Green light for rail plan

Project to boost services on Coast-Brisbane line

A MEGA project to build infrastructure that will achieve reductions in rail times between the Gold Coast and Brisbane has been given the green light.

The Palaszczuk Government yesterday announced the companies to build the transformational $5.4 billion Cross River Rail Project in the heart of Brisbane.

The 10.2km rail line will run from Dutton Park to Bowen Hills in Brisbane, with a 5.9km twin tunnel under the Brisbane River and CBD, four new underground stations and upgrades to existing stations.

But it will also enable Labor to deliver on its election promise of three new stations at the Gold Coast – at Pimpama, Helensvale North and Worongary-Merrimac. The stations cannot be built until the rail infrastructure is improved leading into the Brisbane CBD.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told state parliament “it’s all systems go”.

The Cross River Rail Delivery Authority will continue to work until mid-year with the respective consortia on works’ packages and contractors are to “establish a site presence from late 2019”.

The Premier said the project would deliver “15 minutes saving on the Gold Coast line”.

It will unlock the bottleneck point in the rail system – the double track Merivale Bridge that crosses the Brisbane River – which will lead to more express services north of Beenleigh. Cross River Rail would be ready to service the southeast by 2024, taking 47,000 vehicles off the roads and freeing up the Pacific Motorway, she said.

The Government announced the project’s major works packages would be delivered by “world-class’’ consortia including:

• PULSE, a tunnel, stations and development (TSD) public-private partnership.

• UNITY, a rail, integration and systems (RIS) alliance.

• Hitachi Rail STS, a European Train Control System (ETCS).

The Premier said the project would generate 7700 jobs including 450 apprentice and training opportunities.

“Cross River Rail is Brisbane’s new underground. It means more trains, more often across the entire southeast,” she said.

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said it would double heavy rail capacity through the CBD, unlocking the network for future growth and delivering more trains more often.

“We have fully funded this $5.4 billion project because we were sick of waiting on the LNP in Canberra to come to the table,” she said.

Gold Coast-based Labor senator Murray Watt said Cross River Rail would enable a train to leave Brisbane every five minutes in the morning peak on the Coast line, with a capacity for an extra 3150 seats.

He said the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority was working with the Transport Department to scope planning for the design and building of the Coast’s new rail stations.