Robina to Varsity Lakes

[ozbob]

http://www.qr.com.au/SEQIP/projects/VarsityLakes/default.asp

Just been updated.

The Gold Coast rail line is being extended by 4.1km from Robina to Varsity Lakes.   

There are also plans to construct a transit interchange at the new Varsity Lakes station.  This project is the first step in the progressive extension of the Gold Coast line to Gold Coast Airport.

With Gold Coast City?s population expected to grow to approximately 520,000 people by 2011, the Robina to Varsity Lakes passenger rail line section will help meet the coast's future transport needs.

[ozbob]

From the Gold Coast Sun 4th March 2009 page 16

Transit-orientated hub in shape It's full steam ahead

Transit-orientated hub in shape It's full steam ahead
By BRENT MELVILLE

THE frame of the new Varsity railway station is now visible as work on the structure and earthworks for the adjoining Varsity Village apartment block steams ahead.

The $324 million 4km electrified railway track extension to the station from Robina is also progressing, with the installation of stanchions to support the overhead lines. The station is expected to be completed late this year.

Between September 2007, when preparations began, and October 2008, more than a million tonnes of hardfill waste had to be removed from the former landfill site before work on the station started in November.

The station and surrounding residential development for up to 2000 people is officially referred to as a transit-oriented development, which is being promoted worldwide as 'environmentally sustainable'.

The development, which includes shops and offices, will comprise 600 to 900 units in high-rise apartments accommodating 1250 to 1900 people.

[ozbob]

From Gold Coast Sun 26th March 2009 page 11

Robina station displays train into in real time

Robina station displays train into in real time

ROBINA train station has undergone a $100,000 hi-tech upgrade to bring it into line with Brisbane metropolitan stations.

Large screens, which display real-time information as well as details of track work and special events, have been installed as part of a new system.

Queensland Rail has also introduced mobile phone and email updates to notify passengers of potential delays.

"They provide visual information for all passengers, including people who are deaf or have a hearing impairment," said Queensland Rail general manager Paul Scurrah.

"We consulted with representatives from Deaf Services Queensland to ensure the presentation and layout of information was user-friendly."

[SteelPan]

GC may not be the cheapest place for real estate in Oz, but $324m for 4km of electrified rail track and ONE new station         - QT/QR Empire supporting or what??

[ButFli]

To be fair there was a 300m (or something) tunnel.

[O_128]

that is a very expensive piece of railway considering the amount of time it has taken. it better be one smooth piece of track

[ozbob]

Premier and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Anna Bligh
31/03/2009

Tracklaying begins on new Gold Coast rail line

Premier Anna Bligh started the machine that began tracklaying today on the new 4.1 kilometre rail extension south of Robina to Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast.

Premier Bligh and Transport Minister Rachel Nolan inspected the project, which is creating more than 2,000 jobs as well as supporting local industries and injecting money into the local economy.

"Laying the first new extension to the Gold Coast rail line in more than ten years represents a significant milestone for the project," Premier Anna Bligh said.

"This project will provide greatly improved access to rail services for people living in the southern Gold Coast region.

"This new public transport infrastructure, which includes a new eco-friendly station at Varsity Lakes with 300 commuter car parks, will reduce the number of cars on our roads.

"The $324 million Robina to Varsity Lakes Rail Extension represents one of the largest rail infrastructure investment projects currently underway in Queensland.

"This project is providing more than 2,000 jobs - not just for those directly involved in construction but also equipment and material suppliers, hospitality workers and others in associated industries such as manufacturing.

"My Government is not just investing in new rail tracks - we are also investing heavily in new trains for south east Queensland commuters."

The Premier said the Government had recently secured a contract to buy 20 new trains in a deal worth $300 million, which is the first stage of a 58 new train roll out beginning in 2010.

The new trains are in addition to the Government's current order of 44 passenger trains, worth $585 million.

Sixteen of the 44 passenger trains are already operating on the Gold Coast line and six of the 20 new trains that have been ordered so far will operate in the Gold Coast region.

Minister Nolan said construction had started in July 2007 and was now 70 per cent complete.

"Creating the new rail corridor involved excavating approximately 270,000 cubic metres of earth, which equates to nearly 100 Olympic-size swimming pools," she said.

"More than 12,000 sleepers and approximately 1,000 tonnes of rail will be used to construct the two new electrified tracks.

"One hundred and thirty-two masts have been erected in the rail corridor, ready for the overhead electrical wiring, signalling and communication equipment to be installed by late 2009.

