Gold Coast heavy rail extensions, new stations etc.

[SurfRail]

Merrimac access from the street looks a bit daft, like they looked at the current South Bank arrangements and said "that looks good".  3 trips up and down a lift to get to the inbound platform FFS.

[Gazza]

What would you terminate at Hope Island?
I would have thought if you could terminate stuff on the westbound loop if need be?

What would we do with buses on the northern GC?

Extend the 713 up to the 719 terminus, then send the 719 to the new station?
Similarly extend the 711 to the new station instead of Sanctuary cove, then add a loop on the 718.

Pimpama seems to be driven by having the entrance in the middle of the park and ride, and not addressing Pimpama City Shopping Center.

[#Metro]

Why not put the entire station under the bridge, Perth style?

[Gazza]

Ideally that's what i like but i guess they don't want to rebuild the bridge.

[City Designer]

I note that Merrimac station does not have a bus platform. Relying on kerbside bus stops on Gooding Drive makes transferring more difficult for people with disabilities.

[SurfRail]

^ Agreed

[Gazza]

Wouldn't eastbound pax just cross at the signallised intersection at the car park entry?

[SurfRail]

What would you terminate at Hope Island?
I would have thought if you could terminate stuff on the westbound loop if need be?

What would we do with buses on the northern GC?

Extend the 713 up to the 719 terminus, then send the 719 to the new station?
Similarly extend the 711 to the new station instead of Sanctuary cove, then add a loop on the 718.

Pimpama seems to be driven by having the entrance in the middle of the park and ride, and not addressing Pimpama City Shopping Center.

Preliminary bus thoughts:

Pimpama
- Extend the 728 and 729 from Ormeau to Pimpama so they terminate somewhere useful instead of the middle of nowhere.  The 721 and 722 don't need to go any further than Pimpama once its open.  Can't do this now as the 721 and 722 need Ormeau for the rail connection.
- Split the existing 721 and 722 probably into at least 2 new routes each so there is new or better coverage of the following areas along routes between Pimpama and Ormeau:
-- Waverley Drive and The Heights (western side of the M1)
-- Gainsborough Greens
-- The area filling out south of Pimpama Junction (Dixon Dr etc)
-- Amity Road
-- Coomera Springs

Hope Island
- Needs to be better linked to the surrounding area than that area is currently linked to Helensvale
- Needs connections to areas west of the M1 - Oxenford shops in particular
- Needs connections to Santa Barbara, Sanctuary Cove and Paradise Point
- The 711, 713 and 719 all need to be rejigged - I think all of them would make decent high-frequency corridors, but I'm not convinced they are right as they are (713 is very circuitous, 719 dodges areas of high density around Biggera Waters even though it performs well, 711 is very direct but infrequent).  At least one of those would probably connect GCUH to Hope Island.
- New coverage for current gaps (eg around Sickle Avenue, the area off Helensvale Road and anywhere between Santa Barbara Rd and the new station)

Merrimac
- Probably not a lot
- 758 needs a stop at the Worongary shops somehow (just as a general proposition leaving aside any of this).
- Possibly a new connection between here, Worongary, Highland Park and Nerang as Worongary gets developed
- Even further off in the future maybe a connection to Boonooroo Park if they ever build a link between Hickey Way and Jondique Ave (it has been contemplated previously)

[ozbob]

 

[City Designer]

Wouldn't eastbound pax just cross at the signallised intersection at the car park entry?

An average pedestrian walks at about 4km/h. Halve that for people with limited mobility (strollers, and assisted mobility devices).

A 200m walk takes 3 minutes for an able bodied person and 6 minutes for a person with limited mobility.

Combine that with traffic light timing (2 minutes) and waiting for three lifts (1 minute each) to get to the northbound platform and that is a very slow transfer.

A 3 minute transfer for an able bodied person becomes 11 minutes for a person with limited mobility.

There is the problem with bus stops on Gooding Drive.

[Gazza]

Could this be fixed by just having an extra lift for the outbound platform, and moving the platforms to be as close as possible to Gooding drive?

