant number of vehicles from the M1.”
The opening of stage 2 comes 26 months after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the project would go ahead. at 5am on