‘A matter for them’: Regulator contradicts LNP Cross River Rail delay claims

The national rail safety regulator has contradicted claims it told the new LNP government that Brisbane’s Cross River Rail will not be ready for passengers until 2029 due to a lengthy testing and certification process.

The previous Labor government had promised Cross River Rail would be delivered with a budget of $5.4 billion, with most construction finished by 2025 and passenger services starting in 2026.

On Tuesday, Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg said the mega project would cost more than $17 billion and not be ready until 2029.

He said that when finished, the tunnel must be independently certified by the regulator after a testing and commissioning phase which it had told him would take at least two years.

However, the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator contradicted that claim on Wednesday afternoon.

“ONRSR does not undertake testing or commissioning for any major project – this is the role of the project manager, so the timeframe for this process is a matter for them,” a spokeswoman for the regulator said.

Inside the Cross River Rail tunnel beneath Roma Street.Credit: Cross River Rail Authority

“ONRSR’s role is to assess evidence provided by the project manager to confirm that the safety assurance process for the project is complete and in accordance with their safety management system. ONRSR also assesses the supporting evidence for the operational safety case prior to commencement of first passenger services.

“Every project has its own characteristics, so timeframes vary and are managed by the respective project managers.”

Speaking to journalists at lunchtime on Wednesday, Mickelberg refused to reveal further details about the claimed delays and cost blowouts.

“I have a detailed breakdown, and I’m not going to share that detailed breakdown because it may jeopardise contract negotiations and I’m not going to put … the Queensland taxpayer in a position where we’re going to pay more to a contractor than we otherwise need,” he said.

But he suggested the Labor federal government should chip in to help cover the billions of dollars in “hidden” costs the LNP government has claimed to have uncovered.

“If [federal Infrastructure Minister] Catherine King wants to commit additional funds to Cross River Rail, I will welcome it with open arms,” he said.

The government said its predecessors had “hidden” $5 billion in costs that included integration works to connect the tunnel with the existing rail network, stabling to park the trains, a new signalling system, buses to carry passengers while stations and tracks were being built, and additional maintenance equipment.

Mickelberg said the tunnel itself would ultimately cost $10.5 billion – a figure that included private refinancing payments and maintenance over 25 years.

“Any engineer will tell you that when you look at a project, you need to look at it from cradle to grave,” he said.

Opposition transport spokesman Bart Mellish, the former transport minister, accused Mickelberg of “cooking the books”.

“No government, business or person has included the cost of maintenance for the life of an asset when calculating the cost to build the project,” he said.

“It’s also concerning that the new government isn’t committed to a 2026 opening of the project.

“Also, adding the cost of buses to be used across the whole of south-east Queensland to the project is laughable.”

Cross River Rail, from Dutton Park to Exhibition Station.Credit: Cross River Rail/Queensland Government

The Cross River Rail Authority referred questions about the project’s budget and timeline back to Mickelberg’s office.

It was not the first time the LNP had accused Labor of hiding Cross River Rail costs.

Last month Premier David Crisafulli claimed the Miles Labor government secretly signed off on a $494 million Cross River Rail “blowout” just before it entered the pre-election caretaker period.

Deputy Opposition Leader Cameron Dick said the money had been set aside in case of cost overruns in a “high-cost, high-inflation environment” and accused Crisafulli of putting half a billion dollars at risk by declaring the government’s hand in future negotiations.

With Cameron Atfield

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