Combine that with traffic light timing (2 minutes)

Yes but if you force the bus to loop in and out of the station, the passenger wastes that amount of time waiting to turn in and out of the station onboard the bus, and through passengers not transferring are adversely impacted...Instead of being a drop n go, its passing through traffic lights twice and a slow lumbering journey looping around the station car park.

Check out Kallangur thats how it should be https://www.google.com/maps/place/Murrumba+Downs+QLD+4503/@-27.2565011,153.0001842,120m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x6b93fb4bff574a7f:0x502a35af3de9240!8m2!3d-27.2670888!4d153.0091078

[SurfRail]

The reality is that I expect absolutely stuff-all intermodal transfer out of Merrimac no matter where the bus stop is.  The local network is unlikely to change dramatically, or even at all, as a consequence of this station opening.  Anybody going to Robina is probably better off staying on the bus all the way there rather than catching a bus to the station and being dumped 800m from the town centre when getting off a train.  The station is mostly going to benefit walk-up users and people who would otherwise be parking at Robina or Nerang for trips up to Brisbane.

It's an opportunity to make a connection at most.  No excuse for not getting it right of course.

[Gazza]

An issue I see at Hope Island is that a lot of buses will continue to need to offer local connections to Westfield Helensvale.
As a guiding network principle, i think that routes would be split, and would either run north of the river only, or south of the river only....Eg routes would run a Helenvale to Hope Island pairing, or a Coomera to Pimpama pairing, so routes would serve both as feeders, or as local access to a major shopping center.

Though the TX7 and the 727 would provide continued cross river service.

I'd definitely love to see rationalisation of the runaway bay routes, notably, having a flagship one that runs direct from Hope Island to GCUH direct along Oxley Rd and Oslen Ave.

[SurfRail]

I'm thinking it needs to tie to a broader refashioning of the routes north of Southport-Nerang Rd.  The only one operating out of Southport or GCUH that I'm convinced needs no changing is the 704, the rest is all open to question.

[City Designer]

Could this be fixed by just having an extra lift for the outbound platform, and moving the platforms to be as close as possible to Gooding drive?

Combine that with traffic light timing (2 minutes)

Yes but if you force the bus to loop in and out of the station, the passenger wastes that amount of time waiting to turn in and out of the station onboard the bus, and through passengers not transferring are adversely impacted...Instead of being a drop n go, its passing through traffic lights twice and a slow lumbering journey looping around the station car park.

Check out Kallangur thats how it should be https://www.google.com/maps/place/Murrumba+Downs+QLD+4503/@-27.2565011,153.0001842,120m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x6b93fb4bff574a7f:0x502a35af3de9240!8m2!3d-27.2670888!4d153.0091078

Kallangur station has accessibility problems too. It is not designed for terminating services, the bus stops approach the nominated crossing point, and the pedestrian desire lines are ignored.

A good example of accessible bus rail transfers is Robina station. The bus stops and train platforms are on different levels so that there is direct line of travel with only one lift journey needed to complete the transfer.

Accessibility is not complicated nor onerous. If an able bodied person can do it a person with limited mobility should be able to do it. Super simple stuff.

[Gazza]

Yeah, i think Robina is a good example, as are most stations in Perth.

Kallangur is not designed for Terminating services, but nor will Merrimac.

[SurfRail]

TMR / QR don't understand that one-way loops are bad.  In that sense Robina is hideous.  The PTA know how to design around this at their stations for the most part.

[City Designer]

Agreed. Robina has the space to reconfigure the bus platforms.

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2019/10/9/gold-coast-station-locations-announced

Media Statements

Minister for Innovation and Tourism Industry Development and Minister for Cross River Rail
The Honourable Kate Jones

Wednesday, October 09, 2019

Gold Coast station locations announced

Minister for Cross River Rail Kate Jones today confirmed the locations for all three of the new Gold Coast rail stations.

"The Gold Coast is growing fast and the Palaszczuk Government is building the infrastructure needed to support this growth," Ms Jones said.

