30 Mar 2022: Budget 2022-23 - Bipartisan support a must for faster rail ...

[ozbob]

Bipartisan 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

[ozbob]

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