RAIL - Back On Track Forum

Couriermail --> Game-changing Coast rail line risks missing Olympics deadline $

QuoteNew detail surrounding the construction of a Sunshine Coast rail extension shows construction will still be under way just prior to the 2032 Olympic Games, with a funding tit-for-tat continuing between the state and federal governments.

The Sunshine Coast rail extension will come down to the wire, as new details reveal construction will likely still be taking place in 2030 just prior to the Olympics.

The big money for the project will not start flowing until 2025-26, but the timing means it can brook no delays or it risks not being finished in time for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.

But the Coalition say they will fast-track it to get it done sooner if the State comes on board, but Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey accused the government of "fake funding". ...

If level crossing removal is any guide, this state will struggle to deliver anything much prior to the Olympics.
Sad joke is Labor's anti-Sunshine Coast bias and anti-rail TMR. 

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1511352573638459398

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1511353159347757075

IA: Project business case evaluation summary
North Coast Connect

>  https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-03/North%20Coast%20Connect%20Evaluation%20Summary.pdf

4BC --> Transport Minister hoses down reports rail infrastructure won't be ready for 2032 Games

QuoteQueensland's Transport Minister has hosed down reports that one of the major pieces of infrastructure ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Games won't be finished in time.

A new report claims the Sunshine Coast heavy rail extension linking Beerwah to Maroochydore will "come down to the wire" with just 10 years for the major project to get underway, and both levels of governments trading barbs over the project.

Last week, the federal government pledged $1.6 billion to partly fund the extension, a figure the state government has questioned.

The Queensland government is yet to commit to the project, saying it needs to see a business case.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey says the announcement was a cheap bid for votes by the Morrison government.

"This is such an election stunt, doesn't have a business case, their costing is totally untrustworthy, we don't know where they got that figure from, we think they simply made it up and threw it into the budget because they are desperate," he told Peter Fegan.

He says there was "no doubt about it" that everything will be "up and running" before the Olympics. ...

The business case evaluation summary by IA gives a guide as to the costs for Beerwah - Maroochydore. 
Our own estimates also confirm that $3.2 billion is a good estimate. 

It is a weak counter argument that Minister Bailey is running. 
He wants to play the politics, as do the Feds too of course.

The fundamental problem with public transport infrastructure projects in Queensland particularly, is that they remain as political play things. 

I have little confidence that this jurisdiction will achieve much before 2032.

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1511711802186690562

Mark Bailey should resign and get a job at Twitter, TikTok or Facebook.

Worse, he will block you if you have anything that is critical or rebuttal to some of the poorly-argued or misleading messages he spreads.

I think it is very fair to say that every member here is fed up and has had a gut full of the BS politics.

Facebook ...

Sunshine Valley Gazette 6 April 2022 page 26

$1.6 billion CAMCOS funding and SEQ city Steals

Couriermail --> Secret Sunshine Coast rail plan revealed $

QuoteA portion of a top secret business case into a multibillion dollar Sunshine Coast rail project has been revealed in a bid to force the state government to come to the table and commit its share of funds.

The state government has so far refused to commit its half of the $3.2bn needed to build the Beerwah to Maroochydore rail extension, claiming the federal government had "plucked" the cost "out of the sky".

The federal government, including Fairfax MP Ted O'Brien, have maintained the figure comes from a detailed business case prepared by a private consortium in 2019.

While the business case remains commercial in confidence, federal urban infrastructure minister Paul Fletcher will on Tuesday reveal the portion of the document that confirms the project's price tag. ...

We were correct of course ...

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1513524798974234629

This bullsh%t about secrecy and commercial in confidence conveniently forgotten about to give the Couriermail information from the business case. 

They all suck ...

The North Coast Connect business case (which is what they are referring to) should be public of course.

^ 

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1513526631658561539

Sent to all outlets:

12th April 2022

CAMCOS Cost estimate on the mark

Good Morning,

So the Couriermail is given access to part of the North Coast Connect business case denied to the public and they confirm that CAMCOS cost estimate at $3.2 billion is correct.

Well fancy that, we worked it out ourselves with no access to the ' secret ' business case (see attached).  There is also a bigger issue with the secrecy and ' muzzles in confidence ' that Governments are obsessed with. Frankly, we are tired of the lack of transparency.

Secret Sunshine Coast rail plan revealed
https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/qld-politics/secret-sunshine-coast-rail-plan-revealed/news-story/fa471e047c5b039b569970c76ba556b2

Have a great day!