"Last month I announced the preferred location for the Pimpama station. Today I'm proud to announce the final locations for all three new stations to be built for the Gold Coast.

"More than 120 jobs will be created during construction of these train stations – infrastructure that will help Gold Coasters get from A to B faster and more efficiently."

Gold Coast station locations:

-          New Pimpama station located off the Old Pacific Highway

-          New Helensvale North station located next to Mangrove Jack Park, off Hope Island Road

-          New Merrimac station located on Gooding Drive, approximately 750 metres east of the Pacific Motorway and Gooding Drive Interchange.

Assistant Tourism Industry Development Minister and Member for Gaven Meaghan Scanlon said the new stations would connect the local communities with greater access to convenient rail services.

"This is a down payment on the future of the Gold Coast," she said.

"We're building these stations because we know public transport makes a real impact on people's lives.

"Announcing the station locations is an important milestone and marks the beginning of the next phase of work needed to complete these stations.

"Construction will begin in 2020-21. Before then we need to acquire the land for each station, finalise detailed station designs, then go to tender for procurement of construction partners. With their appointment, construction can commence."

Public consultation will begin immediately, with all three stations expected to be complete in around three years and operational with the start of the Cross River Rail network.

"Local knowledge will be invaluable in helping us to finalise these designs. You can give feedback online or you can attend in person at one of the community drop-in sessions," Ms Scanlon said.

Community consultation is open from 9 October to 8 November 2019.

Information about the community consultation is available at crossriverrail.qld.gov.au

ENDS

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin --> Train station in wrong location as government gets feedback on new Gold Coast lines

The State Government is being warned over the location for a new Gold Coast train station after concerns were raised over its proposed spot.

THE State Government has been told to move its proposed Merrimac railway station north into an industrial estate to avoid traffic problems.

The Government last week confirmed the Merrimac ­station would be built on Gooding Drive, about 750m east of the Pacific Motorway and Gooding Drive ­Interchange.

But Hinterland-based councillor Glenn Tozer said it was in the wrong spot.

"The station has been proposed to be located at an already busy thoroughfare, particularly on school days," he said. "Locating the station further north closer to the Elysium Road interchange and new Pacific View estate development would be a better community outcome."

Cr Tozer said the alternative site included a council depot and privately owned land further north in a medium-sized industrial area which had a larger work base.

"I think it would be more favourable for the community to locate the station near where people work so they can catch public transport to work from other areas in the city than for the train station to be located in a catchment that experiences high traffic demand during school and commuter times."

Cr Tozer said the Government's decision would affect residents living at Worongary, Gilston and Tallai.

"I encourage residents to make submissions, particularly those in Worongary and city residents who work in the Elysium Road precinct. I'll also be making a submission along those lines.

"We have several hundred people working at that Carrara Depot. The idea they can all catch the train to work will reduce traffic congestion."

But a Cross River Rail Delivery Authority (CRRDA) spokesperson said the proposed location was considered to be the best location on that particular stretch of rail line.

"CRRDA's engineering experts GHD conducted a study of the whole section of that line looking for optimal position and the best position was the one selected. It took into account a variety of reasons," the spokeperson said.

The review encompassed all options from Robina in the south to Nerang in the north and the most suitable location has been selected, the spokesperson added.

Helensvale-based councillor William Owen-Jones is satisfied with the location of the new Helensvale North station at Mangrove Jack Park, off Hope Island Rd, but wants improved bus connections to rail.

"Many people do not understand that bus routes are not the responsibility of the Gold Coast City Council," Cr Owen-Jones said.

"The advocacy for supporting bus routes rests with State members. Council delivers on bus shelters.

"The bus links for residents based in Hope Island, Helensvale and Oxenford need to consider the new transport infrastructure."

The CRRDA spokesperson said Translink would review both the train timetable and bus connectivity before the new stations opened.

"This will be completed and any changes in place before the first train services at these new stations," the spokesperson said.

[SurfRail]

There's nothing useful at Elysium Drive while Merrimac has a decent size catchment just from walk-up.  Absolutely the wrong call.  Get your kids on the train.

