Two NGR trains added to Commonwealth Games plan amid ongoing concerns

The government says it has reached the magic number of new trains needed to deliver the Commonwealth Games' transport plan.

On Monday, two additional New Generation Rollingstock trains hit the tracks on the Gold Coast and Airport lines, taking the total operational fleet to nine trains.

Another two New Generation Rollingstock trains have entered service in south-east Queensland.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said the Commonwealth Games' rail timetable in April required eight NGR trains.

"I am pleased to confirm that this requirement has now been achieved," he said.

"The Commonwealth Games will place unprecedented demand on the Gold Coast transport network, with around 6 million additional trips expected during the Games period.

"Our Games transport plan includes tripling train services to the Gold Coast, including 24/7 heavy rail services at 10-minute intervals and more frequently during high-demand event periods."

However, weekend services across the rest of the network will be halved, cut from half-hourly to every hour, with services every two hours on the Sunshine Coast line, and most of the Beenleigh line will be replaced by buses.

Mr Bailey said there may be even more NGR trains ready for service on the Gold Coast line before the Commonwealth Games, which starts in just 36 days, with more units working to complete testing and safety assessments.

A report released in mid-2017, by German rail operator Deutsche Bahn, had previously said at least 18 of the NGR trains would be needed for the Commonwealth Games timetable, but Queensland authorities have since revised that number down to eight.

Meanwhile, an Australian Human Rights Commission decision is pending on the Queensland government's application for a temporary exemption for disability access issues on the NGR.

While awaiting a decision, the first of the NGR were rolled out in December 2017.

Disability access issues included toilets being too small for wheelchairs.

Ordered under the previous LNP government, the first NGR trains were due to be operational in mid-2016, but after the discovery of significant issues, including problems with braking, airconditioning, sight lines for drivers and disability access, delivery was halted in March 2017.

There are 75 NGR trains ordered in total as part of a $4.4 billion project over 32 years.