Best wishes,

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track https://backontrack.org

Quote from: ozbob on March 31, 2022, 04:35:27 AMSent to all outlets:

Commentary:

Has the Federal Government used dodgy costings for heavy rail Beerwah to Maroochydore?

31st March 2022

The most recent new double track heavy railway line in SEQ was the 12.6km long Redcliffe Peninsula line, built for $1 billion in 2016, which works out to $80 million per km. This included a bridge over the M1.

The commonwealth has estimated $3.2 billion cost for the double track heavy railway line Beerwah to Maroochydore (a 50-50 funding split, $1.6 billion from the Federal Government with $1.6 billion to be contributed by the Queensland Government)

The proposed double track railway line to Maroochydore will be 35km long, so at $3.2 billion would work out to $91 million per km.

More recently, the Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail project was costed at $2.24 billion for 18km ($124 million per km) This project will involve an additional two new tracks in a brownfield environment, so will be fairly complex and hence involves a higher per km cost.

RAIL Back On Track considers $3.2 billion is a reasonable estimate for the heavy rail double track from Beerwah to Maroochydore. There would be some increase in costs since 2016, and there is some additional complexity in terms of the Bridge over the Mooloolah River and a short tunnel at Little Mountain. The longer project would benefit from some economy of scale and like the Redcliffe Peninsula line is greenfield construction.  The CAMCOS project was costed at $1 billion in 2006 (SEQIPP 2005-25).

Previously, an extension to Maroochydore has been hamstrung by the lack capacity in the network and a failure to carry out the planned rail upgrades in a timely manner as originally proposed. In 2005 the then Transport and Main Roads Minister Paul Lucas committed for the State to build to Caloundra by 2015 and to Maroochydore by 2020 in a statement made on the 30th August 2005.

The duplication of the Sunshine Coast line to Beerwah (ideally through to Landsborough), and completion of Cross River Rail will allow for an increase in network capacity. With both of these projects underway, it makes sense to start construction of the heavy rail to Maroochydore as soon as practicable, to take advantage of the new network capacity.

$3.2 billion is a good cost estimate.

References:

1. South East Queensland Regional Plan 2005 - 2026
https://www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/22627/released-documents-rti1920-061.pdf

2. Caloundra South CAMCOS Realignment Study 2007
https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?msg=206015

3. Queensland Parliament Hansard 30th March 2022 Pages 798 to 810
Sunshine Coast, Rail Infrastructure
https://documents.parliament.qld.gov.au/events/han/2022/2022_03_30_DAILY.pdf

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track https://backontrack.org

Quote from: ozbob on March 30, 2022, 00:38:03 AMBipartisan support a must for faster rail to Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast

30th March 2022

RAIL Back On Track welcomes funding in the Federal budget for both a rail extension to Maroochydore ($1.6 billion), and for the Logan to Gold Coast Faster rail project ($1.1 billion).

We urge all parties to commit to funding both of these projects at the coming federal election.

Rail to Maroochydore will be a game changer. For years the Sunshine coast has seen proportionally less public transport investment than Brisbane or the Gold Coast.

Currently the main rail stations on the Sunshine coast are a significant distance inland at Nambour, Landsborough and Beerwah, well away from the bulk of the population on the booming coastal strip. The rail project long known by the acronym 'CAMCOS' will thread right through the centre, putting new stations on the doorstep of hundreds of thousands of residents at places like Caloundra, Birtinya and Maroochydore. It will also support the growing Aura development, ensuring the new city grows sustainably around the rail line.
The new line will be built to fast interurban standards, potentially achieving speeds of 140 km/h or more.

Also significant is the Logan to Gold Coast faster rail project. The rail line south of Kuraby is only one track in each direction, with many slow curves. Gold Coast Express trains have no way to overtake all stops Beenleigh trains.
The current setup slows down maximum speeds and limits the total number of trains that can be run. The faster rail project will expand the corridor from two tracks to four, and straighten out some of the slow curves.
This will ultimately segregate Gold Coast trains and give them a clear run through Logan and into Brisbane.

These projects will better connect the Gold and Sunshine Coasts to Brisbane, will relieve pressure on the overloaded Bruce and Pacific Highways, support the shift to net zero emissions and aid the movement of people across SEQ for the 2032 Olympics.