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin --> WHAT'S IN A NAME

Opinion: SPEAKING of trains, it was good to see more detailed plans for new three new Gold Coast stations unveiled by the State Government last week. But anyone who knows the Gold Coast well could easily see two clear flaws.

First, the Government appears to have learnt nothing from previous experiences and is providing for woefully inadequate parking at all three stations. This column predicts cars parked on grass verges from day one.

The second problem will be a much easier fix. The name of the Helensvale North station surprised me, and judging by comments on Councillor William Owen Jones's Facebook page, many other locals had the same reaction. Few people would realise that the station's location, off Hope Island Road, is actually part of Helensvale. In truth, it is at the gateway to Hope Island and will mostly serve the residents of that suburb. It should be called Hope Island station.

[achiruel]

The parking problem is relatively easy to fix if decent feeder bus services are introduced. Also parking should be paid ($1-2 would be a good start) and long-term parking prohibited for about 2km around station (residents could get visitor permits, similar to inner Brisbane areas).

I've get to see a feeder service on the Gold Coast north of Helensvale that's worth using.

[City Designer]

With regards to Merrimac isn't having traffic congestion a good reason for a train station?

With regards to Helensvale North the naming convention is to use the locality bounded. That is why we have Springfield and Springfield Central stations.

[SurfRail]

The overarching consideration should be to produce a name that has some relevance to the area.  Even the SARA marker for the station was definitely Hope Island when I last looked (on checking just now it is given as "Coomera" which is clearly wrong).



Hope Island is a much more logical name, particularly when there are already numerous stations no longer in their own suburb if they even ever were (Ormeau, Holmview, Woodridge, Moorooka etc - there are others) and where there are numerous suburbs with more than one station which are not distinguished solely by adding a cardinal direction (Fruitgrove / Runcorn, Altandi / Sunnybank / Banoon).

There were similar issues for the naming of Gold Coast light rail stops where for Stage 1 numerous stops should have been given different names to reduce confusion.  It still lingers a bit (especially Surfers Paradise vs Cavill Avenue).

[AnonymouslyBad]

^ Yeah. It makes sense to name stations after the suburb they're in as a general rule, but that doesn't mean it should be the be all and end all. Many train stations have found boundaries redrawn around them over the years, but the station names rarely change and it rarely makes any sense to do so because of the local identity and the area they serve.

Just slapping north/south/east/west onto station names should be a last resort IMO. It's ok if there's no room for confusion (Broadbeach) but otherwise, apart from being boring names, they're just not very intuitive for the average person. It's one of those things that seems logical enough on paper, but if I propose renaming Banoon to "Sunnybank West" and Altandi to "Sunnybank East" it sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin --> Shock community poll: strong call for new station name, need for bigger car park

THE State Government is being told to rename the proposed Helensvale North railway station and call it Hope Island.

But there is an even more urgent challenge for Labor – councillors who will either have the station in their division or nearby are united on the heavy rail stop having a bigger car park.

Division 3 councillor Cameron Caldwell has taken aim at the Government aware Helensvale North, Merrimac and Pimpama stations at a cost of $120 million will not open until 2024.

In a post on Facebook where he poses with a toy train, he told residents: "One hundred and seventy four car parks is not enough. It should be named Hope Island Station. When will it actually be built?"

Division 2 Councillor William Owen-Jones, aware of demand on the existing Helensvale Station, estimates another 500 car parks are needed on the site next to Mangrove Jack Park.

By comparison, Pimpama station off the Old Pacific Highway and Merrimac at Gooding Drive will have 200 park'n'rides each.

"I think it's 500 car parks short and should become a park'n'ride," Cr Owen-Jones told the Bulletin about Helensvale North.

"I want to know why they haven't looked at land under the railway bridge. I think they should also be calling it Hope Island Station."

About 80 per cent of up to 1000 residents responding on a Facebook poll by Cr Owen-Jones agreed the station name should be changed.