"Fifty thousand cubic metres of hard sedimentary rock was excavated to create a 300 metre cut-and-cover rail tunnel under Easthill Drive at Robina, which is almost complete with the roof to be poured in the next few months.

"The project includes building a new road network providing access to Varsity Lakes station, including a new road-over-rail bridge linking the Pacific Motorway at the Exit 85 roundabout and Scottsdale Drive," she said.

For more information about the project please call 1800 662 240 (freecall) or visit www.qr.com.au/seqip

==============================================================

[ozbob]

From the Gold Coast Bulletin 1st April 2009 page 13

$324m rail link on track tobring Varsity Lakes online

$324m rail link on track tobring Varsity Lakes online
by Mike Bruce chief reporter

AFTER a week of laying a new path for her Labor Government, Premier Anna Bligh was back at it yesterday on the Gold Coast.

Ms Bligh was on hand to mark the laying of the first new railway line on the Coast in 10 years, when the first tracks were installed on the 4.1km extension of the line from Robina to Varsity Lakes.

Ms Bligh said the $324 million project was a key piece in the public transport jigsaw of the Coast. "The project will be a very important part of the long-term public transport network along with the rapid transit system that will keep the Gold Coast moving," said Ms Bligh.

"More and more young families are making this part of the Gold Coast their home. We want to see them using the train wherever possible and what this extra stretch of railway does is give them the opportunity to use public transport." Work on creating the corridor for the extension began in mid-2007, with completion expected by the end of the year.

Ms Bligh said additional train services on the line were also expected to start in 2010.

Ms Bligh said the plan was ultimately to extend the line to Coolangatta, but the Government still had no proposed date for the start of the next stage from Varsity Lakes to Elanora. That could depend on Federal Government funding, she said. "I look forward to this rail line eventually getting all the way to the border, but we need to do it in stages.

"The full extension is part of the Southeast Queensland Infrastructure Plan between now and 2026, and we're currently having discussions with the Federal Government whether they might be able to assist in getting it there quicker."

Program director John King said the project was ahead of schedule and should be completed by the end of this year, depending on the schedule of road works that would provide access to Varsity Lakes rail station.

[Derwan]

I went past Varsity Lakes yesterday.  Both tracks have been laid, with ballast on one of them.  Overhead lines have been strung and signals are in place.  The station looks fairly advanced.  Still a lot of dirt piles.

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport
The Honourable Rachel Nolan
22/09/2009

Tracklaying complete on new Gold Coast rail line

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan and Member for Burleigh Christine Smith today announced another major milestone in the Bligh Government's Robina to Varsity Lakes Rail Extension Project with the completion of the new 4.1 kilometre dual rail track.

Ms Nolan said that the laying of the track between Robina and the new station at Varsity Lakes was now complete.

"We're now just a few months away from opening the new Varsity Lakes station and rail line, removing potentially up to 400 cars from our roads every day. This will be a wonderful Christmas present for Gold Coast residents.

"The finishing touches are being put on the Varsity Lakes station with the new line expected to be operational by Christmas," Ms Nolan said.

In less than 6 months, around 12,000 concrete sleepers, more than 1,000 tonnes of rail, 23,000 tonnes of ballast, 132 masts and 40 kilometres of overhead wires have been used to construct the bi-directional, electrified track.

Ms Smith said that during design and construction of this important project over 2300 jobs have been created.

"The new Varsity Lakes rail line is the first new track extension to be laid on the Gold Coast in over 10 years," Ms Smith said.

"This is a huge step towards improving rail services for southern Gold Coast residents.

"It demonstrates the Bligh Government's commitment to ensure public transport keeps pace with the rapid population growth in the Gold Coast region".

All major construction works on Varsity Lakes station have now been completed, with the gleaming new architecturally designed station ready to set new benchmarks for rail projects in Australia.

Including eco-friendly features such as the use of solar power and tanks to store rain water, the station also makes excellent use of natural ventilation and lighting.

The station building is light and open with an attractive tree-lined plaza at the front. It features a covered island platform, 300 car parking spaces, 50 bicycle lockers, a taxi rank and bus interchange.

"Varsity Lakes station will be the centrepiece of the future Varsity Station Village, a transit-oriented development featuring commercial, retail and residential precincts, being planned by the Department of Transport and Main Roads," Ms Nolan said.

The Robina to Varsity Lakes Rail Extension Project is part of the Queensland Government's $124 billion South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program 2009-2026, of which over $30 billion has been identified for rail projects.

