‘Horrendous’ traffic chaos to frustrate drivers when Cross River Rail opens

Touted as a game-changer for public transport in Brisbane, the $6.3bn Cross River Rail project will have a downside for the city’s motorists.

Hayden Johnson

2 min read

August 14, 2023 - 7:34AM

First look: New vision of Cross River Rail station

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Brisbane commuters could be trapped in worsening peak-hour traffic with more trains scheduled when Cross River Rail opens, keeping level crossing boom gates closed for longer.

Touted as a game-changer for public transport in Brisbane, the $6.3bn Cross River Rail project will feature three new inner-city stations on a 10.2km track across the city and increased capacity on the southeast’s rail network when it opens in 2026.

However, advocates say the more frequent train services will create havoc for motorists if the government continued to drag its feet removing level crossings.

The Palaszczuk government is yet to complete a level crossing removal since it was elected in January 2015.

Robert Dow of advocacy group Rail Back on Track said more trains on the network through Cross River Rail would create major delays for drivers as level crossings stay closed.

“The boom gate time is going to be longer and this increases the frustration of motorists,” he said.

“It will limit the number of trains you can run because the impact of boom gates will be such that the traffic effects would be horrendous.”

Mr Dow said a train every five minutes during peak hour on the Gold Coast line could see crossing gates shut for up to 45 minutes in the hour.

Rail Back on Track’s Robert Dow says level crossing removal must be fast-tracked.

He said the state government faced a significant financial outlay to remove level crossings ahead of the network opening in 2026.

“Victoria bit the bullet and they did it and it’s working out

“The productivity improvement is massive because you don’t have people stalled in traffic for hours and you don’t have the safety issues – the government has to take a long-term view.”

The Department of Transport and Main roads notes 13 crossings are prioritised for removal, including the notorious Beams Road at Carseldine, Boundary Road at Coopers Plains and Kianawah Road at Wynnum West.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said level crossings were a critical safety measure for pedestrians and vehicles.

“Level crossing downtime is a factor considered in timetable design ensuring these interfaces

operate safely and effectively in the delivery of services,” he said.

Level crossing downtime also varies across South East Queensland and is dependent on rail and road traffic.”

LNP transport spokesman Steve Minnikin accused the state government of failing to plan for the opening of Cross River Rail.

“In the time Victoria has delivered 70 open level crossings, the Palaszczuk Labor government has delivered zero and this failure will leave motorists stuck in the slow lane as Cross River Rail ramps up,” he said.

“Motorists already face up to 1.5 hours in traffic gridlock from open level crossings each day and it will continue to get worse.

“Queenslanders are paying the price of a minister focused more on holding onto his job than delivering the infrastructure needed to keep Queensland moving.”

Separately, Transport Minister Mark Bailey faces an internal inquiry into why his office suggested the department “delete” mention of a $2.4 billion blowout in the train building program from a press release.