"It's physically in the northern edge of Helensvale but it's the entrance to Hope Island," he said.

Two pop-up consultation events at the Hope Island Marketplace – from 4-8pm on October 24 and 10am-2pm on October 26 — will occur before consultation closing on November 8.

Meanwhile, the location of the new Merrimac station continues to divide councillors, the community and council candidates.

Division 8 council candidate Joshua Smith agrees with Hinterland councillor Glenn Tozer that the station should be moved north to the industrial precinct off Elysium Road.

But rival Division 8 candidate Matthew Armstrong believes the Government has made the right choice.

"The businesses within 250m either direction from this proposed station will benefit greatly from foot traffic when it is completed," he wrote on his Facebook page.

[ozbob]

Queensland Parliament Hansard

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/hansard/2019/2019_10_17_DAILY.pdf

Adjournment

Broadwater Electorate, Rail Station

Mr CRISAFULLI (Broadwater—LNP) (6.09 pm): As the M1 is in such a disastrous state, more
people are looking for alternate ways to come to the state's capital. That is why rail is so important for
people living in my electorate and, indeed, in the neighbouring electorate of Theodore. I am most
heartened to see the construction of a station that will service my electorate. The government has called
for public consultation on this. It is due to close on 8 November. I sincerely hope that this public
consultation is better than that around the upgrade to exit 57, which has been nothing more than public
conditioning. The public has been given what was served up. A set of solar panels have been pulled
out and will be put back in exactly where a slip lane should be, but I digress.

The member beside me and I have received two bits of feedback, one overwhelmingly on the
name. A poll from our councillor, William Owen-Jones, has come back in favour of the words 'Hope
Island' being in the name—maybe Hope Island Road Station. To suggest that calling it Helensvale
North would be the right way to go does not seem to make sense. We believe it would be confusing,
particularly with nearby roads and the fact that most people associate that with Hope Island.
The second and most important issue is around parking. The suggestion that 174 car parks will
be sufficient for that station is absurd and it must be scrapped. That car park already services workers
from the Department of Education who work in the same complex where my electoral office is, and 174
parks will cause mayhem from day one. I urge the minister and the department to have another look at
it. There appears to be sufficient room. When you consider that the neighbouring station to the north,
Coomera, has 540 car parks and it is already at capacity and it is craziness—and the member for
Coomera has worked well with the federal government to get more money to put more bays in—when
you consider that the neighbouring station to the south, Helensvale, has 900 stations and it is bedlam
at times, to suggest that you should build a new station with only 174 bays from day one is absurd. It
will be an abject failure. I ask the government to do something novel. Rather than build and then have
a crisis and then look to fix it, do what good governments do: forward plan. Put the bays in place now
and allow it to grow.

I will conclude by saying that both the member for Theodore and I will continue to advocate for
this very strongly. It is a vital piece of infrastructure. It is a missing link in the process to ensure people
can access rail more frequently, and a big part of that is having park-and-rides. If there is no
park-and-ride it will not be efficient. It will not work. The government must deliver more bays.

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

No mention of feeder bus or active transport.  They can only think about park 'n' ride ...   

[#Metro]

No mention of feeder bus or active transport.  They can only think about park 'n' ride ...

Why not build residential TOD and offset the cost of the station construction. It is the GC after all - GCCC is the city of highrises.

I can't believe how uncreative these plans are.

[SurfRail]

There's virtually no scope for redevelopment at either Hope Island or Merrimac due to the existing pattern of settlement and land-holdings, and the fact they are both basically in the swamp.  Pimpama is already seeing plenty of intensification albeit not highrise.

The problem here is that the agency responsible for planning and delivering these stations only has a brief to build them, not to work out what the services will be like (rail or bus).  There is a complete disconnect between the hard infrastructure planning and the operational requirement planning.  This does not happen in Perth and consequently they get better interchanges that are fit for purpose while we don't.

[Gazza]

I went along yesterday, very knowledgeable people doing the engagement with experience in both bus and rail.
Theyve had heaps of feedback that it should be called Hope Island, so keep hammering this.