==============================================================

[WTN]

Looking forward to the opening (expensive as the project is).  Are there any plans on new bus services for Varsity Lakes, and the extension to Elanora and Coolangatta?

[Jon Bryant]

Great to see the Station well under way.  The new station could have been a great opportunity to show that integrated bus routes coud have removed the requirement for the 300 car parks.  I guess this is half a TOD.  Might as well keep building the track to the Tweed whilst they are there.

[ozbob]

From the Queensland Parliament Hansard 7th October 2009

Rail Infrastructure

Hon. RG NOLAN (Ipswich?ALP) (Minister for Transport) (10.28 am): The Bligh government is one of the few in the country that is building new railway lines and more trains to deliver green public transport to our growing communities. Just over a week ago along with the member for Burleigh, Christine Smith, I inspected yet another major milestone at the government?s Robina to Varsity Lakes rail extension project. I am pleased to inform the House that the new 4.1 kilometre dual rail track is now complete. Upon becoming transport minister in March, one of the first things I did was visit this project, alongside the Premier, to commence track laying. Now, just six months later, the 4.1 kilometre track is complete and extends all the way to the new Varsity Lakes station. In six months around 12,000 concrete sleepers, more than 1,000 tonnes of rail, 23,000 tonnes of ballast, 132 masts and 40 kilometres of overhead wires have been used to construct the bidirectional electrified track. This $324 million project forms a critical part of the Bligh government?s job-creating $18.2 million infrastructure program, and running alongside the new track is the largest delivery of new trains since electrification.

[Jon Bryant]

Whilst I recognise that the majority of travelers on the Gold Coast line are traveling to/from Brisbane, however with the preferred spacing for suburban train station aroud 1.6k (i.e. station are 800 walk from surrounding area) at what stage does Translink/State Government build the infill stations in between the existing stations to all suburban movements on the line itself?  This would have to be done woith Triplication of Quadification of the Gold Coast line clearly.

[O_128]

Whilst I recognise that the majority of travelers on the Gold Coast line are traveling to/from Brisbane, however with the preferred spacing for suburban train station aroud 1.6k (i.e. station are 800 walk from surrounding area) at what stage does Translink/State Government build the infill stations in between the existing stations to all suburban movements on the line itself?  This would have to be done woith Triplication of Quadification of the Gold Coast line clearly.

there are already plans for infill stations such as Yatala, Coomera North, Helensvale North, Parkwood and Merrimac and i doubt that the line would need to be triplicated as there are no expresses. But the beenleigh line will need to be quadrplicated and the cross city project finished

[Jon Bryant]

Good to hear.  Just need to start building it all.

[mufreight]

So what happens when all of these additional services get to Dutton Park?

[Jon Bryant]

Cross River will need to be completed and at a capacity to handle plus maybe by then not all trains run to Dutton Park. Some may run along my proposed line between Ipswich and Beenleigh. Some may run along my Outer Circle Line to the West and East.  The volume of lines and trains we need to achive sustainable levels of public transport in SEQ means we nee to have all this in place.

I would love to draw up a network map which showed all the needed lines and stops.  Anybody know the best way to do it?

[ozbob]

Noticed these two statements.

From the Ministerial Statement  22 Sep 2009 (above)

Ms Nolan said that the laying of the track between Robina and the new station at Varsity Lakes was now complete.

"We're now just a few months away from opening the new Varsity Lakes station and rail line, removing potentially up to 400 cars from our roads every day. This will be a wonderful Christmas present for Gold Coast residents.

"The finishing touches are being put on the Varsity Lakes station with the new line expected to be operational by Christmas," Ms Nolan said.

And this from Brisbanetimes article 15th October

The extra funds will be pay for 301,000 additional passengers to come with the the rail line extension to Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast from July next year, Mr Lucas said.

Must be a slip of the keyboard ... couldn't be, could it?    Another half billion dollar project now in mothballs for lack of funds to operate services?   Surely not ...

[mufreight]

Well could be Translink has to pay it's staff mates who seem to be multipling like an endemic virus their excessive salaries so it would not be surprising that they can now no longer afford to fund rail operations.
Has the funding agreement from Translink to QR Passenger for this current year been finalised yet?

[O_128]

Noticed these two statements.

From the Ministerial Statement  22 Sep 2009 (above)

Ms Nolan said that the laying of the track between Robina and the new station at Varsity Lakes was now complete.

"We're now just a few months away from opening the new Varsity Lakes station and rail line, removing potentially up to 400 cars from our roads every day. This will be a wonderful Christmas present for Gold Coast residents.