Finally, its important to acknowledge the need for Toowoomba to also be included in this 'faster rail fever' to complete the regional vision.
The coming inland rail project will provide new tunnels bypassing the currently slow range sections up to Toowoomba.
With careful design, freight trains and regular passenger services could share these tunnels, slashing the journey time, potentially meaning Toowoomba and Brisbane could be linked in under 90 minutes.

References:

1. Budget 2022-23 https://budget.gov.au/index.htm

2. Rail Express Budget boost for rail infrastructure https://www.railexpress.com.au/17-9-billion-budget-boost-for-australian-infrastructure/

3. Caboolture to Maroochydore Corridor Study  https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/caboolture-to-maroochydore-corridor-study

4. Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/logan-and-gold-coast-faster-rail

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track https://backontrack.org

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1513533088416268289

We might get to see the North Coast Connect business case yet 

But this is yet another demonstration of how pathetic the politicisation of public transport is in Queensland and Australia generally.

Bailey et al have been done over, as has the Sunny Coast, again!

Federal Govt.  Strong on politics and announcements.  Weak on actually doing anything except giving Gerry Harvey and billionaires lots of money.

QuoteWe might get to see the North Coast Connect business case yet 

But this is yet another demonstration of how pathetic the politicisation of public transport is in Queensland and Australia generally.

Bailey et al have been done over, as has the Sunny Coast, again!

The Queensland Government cannot expect the Federal Government to not only provide funds but also write the business case for them.
That is NOT their responsibility.

The Queensland Government is responsible for the business case as they are the ones who will build and operate the network and trains. Or do they also not know that they have a railway line up there in addition to their own red team MPs on the Sunshine Coast? 🤪

It's the Queensland Government's own fault if no business case if available, as the information provided by Fares_Fairs show, money was set aside for such a business case in the State Budget before it was cancelled.

If the Queensland Government cannot organise itself, maybe it does need to be put into administration and administered from Canberra??   

There is money for a business case for the CAMCOS proposal.
$6 million total in a 50/50 Federal/State split.

National Faster Rail Investment Program
April 2022
In its 2021–22 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal
Outlook (17 Dec 2021), the Australian and Queensland
Governments agreed to commit $3 million each
to the Beerwah to Maroochydore Rail Extension
(Investment Planning) project.

Why they continue to play politics with our crucial infrastructure is puerile in the extreme.

There's NO business case for the $1 billion Gabba redevelopment but that didn't stop the state government from announcing it. It is being developed for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic games - as is this CAMCOS project.

The hypocrisy and politics is abhorrent.

You don't see them playing politics with the Gold Coast for any of their infrastructure - so why do it to us?

Sunshine Coast News --> Infrastructure minister reveals timeframe to build long-awaited coastal railway line

QuoteThe Federal Government says construction of a passenger railway line from Beerwah to the coastal strip must start in 2023 to be completed in time for the Olympic Games in 2032.

Federal Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher told Sunshine Coast News it would take nine years to build the long-awaited heavy rail, historically known as CAMCOS.

Mr Fletcher was visiting the Sunshine Coast on Tuesday as part of the federal election campaign and ramped up pressure on the State Government to co-fund the project.

He revealed figures from the confidential business case for what has been dubbed 'North Coast Connect' showing the total cost of building the line from Beerwah to Caloundra and Maroochydore would be $2.913 billion.

That figured was scaled up to $3.2 billion to take a "conservative approach". ...

^ according to the article the North Coast Connect business case was around 600 pages in length.

Minister Bailey has indicated that the $6 million study is proceeding.  One would think the North Coast Connect business case would be of some value to the study Minister Bailey is referring too. Particularly the Beerwah through to Maroochydore sections of the North Coast Connect business case.

Broad point, why is it that the public cannot review these business cases?

In the end we are paying for it.

To be fair, I have no confidence it would actually cost $3.2bn - not unless it was done incredibly on-the-cheap (eg single-tracking and flat junction at Beerwah), which is a bad outcome.  It will end up being more than that, which of itself is not necessarily a problem.

The bigger issue is that cost only appears to relate to tacking CAMCOS onto the network, not on providing any necessary upstream capacity increase needed to allow those trains to run in and amongst Caboolture and Kippa-Ring services at any kind of meaningful headway (ie without having to just be extensions of existing Caboolture trains stopping all stations north of Petrie).