See attached pdf for how I think Hope Island needs to work.

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin --> State government to rethink car parks at new Helensvale North Station

THE State Government says it will reconsider the allocation of car parks at a new northern train station.

Cross River Rail Minister Kate Jones told the Bulletin the number spaces at Helensvale North Station on Hope Island Road would be bolstered from 174 after the issue was raised through public consultation and area politicians.

However, she could say by how much.

The Government last month finalised the locations for the stations — the other two are at Pimpama and Worongary — and began public consultation about the early designs.

Theodore MP Mark Boothman asked Ms Jones in Parliament why Helensvale North Station had been allocated 174 car parking spaces given it would have 2800 passenger per day. Pimpama Station was expected to have 330 car spaces for 1400 daily passengers.

His concerns were supported by area councillor William Owen-Jones, who estimated the designs showed the car park was 500 spaces too short to meet demand.

Ms Jones told the Bulletin that car parking had been an issue.

The Minister last month announced Helensvale North would be located next to Mangrove Jack Park off Hope Island Road, Pimpama station would front the Old Pacific Highway near the main shopping centre, and Merrimac be on Gooding Drive, about 750 metres east of the Pacific Motorway and Gooding Drive Interchange.

"I also announced public consultation for the concept designs developed for each of the three stations. This four-week consultation period concluded on November 8 and gave the local community the opportunity to have their say on the concept designs, including the number of car parking spaces at each station.

"We will work with the community and contractor to maximise the number of car parks at each of the new stations."

Mr Boothman said he was concerned that at least three quarters of the 174 planned car parks at Helensvale North would be used by government workers at a nearby department office.

"We need at least another 500 spaces or so," he said. "The residents at River Links are concerned if they don't build enough car parks, commuters will start parking in their estate. They are right next door."

Cr Owen-Jones suggested the Government could plan to use a levelled section under the railway viaduct which had worked well as a temporary car park for fans visiting Coomera for the Commonwealth Games.

"They should use as much of the land under the heavy rail as possible," he said. "It's great that the State Government listened to the feedback they've received regarding carparking priorities at the Hope Island heavy rail station."

[achiruel]

Meanwhile, feeder buses?  :

[#Metro]

500 car parks = $30 million.

Our transport budget is being wasted.

That money could fund the initial business case for R1.

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin --> State government to rethink car parks at new Helensvale North Station

THE State Government says it will reconsider the allocation of car parks at a new northern train station.

Cross River Rail Minister Kate Jones told the Bulletin the number spaces at Helensvale North Station on Hope Island Road would be bolstered from 174 after the issue was raised through public consultation and area politicians.

However, she could say by how much.

The Government last month finalised the locations for the stations — the other two are at Pimpama and Worongary — and began public consultation about the early designs.

Theodore MP Mark Boothman asked Ms Jones in Parliament why Helensvale North Station had been allocated 174 car parking spaces given it would have 2800 passenger per day. Pimpama Station was expected to have 330 car spaces for 1400 daily passengers.

His concerns were supported by area councillor William Owen-Jones, who estimated the designs showed the car park was 500 spaces too short to meet demand.

Ms Jones told the Bulletin that car parking had been an issue.

The Minister last month announced Helensvale North would be located next to Mangrove Jack Park off Hope Island Road, Pimpama station would front the Old Pacific Highway near the main shopping centre, and Merrimac be on Gooding Drive, about 750 metres east of the Pacific Motorway and Gooding Drive Interchange.

"I also announced public consultation for the concept designs developed for each of the three stations. This four-week consultation period concluded on November 8 and gave the local community the opportunity to have their say on the concept designs, including the number of car parking spaces at each station.

"We will work with the community and contractor to maximise the number of car parks at each of the new stations."

Mr Boothman said he was concerned that at least three quarters of the 174 planned car parks at Helensvale North would be used by government workers at a nearby department office.

"We need at least another 500 spaces or so," he said. "The residents at River Links are concerned if they don't build enough car parks, commuters will start parking in their estate. They are right next door."

