Article: Heavy cost for rail line to Coast airport

[Sunbus610]

Heavy cost for rail line to Coast airport

Andrew Potts, Gold Coast Sun   |  October 19th, 2011

LATEST estimates put the cost of extending the heavy rail to Gold Coast Airport at $2.8 billion.

South-East Queensland Council of Mayors documents state the rail link is expected to come online in 2018, just in time for the Commonwealth Games.

The document describes the project as being nationally significant.

Under the plan, and in addition to the extension, the railway would be duplicated from one to two tacks between Coomera and Helensvale while a third stretch of track will be built in Brisbane which will be dedicated to the Gold Coast line.

Deputy Mayor Daphne McDonald said the high cost of the project would be offset by the value it would bring to the city.

GOLD COAST SUN for more on this article

[#Metro]

Its not going to happen by then. CRR is priority #1. The timeframe could also easily blow out and miss the commonwealth games entirely.

[SurfRail]

Its not going to happen by then. CRR is priority #1. The timeframe could also easily blow out and miss the commonwealth games entirely.

Agree. 

I still believe we would be better served with asking for funds to build GCRT to the airport and to Helensvale first.  Where are large numbers of travellers likely to go when we have major events on - the coastal strip, or Nerang?

[colinw]

+1.  I see very little point in extending the line beyond Varsity lakes until CRR is built, Coomera to Helensvale is duplicated, and triple line is extended to Loganlea or even Beenleigh.

To just extend the line without doing anything else would induce crowding & aggravation, but provide limited other benefit.

[somebody]

+1.  I see very little point in extending the line beyond Varsity lakes until CRR is built, Coomera to Helensvale is duplicated, and triple line is extended to Loganlea or even Beenleigh.

To just extend the line without doing anything else would induce crowding & aggravation, but provide limited other benefit.

Yes, I'd have to say that I don't think that a 12-15 minute peak frequency over the Coomera River would be enough to justify much of an extension.

[Stillwater]

The state wants the FEDERAL government to make CRR a funding priority.  If that is so, state won't have any 'skin' in CRR, so it will be in the gun to fund rail extension to Gold Coast Airport.  However, I agree, extending light rail makes better sense.