Squeezed out: No room for new rail
DOUBT has been cast on the possibility of further expanding rail services on the Gold Coast, with Coomera Connector planning documents appearing to show no room reserved for additional tracks.
However Transport Minister Mark Bailey says the longawaited road has been designed with future rail requirements in mind.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), in conjunction with the Federal Government’s National Faster Rail Agency, has committed more than a billion dollars for upgrades to the rail line from Kuraby to Beenleigh which will include doubling the number of tracks from two to four.
The extra tracks are considered vital to providing express and faster rail services ahead of the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.
Funding was also committed by the Federal Government for an investigation into faster rail options for the entire corridor from Brisbane to the Gold Coast, including the long-awaited extension from Varsity Lakes to Gold Coast
Airport.
The investigation was due to be completed by late last year, but findings have yet to be released.
Despite this, no mention of preserving land for a possible third or fourth line to facilitate potential faster rail or express services is made in publicly available Coomera Connector planning documents, while project drawings for a number of sections appear to show space would not be available for additional tracks.
However Minister Bailey told the Bulletin that future rail requirements had been considered.
“The new corridor was designed with future rail requirements and population growth between Brisbane and the Gold Coast in mind,” Mr Bailey said.
“The Coomera Connector project team has worked closely with TMR’S rail planning team throughout the corridor planning, and will continue to do during the design and delivery.
“The Cross River Rail Delivery Authority (CRRDA) – which is responsible for delivering the new Pimpama, Hope
Island and Merrimac stations – has also worked closely with the Coomera Connector project team to ensure the projects align, particularly in the case of Hope Island station, which is close to the Coomera Connector.”
Mr Bailey added that it was not believed further track duplication would be necessary in coming years.
“There is not currently an identified need for track duplication south of Beenleigh in the next 20 years,” he said.
Construction work is expected to begin soon on the first part of the Coomera Connector, known as Stage One North, which will run from Shipper Drive in Coomera to Helensvale Road, Helensvale.
Previously known as the Integrated Regional Transport Corridor (IRTC), land needed for the road was identified in the early 1990s, with some of it later used for the extension of heavy rail to the city and the extension of the light rail to Helensvale.
The Newman government moved to dissolve the corridor in 2014, asking council to remove it from its City Plan.
However land for the road was finally gazetted between 2016 and 2019.
“The first stage of the Coomera Connector is expected to be the preferred route for local trips on the northern Gold Coast, removing up to 60,000 vehicles per day from the M1,” Mr Bailey said.
“By providing an alternative north-south route, the heavy reliance on the M1 will be reduced, which will improve safety, capacity and travel time reliability.”