Railway line reopens into Ingham, Cairns following February 2025 floods

After being closed for a month, the Townsville-Cairns railway line has fully reopened following major repairs due to flood damage. Read what Queensland Rail said.

Sunday February 9. Flooding at Plantation Creek in Ayr cuts the Bruce Highway to all traffic apart from trucks. Boys walk the nearby rail bridge. Picture: Evan Morgan

After being closed for a month, the Townsville-Cairns railway line has fully reopened following major repairs due to flood damage.

Queensland Rail reopened the North Coast line on Saturday, March 1, allowing freight and passenger services to recommence between Brisbane and Cairns.

The railway line was first closed north of Cardwell on January 28 (late in the night), and was eventually entirely shut from Cairns to Proserpine on January 30.

Queensland Rail said crews had been “working tirelessly” to complete repairs at 164 sites on the line.

Most of the floodwater damage came from major washouts and scouring requiring culver repairs, bridge rebuilds, resurfacing works and new formation poured in several locations.

Feb 5: Queensland Rail vision showing rising and falling waters of Babinda Creek. Picture: QR

The Central West line between Longreach and Winton has also reopened.

This follows the Mount Isa to Townsville line reopening on February 19 - more than 1.3km of washouts were repaired with 5,000 tonnes of ballast on the outback time.

Feb 16: Flood damage on the Mount Isa line. Picture: Queensland Rail

In comparison, the Townsville to Cairns line saw 7kms of total damage.

Queensland Rail head of regional Scott Cornish said the inspection and repairing of the North Coast line has been a “mammoth job”.

“We are so pleased that containerised freight, sugar, grain and livestock, as well as our Spirit of Queensland services can run again from Brisbane to Cairns,” Mr Cornish said.

“Queensland Rail continues to invest heavily in our rail lines and when we undertake renewal and maintenance works, we are always focused on increasing the resilience of the network.”

The lines were damaged by the February 2025 rain event when it heavily impacted parts of Cardwell, Ingham and Townsville.

Originally published as Railway line reopens into Ingham, Cairns following February 2025 floods