"The finishing touches are being put on the Varsity Lakes station with the new line expected to be operational by Christmas," Ms Nolan said.

And this from Brisbanetimes article 15th October

The extra funds will be pay for 301,000 additional passengers to come with the the rail line extension to Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast from July next year, Mr Lucas said.

Must be a slip of the keyboard ... couldn't be, could it?    Another half billion dollar project now in mothballs for lack of funds to operate services?   Surely not ...

please let it be a typo  also is varsity a high level platform i cant really tell in the pics. the station sure looks nice though

[paulg]

There are some nice aerial views of the new track on nearmap.com (a great new site - recent imagery to be updated on a monthly basis):
http://www.nearmap.com/?ll=-28.097045,153.399364&z=18&t=h&nmd=20091111

[ozbob]

From Queensland Parliament Hansard 24th November 2009

Ministerial Statement

Gold Coast, Public Transport

Hon. RG NOLAN (Ipswich?ALP) (Minister for Transport) (10.22 am): Public transport is crucial to building sustainable urban environments, so the future of public transport will be front and centre at next year?s growth summit. The Gold Coast is Australia?s sixth largest city and, like the rest of South-East Queensland, is growing. Since 2005 peak patronage on the Gold Coast railway line has doubled, and this government is committed to keeping ahead of that growth. After more than a million hours work by construction teams and engineers, we are about to reach a very special milestone. The Gold Coast line is going to be extended again for the first time in a decade.

On Monday, 14 December the first train will run on a brand-new rail line from a brand-new station at Varsity Lakes. The completion of the $324 million Robina-Varsity Lakes rail extension is a great example of the Bligh government?s commitment to modernising transport infrastructure in the region. The new Varsity Lakes station sets the benchmark for station design and features 300 commuter carparking spaces, 50 bicycle lockers, a bus interchange, a taxi rank and a kiss-and-ride or passenger drop-off facility.

Train travel is a green and sustainable mode of transport in its own right, but the growing numbers of passengers on the Gold Coast will be further pleased to know that the station?s green credentials go even further. Rainwater is collected from the roof and stored in tanks to water gardens and for use in the bathrooms. The extensive use of glass creates natural lighting, and the station is partially powered by solar energy. However, there is more good news for Gold Coast commuters this Christmas. From 14 December there will be an extra morning service and an extra afternoon peak-hour service each weekday. This will deliver an extra 868 passenger seats every weekday. This is the seventh new service we have added to the Gold Coast line in the past two years.

The Bligh government is currently introducing an average of one new train a month to the QR passenger fleet, with 33 new three-car trains already delivered. We have made a massive investment of $911 million to build 64 new three-carriage trains, which is the largest expansion to the fleet since electrification. The Bligh government is continuing its commitment to expanding and improving the rail network and keeping pace with a growing and expanding population in South-East Queensland.

[Derwan]

That nearmap site is pretty cool.  Wouldn't be surprised if Google buys them out!

Having a look though, where a train approaches the station from what is presumably called the Up line, there is the option to remain on the Up line or switch to the Down line just before arriving at the station.

Where the train continues on the Up line and the end-change occurs, there doesn't appear to be a way for it to switch to the Down line for its journey north.  I scrolled a fair way along the line to find something - but couldn't.  I assume there's something around Robina but it seems weird that a train would travel so far on the "wrong" road before switching.

Can anyone see a means to switch from Up to Down when heading north?

[ozbob]

Robina 26th November 2009



















Photographs R Dow 26th November 2009

[somebody]

Hon. RG NOLAN (Ipswich?ALP) (Minister for Transport) (10.22 am): Public transport is crucial to building sustainable urban environments

This is a surprising thing for her to be saying; she seems to be a really anti-public transport transport minister.  All you ever hear her talking about is reducing the level of subsidy.  But then, she wasn't going to say at the openning "This was a really bad idea and our government should never have done this".

[somebody]

Whilst I recognise that the majority of travelers on the Gold Coast line are traveling to/from Brisbane, however with the preferred spacing for suburban train station aroud 1.6k (i.e. station are 800 walk from surrounding area) at what stage does Translink/State Government build the infill stations in between the existing stations to all suburban movements on the line itself?  This would have to be done woith Triplication of Quadification of the Gold Coast line clearly.

there are already plans for infill stations such as Yatala, Coomera North, Helensvale North, Parkwood and Merrimac and i doubt that the line would need to be triplicated as there are no expresses. But the beenleigh line will need to be quadrplicated and the cross city project finished

I'm very much against the infill stations.  What will they achieve?  Mostly just slowing down the existing service, which is slower than driving even in peak hour as I understand.  Even if they get a few walk up pax, spending money to reduce the amenity to the existing pax seems a little dumb.