The 10% allowance for increase in construction costs is a delusion. In reality, it should be more like 25%, taking the cost to around $3.6 billion.

$3.2 billion is utterly unfeasible given the increases in the cost of materials and labour since 2019.

IMHO, that does not explain why they refuse to commit to funding it - the elephant in the room.
Federal Labor have also been noticeably silent on this.

These are just excuses for inaction and or indecision.
The state can find $1.121 billion for the Gold Coast works.

The plan was to play damn politics with this project right from the start, when they said that they would hold talks after the Federal election.

As for costings:
Redcliffe Peninsula line (2016) was $1.0b for 12.6km = $79.4 million/km. It included a road-bridge over the M1.
CAMCOS line (2022 estimate) was $3.2b for 37km = $86.5 million/km. It includes a 700m tunnel at Little Mountain.
That's in the ball park in my estimation.
The jointly funded $6m investment plan (aka Business Case) currently underway will confirm the details.

Quote from: SurfRail on April 12, 2022, 17:38:04 PMTo be fair, I have no confidence it would actually cost $3.2bn - not unless it was done incredibly on-the-cheap (eg single-tracking and flat junction at Beerwah), which is a bad outcome.  It will end up being more than that, which of itself is not necessarily a problem.

The bigger issue is that cost only appears to relate to tacking CAMCOS onto the network, not on providing any necessary upstream capacity increase needed to allow those trains to run in and amongst Caboolture and Kippa-Ring services at any kind of meaningful headway (ie without having to just be extensions of existing Caboolture trains stopping all stations north of Petrie).

Fair point re: the tack on comment. I recall IIRC, the Redcliffe Peninsula line works included adding a fourth track through to Lawnton, from the junction at Petrie.
Perhaps, like CRR it will rely upon ETCS2 to achieve the better headway and allow increased capacity.

Of course cost will increase, but without seeing the business case we don't know what it actually was going to deliver.  The cost for the Beerwah - Maroochydore rail was $2.9 billion in the NCC business case.

But the time the fukwits actually do something here in Queensland it will probably be up to twice that.
To be frank I am not optimistic this will be built.

Quote from: achiruel on April 12, 2022, 17:53:16 PMThe 10% allowance for increase in construction costs is a delusion. In reality, it should be more like 25%, taking the cost to around $3.6 billion.

$3.2 billion is utterly unfeasible given the increases in the cost of materials and labour since 2019.

I expect that if this ever eventuated services north of Beerwah - Nambour - Gympie North would be local shuttles.

Impacts south of Beerwah largely non event. The network will be running on ETCS at that time if it still exists.

Quote from: Fares_Fair on April 12, 2022, 21:16:07 PM

Quote from: SurfRail on April 12, 2022, 17:38:04 PMTo be fair, I have no confidence it would actually cost $3.2bn - not unless it was done incredibly on-the-cheap (eg single-tracking and flat junction at Beerwah), which is a bad outcome.  It will end up being more than that, which of itself is not necessarily a problem.

The bigger issue is that cost only appears to relate to tacking CAMCOS onto the network, not on providing any necessary upstream capacity increase needed to allow those trains to run in and amongst Caboolture and Kippa-Ring services at any kind of meaningful headway (ie without having to just be extensions of existing Caboolture trains stopping all stations north of Petrie).

Fair point re: the tack on comment. I recall IIRC, the Redcliffe Peninsula line works included adding a fourth track through to Lawnton, from the junction at Petrie.
Perhaps, like CRR it will rely upon ETCS2 to achieve the better headway and allow increased capacity.

The Guardian --> Federal government criticised for 'pathetic' Brisbane to Sunshine Coast rail line costings document

QuoteThe federal government has sought to justify its costings for a Brisbane to Sunshine Coast rail line by releasing three heavily redacted pages from a 2019 feasibility study – a move branded "pathetic" and "embarrassing" by Queensland's transport minister.

The Morrison government claims the North Coast Connect project will cost $3.2bn and has promised half the funding. It wants the Queensland government to match its $1.6bn spend.

Queensland ministers have said the project will cost significantly more and that the federal government's figure appeared to have been "plucked out of the sky".

In an apparent attempt to respond to the criticism, the federal urban infrastructure minister, Paul Fletcher, on Tuesday released three pages of costings from a 600-page feasibility study.

The pages were heavily redacted with all but six figures visible. The itemised cost breakdowns are entirely blacked out, but purport to show the 37km North Coast Connect line would cost about $2.9bn. Fletcher said the $3.2bn figure was a conservative number to cover contingencies.

