Second train track to Cleveland for Cross River Rail to succeed

The Queensland Government’s prized $5.4 billion Cross River Rail project could be shown up as an unreliable flop if one of the busiest passenger train lines is not upgraded.

The Cleveland line track merges into one track at Manly.

The state government’s prized $5.4 billion Cross River Rail project could be shown up as an unreliable flop if one of the busiest passenger train lines in southeast Queensland is not upgraded.

Secret documents, made public for the first time this week, called for the single-track Cleveland passenger rail line to be upgraded with a second track.

At the moment, the line only has one track from Manly to Cleveland, which limits the number of trains on the line at any one time.

The 2017 document, Park Road to Cleveland Rail Upgrade Planning Project, said the Cleveland line was due to hit capacity this year and without the track duplication, service reliability would be jeopardised.

Calls have been made to duplicate the Cleveland line.

The report said the first section could be duplicated from Wellington Point to Birkdale and suggested construction of a third platform at Lota station to improve train service capacity and reliability.

The line experienced heavy criticism in 2013 when a passenger train skidded along a slippery wet track and ploughed through barriers crashing into the station building at the Cleveland terminus.

A graph showing the Cleveland line missing the target of running on time with some months recording reliability times as low as 83 per cent.

It was also singled out as having the worst record for reliability and delays since 2019.

Consultants GHD compiled the high-level independent study for the state government, and recommended a three-stage solution starting with building a second track between Manly and Wellington Point.

It also advocated building a third station at Lota, in order for the line to cope with more passengers.

Transport advocate Rail Back on Track publicised the document on the weekend, calling for the Cleveland track duplication to be completed immediately or risk jeopardising Cross River Rail’s success.

Robert Dow said the Cleveland line would play an important role in maintaining train service frequency through South Bank and South Brisbane when Cross River Rail starts in 2025.

Spokesman Robert Dow said the Cleveland line would play an important role in maintaining train service frequency through South Bank and South Brisbane when Cross River Rail started in 2025.

Some train trips at the moment can take more than 1 hour to get from Cleveland to Roma St and with two tracks Mr Dow said that could be cut back to 45 minutes.

He also said there would be greater scope to add express trains to the line with two tracks.

Under the Cross River Rail project, Beenleigh and Gold Coast line trains will travel into the CBD via tunnels but their frequency could depend on trains on the Cleveland line running to timetables.

“The Cleveland line is unreliable and fails to meet on-time running targets, particularly during peak periods and those problems flow on and impact the rest of the Citytrain network,” he said.

“That will affect the new Cross River Rail network even though Cleveland trains will not be using the new tunnel.

“The Cleveland line needs urgent upgrades so that it can deliver frequent reliable train services by 2025, otherwise Cross River Rail is looking very much like a stranded investment.”

A special track at Manly station allows trains on the Cleveland line to pass each other.

Redland mayor Karen Williams said the 2032 Olympics Games could be a catalyst to delivering the infrastructure.

“This is one of the reasons Redland City Council has also formally committed to being part of a 2023 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games proposal,” she said.

RACQ spokesperson Lauren Ritchie said her organisation had been calling for the track duplication since 2018 as more than 40 per cent of Redland workers left the city each day for work.

She said the duplication between Manly and Cleveland was necessary to improve frequency, reliability and to cut over crowding, while offering a competitive alternative to driving.

“If any incidents or delays occur on the single-line section, there is no flexibility in the network to alter services and maintain reliability,” she said.

“If viable and competitive public transport options are not available congestion on our main arterial roads, including those connecting Redlands and Brisbane, will only get worse with population growth.”

The state Transport Department carried out its investigation into the line duplication from Park Road to the Cleveland terminus in 2017.

Mr Dow said the report should be used to advance a business case to Infrastructure Australia to get funding to start the line duplication before 2025.