[Emmie]

I assume not EVERY Gold Coast train will stop at every new station - but in-fill stations will allow many more residents to access the train line, provide new locations for car parks and bus interchanges, and generally service the strip development between Beenleigh and the coast.

The idea that everyone on the GC line is necessarily heading for Brisbane as fast as possible may be true at present, but the line should be viewed as more than a commuter route in competition with the Pacific Motorway.    If you can get locals on to the train, travelling between neighbouring TODs, for school and shopping trips as well, then this makes this 200 mile city of ours more viable than it currently is.

[somebody]

I assume not EVERY Gold Coast train will stop at every new station

Why?  Express trains wouldn't make sense, especially off peak, but even in the peak.

[stephenk]

I assume not EVERY Gold Coast train will stop at every new station

Every Gold Coast train should serve every new station. Running a train express through a station saves 1 minutes running time for those who are served by the express, whilst doubling the gap between services for those who aren't served by the express.

[somebody]

I assume not EVERY Gold Coast train will stop at every new station

Every Gold Coast train should serve every new station. Running a train express through a station saves 1 minutes running time for those who are served by the express, whilst doubling the gap between services for those who aren't served by the express.

Given that most of the Beenleigh-VL line is a 140km/h zone, I'd expect stopping at a station to cost more like 3 minutes as compared to the current situation.

[Jon Bryant]

When I wrote the original question I had assumed a tiered timetable (and thus more infrastructure capacity) to allow for express trains as well as local all station trains.  I am a planner thus I look to establish preferred end-states and then identify the contraints/need/options to get there. 

[somebody]

When I wrote the original question I had assumed a tiered timetable (and thus more infrastructure capacity) to allow for express trains as well as local all station trains.  I am a planner thus I look to establish preferred end-states and then identify the contraints/need/options to get there. 

Yep, I see you proposing quadruplication.  Let's assume that you are thinking of trains running express and stopping at the current stations, combined with local trains stopping at all of the new stations.  I hope that you are also thinking that the new stations would be protected from the current track pair so that the express trains will not need to slow to pass a station.  While I can see that this might be good at some point, I'm not convinced that the population density along the line is enough to justify it.  Therefore I maintain my opposition to infill stations at present.

[mufreight]

Good suggestion but having spent 50 or 60 Billion $ on it what about the rest of the network?

[somebody]

Good suggestion but having spent 50 or 60 Billion $ on it what about the rest of the network?

Is that targetted at me?  I did say that I didn't think it was justified at present.

[stephenk]

I assume not EVERY Gold Coast train will stop at every new station

Every Gold Coast train should serve every new station. Running a train express through a station saves 1 minutes running time for those who are served by the express, whilst doubling the gap between services for those who aren't served by the express.

Given that most of the Beenleigh-VL line is a 140km/h zone, I'd expect stopping at a station to cost more like 3 minutes as compared to the current situation.

Are trains allowed to run through platforms at 140km/h?

[somebody]

Given that most of the Beenleigh-VL line is a 140km/h zone, I'd expect stopping at a station to cost more like 3 minutes as compared to the current situation.

Are trains allowed to run through platforms at 140km/h?

It's beside the point.  I said "as compared to the current situation", which is that the infill stations don't exist.  Note that I did talk about quadding & protected platforms in my response to Jon B's comments.

[stephenk]

Given that most of the Beenleigh-VL line is a 140km/h zone, I'd expect stopping at a station to cost more like 3 minutes as compared to the current situation.

Are trains allowed to run through platforms at 140km/h?

It's beside the point.  I said "as compared to the current situation", which is that the infill stations don't exist.  Note that I did talk about quadding & protected platforms in my response to Jon B's comments.

I bet you a Freddo Frog (your choice of flavour), that there will be no triple or quadruple tracking on the Gold Coast Line between Beenleigh and Varsity Lakes for at least 20 years!

[skippy]

Agree there are higher priorities than infill stations on the Gold Coast Line, although preserving the sites makes sense. I vote extending the light rail to Helensvale station before infill stations or any extensions beyond Varsity Lakes are implemented.

[somebody]

I bet you a Freddo Frog (your choice of flavour), that there will be no triple or quadruple tracking on the Gold Coast Line between Beenleigh and Varsity Lakes for at least 20 years!

Well let's hope that there's no infill stations either.