Fletcher said the costing was "robust" and criticised the Queensland government for questioning the figure. ...

> Excerpt of business case PDF 0.3 MB

Couriermail --> Federal government releases documents on Beerwah to Maroochydore rail project $

QuoteThree pages of redacted tables have been released in a bid to prove the $3.2bn cost estimate for the Maroochydore to Beerwah rail project while a state Labor minister has likened the release to a "kindy kid's project".

A heavily redacted document has been released as the federal government attempts to call out "lies and misinformation" around estimated costs for a Sunshine Coast rail project.

The state and federal governments are at loggerheads over how much it would cost to build a Beerwah to Maroochydore rail line after the federal budget included $1.6bn for the project.

Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher visited the Sunshine Coast on Tuesday to rubbish claims by the state government that the $3.2bn cost estimate was "plucked out of thin air".

Mr Fletcher released three pages from a cost analysis completed by WT Consultancy, dated September 2019, which included four heavily redacted tables for the Brisbane to Maroochydore rail.

Two showed the cost of the Beerwah to Caloundra and Caloundra to Maroochydore stages were estimated to cost $1.09bn and $1.82bn respectively. ...

> Excerpt of business case PDF 0.3 MB

  release the entire business case !!

What no North West Transportation corridor?
The Caboolture Line will only be able to have a 2tph increase to 12tph am peak from ETCS if there are no extra tracks between Lawnton and Brisbane's CBD. So the reality of building CAMCOS with no NWTC will be overcrowded Caboolture Line services. There will also be limited to no improvements in journey time, other than CAMCOS better serving population centres. 

The North Coast Connect business case did look at NWTC as an option but opted to go with an extra line north of Brisbane.

Without having access to the business case we will never know why they opted for what they did.

I think there is not much chance of NWTC for rail, or CAMCOS for that matter. 
It is just petty politics and incompetence on display for all to note!

North Coast Connect evaluation of the business case by IA

> https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/projects/north-coast-connect

Document > https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-03/North%20Coast%20Connect%20Evaluation%20Summary.pdf

Clearly we don't have the full business case but I find it hard to understand how a rail line to a major population centre can't have a +ve BCR yet we have built freeways using same methodology which actually increase congestion from the same population for little economic benefit.  What is the business case missing? Does it ignore the tax payer support for road transport? Does it treat it as a "competitor" to the freeways? Or is the BCR for the freeways even lower? 

I know most transport studies have silly assumptions like "only 15% (or very low %) of the population will catch public transport" and all other assessment is based off that.  It is like making a mistake early on in the exam question.   

Quote from: Fares_Fair on April 12, 2022, 21:16:07 PM

Quote from: SurfRail on April 12, 2022, 17:38:04 PMTo be fair, I have no confidence it would actually cost $3.2bn - not unless it was done incredibly on-the-cheap (eg single-tracking and flat junction at Beerwah), which is a bad outcome.  It will end up being more than that, which of itself is not necessarily a problem.

The bigger issue is that cost only appears to relate to tacking CAMCOS onto the network, not on providing any necessary upstream capacity increase needed to allow those trains to run in and amongst Caboolture and Kippa-Ring services at any kind of meaningful headway (ie without having to just be extensions of existing Caboolture trains stopping all stations north of Petrie).

Fair point re: the tack on comment. I recall IIRC, the Redcliffe Peninsula line works included adding a fourth track through to Lawnton, from the junction at Petrie.
Perhaps, like CRR it will rely upon ETCS2 to achieve the better headway and allow increased capacity.

MBRL had a large chunk of funding removed by splitting the project in to two projects. MBRL and Lawnton To Petrie. Well. 3 projects. They sort of ditched the stabling projects as well and merged them into the network wide program. Similar to CRR where projects keep getting added to the bill. There was to be quite a lot more infrastructure added in both projects but were dulled down due to cost cutting measures such as selling off land for the 6th platform at Petrie and the associated tracks for it, removing pedestrian bridges over doles road, removing pedestrian subways at stations (think of a similar setup to Richlands) and limiting the work done at Lawnton. It's why other infrastructure projects were brought forward such as Francis road overpass in prep for planned at the time works at Lawnton for its level crossing removal.

What use would a sixth platform have been anyway?