Cr Owen-Jones suggested the Government could plan to use a levelled section under the railway viaduct which had worked well as a temporary car park for fans visiting Coomera for the Commonwealth Games.

"They should use as much of the land under the heavy rail as possible," he said. "It's great that the State Government listened to the feedback they've received regarding carparking priorities at the Hope Island heavy rail station."

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1197588474888503296

[#Metro]

Hello TOD?

For every 2 car parks, 1 apartment?

[techblitz]

If aussie property developers had even a smidgen of innovation in them....they would realise that apartments are not the only solution to be explored around train stations...
You can still have sprawling estates as far as the eye can see to maintain the lifestyle dream that is fed to us constantly via advertising....

The catch.....as long as the personal vehicles are REMOVED completely where residents reside....and replaced with automated && frequent bus transit fed directly into a train station precinct which also holds all the social necessities.....schools/hospitals/sporting/shopping etc...


Unfortunately with Australia being a 90% dumb economy based around mining /construction / population growth services.......another country will no doubt beat us to the punch on this...

https://www.curbed.com/2017/11/2/16593004/bus-autonomous-vehicle-electric-public-transportation

more than likely a Nordic country...

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin --> Paul Weston opinion: Will the Gold Coast railway station be a $40 million mistake?

The Palaszczuk Government is planning three new heavy rail stations on the Gold Coast line. But will one of them be a $40 million mistake, asks Paul Weston.

THE Palaszczuk Government is planning three new heavy rail stations on the Gold Coast line. Residents were asked for feedback. One of the locations is either going to be $40 million of taxpayers' money well spent or a planning disaster.

At Pimpama in the far north, veteran developer Norm Rix has successfully negotiated in a land deal to move the station from east of the line to the west near his company's shopping centre. A location where shoppers can park and ride makes sense.

Further south is the proposed Helensvale North Station, on Hope Island Road at the Musgrave Jack Park. This is where fans parked successfully to get to the Coomera indoor sports venue for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The only challenges there will be getting extra car spaces under the railway bridge, which Cross River Rail Minister Kate Jones is considering. The community also wants a name change. They are suggesting Hope Island station, and that is spot on.

But it is the proposed Merrimac station in Gooding Drive, about 750m east of the Pacific Motorway and Gooding Drive interchange, which requires a Government explanation of the reasons for it being the preferred location.

Developer Peter Burke has the support of area councillor Glenn Tozer in lobbying to have the station moved further north near the Elysium Road interchange and the planned Pacific View estate.

"The estate will have a minimum 15,000 residents in the next 10 years. You want them to be going on the train. You don't want them driving. We have enough vehicles on the M1," Mr Burke says.

This column has obtained a concept plan which incorporates a rail station in the estate project and shows the size of the development. Imagine another Pacific Pines, for example, being built on the edge of the M1.

The station is still on the eastern side of the motorway but there is bicycle and cycle access across a pedestrian bridge which links with the estate's retail precinct.

This new pedestrian link would enable cyclists to ride from Gilston to Robina. About 500 car parking spaces at Pacific View estate's town centre would add to the 250 at the station. The developer could be encouraged to make a monetary contribution.

As passionate as Mr Burke is about relocating the station, the Government remains as committed to its current location.

"It would have cost more than double to put it there. This will add more than 10 kilometres of track. It is a more central location to have it where it is at Merrimac. The council officers agree with that. It's not the Government's duty to line the pockets of a developer," a government source says.

Mr Burke this week was contacting the office of Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon to arrange a meeting on her return from State Parliament.

What if the Government and council are right on keep costs down and the central location for the station? But what if the alternative, which they say costs more, takes more traffic off the M1?

The nagging thing is Mr Burke makes a final reference to the existing Robina station. If negotiations with developers decades ago had been successful, its location would have been at the Town Centre, he says.

Are we going to learn valuable lessons from past missed opportunities – in this instance, the Merrimac-Worongary station?

[SurfRail]

Stupid idea.  Next.

[Gazza]

It cant go on Elysium Rd because the track is at a grade there.