Mega machines and technology are creating a new future for rail travel

Work underway on the Cross River Rail project will change the face of the Queensland Rail network forever. FIND OUT HOW

Machines and technology, together with armies of workers, are creating the future of rail travel in South East Queensland with the Cross River Rail project.

While Cross River Rail includes nearly 6km of twin tunnels under the Brisbane River and CBD, other rail work is also under way, including rebuilds for seven southside stations from Dutton Park to Salisbury, a new year-round Exhibition station, three new stations on the Gold Coast, major reconfiguration of train stabling facilities and a new world-class digital signalling system.

Cross River Rail Delivery Authority chief executive Graeme Newton said while the twin tunnels beneath Brisbane and four new underground stations were at the core of Cross River Rail, crews were also busy delivering other complementary works.

A Cross River Rail worker uses remote-controlled equipment to lay new tracks as part of the project.

“Cross River Rail will deliver 10.2km of new rail line and 11 new modern surface stations,” he said.

“There’s much more to delivering such a sizeable scope of work than people might realise. There’s a tremendous amount of work that takes place to prepare tracks for trains to run on, involving detailed and considered planning by rail experts, an arsenal of specialised equipment, and cutting-edge technology.

“This includes massive tamper machines that pack ballast beneath the track and even remote-controlled robots that work together as a hive to install turnouts – the sections where tracks join or split.

“A lot of this heavy work does need to occur directly in the rail corridor, and can’t happen safely and efficiently while trains are running.

A tamper machines adjusts and packs stones ballast under the tracks for the Cross River Rail project

“To minimise the amount of time tracks are required to be closed, specialised gantry cranes have been developed that can lift materials over train lines to ensure stations can be constructed more efficiently. The work underway on Cross River Rail will change the face of the Queensland Rail network forever.”

Mr Newton said work being delivered by the project on behalf of the Department of Transport and Main Roads and Queensland Rail maximised efficiencies while contractors were already working in the rail corridor and optimised value for money.

“All of which means that the project’s work crews need almost constant access to the existing rail corridor,” he said.

“And for work crews to remain safe, that means they will often need sections of track to close, so they can get as much done as they can.”

Surface work has involved thousands of hours of effort by workers, teams working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, using innovative methods to remove and reinstate tracks, reshape the ground and lift massive sections of new stations into place.

The project’s tunnel boring machines and road headers – which excavated the twin tunnels – are far from the only marvels of modern engineering that are being used.

A gantry crane at Salisbury station.

A giant remote-controlled system, weighing more than nine tonnes, is being used for replacing railway turnouts and is capable of creating immense amounts of force.

Two of the surface stations being rebuilt by Cross River Rail at Salisbury and Yeerongpilly have the specialised gantry cranes, specifically designed to fit station sites, which weigh 95 tonnes.

The tamper machines are commonly around 100 tonnes and more than 30 metres in length while ballast regulators, usually around 50 tonnes and 20 metres in length, shape and distribute stone ballast along the tracks.

At Pimpama on the Gold Coast, a specialist 850-tonne crane was used to lift a 45-tonne pedestrian bridge into place and at Dutton Park, a 500-tonne crane lifted 24-tonne sections of a new pedestrian overpass into place.

Some of the mega machines in operation on the surface during the Cross River Rail project.

Works closures extend north

Track works being carried out over the school holidays to allow for Cross River Rail will extend north from Saturday.

All northern lines except Ferny Grove will be impacted until September 29, with closures on the Gold Coast and Beenleigh lines having been in place since September 14.

Cross River Rail Delivery Authority chief executive Graeme Newton said work required continuous and extensive access to the rail corridor and was crucial to the project.

“The civil formation works taking place between Bowen Hills and Albion, which requires the removal and reinstatement of track across three lines, is important to strengthen the ground in the area,” he said.

“While the works are deliberately scheduled for the quieter school holiday period, we understand these closures may impact some customers.

Track work being carried out as part of the Cross River Rail project.

“We thank passengers for their patience and understanding as we continue to deliver this city-shaping project.”

Work being carried out in the south includes connecting the new Cross River Rail tracks into the network in preparation for the reopening of Dutton Park and southern portal testing, upgrades at Yeerongpilly and Dutton Park, work at Pimpama and Hope Island stations, and signalling, track, drainage and cabling works.

Authorities are encouraging passengers to plan ahead, with alternative transport arrangements and replacement rail buses in use. Services will return to a regular timetable from first service on September 30.

Cross River Rail has a Travel Checker service people can use for more information about disruption to train services, and users are encouraged to download the MyTranslink app, visit translink.com.au or call 131 230.