Turn arounds, NWTC routing and Dakabin stabling starters/terminators. The proposed Strathpine station works, freight bypass line and additional platforms were shafted in favour of moving it to Petrie to limit dead running and maximise utilisation of the network. Basically the UrbanLink idea was moved from Strathpine to Petrie.

====

Some strong words here from Mr O'Brien ...

" Mark Bailey has lied ... "

Couriermail (Sunshine Coast) --> Maroochydore to Brisbane rail: Major players call for urgent government funding $

QuoteProminent Sunshine Coast businesspeople fear a golden opportunity could be lost if all levels of government fail to "put politics aside" and deliver Maroochydore to Brisbane rail.

With $1.6bn on the table from the federal Liberal National Party, calls are being made for local and state governments and federal Labor to commit to the long-awaited project.

The latest proposal is to extend rail from Beerwah with stations at Caloundra and Kawana, before finishing at Maroochydore near the CBD and Sunshine Plaza.

It would be built on land set aside as part of the Caboolture to Maroochydore Corridor Study (CAMCOS). But the state government has refused to commit to match the funding for the $3.2bn project.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said the state government was yet to see "any detailed or credible CAMCOS costings" and described the LNP's funding as an "election bribe". ...

Train for the Games

> https://www.couriermail.com.au/topics/train-for-the-games

"The Sunshine Coast Daily has launched the Train for the Games campaign to push for Brisbane to Maroochydore rail via the CAMCOS corridor. Over coming weeks we will reveal what is holding this project back, why the region is in desperate need for better transport options and what can be done about it."

Sent to all outlets:

Bipartisan support a must for faster rail to Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast

3rd May 2022

RAIL Back On Track welcomes funding in the 2022-23 Federal Budget for both a rail extension to Maroochydore ($1.6 billion), and for the Logan to Gold Coast Faster rail project ($1.1 billion).

We urge all parties to commit to funding both of these projects at the 2022 federal election.

Rail to Maroochydore will be a game changer. For years the Sunshine coast has seen proportionally less public transport investment than Brisbane or the Gold Coast. We welcome the ' Train for the Games ' campaign launched by the Sunshine Coast Daily, however CAMCOS heavy rail is needed  with or without the 2032 Games.

Currently the main rail stations on the Sunshine coast are a significant distance inland at Nambour, Landsborough and Beerwah, well away from the bulk of the population on the booming coastal strip. The rail project long known by the acronym 'CAMCOS' will thread right through the centre, putting new stations on the doorstep of hundreds of thousands of residents at places like Caloundra, Birtinya and Maroochydore. It will also support the growing Aura development, ensuring the new city grows sustainably around the rail line.
The new line will be built to fast interurban standards, potentially achieving speeds of 140 km/h or more.

Also significant is the Logan to Gold Coast faster rail project. The rail line south of Kuraby is only one track in each direction, with many slow curves. Gold Coast Express trains have no way to overtake all stops Beenleigh trains.
The current setup slows down maximum speeds and limits the total number of trains that can be run. The faster rail project will expand the corridor from two tracks to four, and straighten out some of the slow curves.
This will ultimately segregate Gold Coast trains and give them a clear run through Logan and into Brisbane.

These projects will better connect the Gold and Sunshine Coasts to Brisbane, will relieve pressure on the overloaded Bruce and Pacific Highways, support the shift to net zero emissions and aid the movement of people across SEQ for the 2032 Olympics.

Finally, its important to acknowledge the need for Toowoomba to also be included in this 'faster rail fever' to complete the regional vision.
The coming inland rail project will provide new tunnels bypassing the currently slow range sections up to Toowoomba.
With careful design, freight trains and regular passenger services could share these tunnels, slashing the journey time, potentially meaning Toowoomba and Brisbane could be linked in under 90 minutes.

References:

1. Budget 2022-23 https://budget.gov.au/index.htm

2. Train for the Games https://www.couriermail.com.au/topics/train-for-the-games

3. Rail Express Budget boost for rail infrastructure https://www.railexpress.com.au/17-9-billion-budget-boost-for-australian-infrastructure/

4. Caboolture to Maroochydore Corridor Study  https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/caboolture-to-maroochydore-corridor-study

5. Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/logan-and-gold-coast-faster-rail

6. Toowoomba to Brisbane Passenger Rail Strategic Business Case  https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/toowoomba-to-brisbane-passenger-rail-strategic-business-case

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track https://backontrack.org

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