Gold Coast light rail: New figures show massive increase for Helensvale heavy rail

New figures show a massive increase in passengers passing through the Gold Coast light rail’s biggest station in the year since its second stage opened.

NEW data has given the city’s public transport system a big pre-Christmas boost.

The Helensvale heavy rail station had a 55 per cent increase in passengers in the year after the light rail connection began running to the northern Gold Coast suburb, according to new figures.

The figures come 12 months after the second stage of the light rail opened between the Gold Coast University Hospital and Helensvale.

The light rail has taken more than 10 million passengers around the Gold Coast in the last 12 months. Picture Glenn Hampson

Helensvale has become a hit with public transport with the light rail station the most popular on the line with a million passenger trips in a year.

In the past 12 months the light rail has taken passengers on 10.5 million trips compared to just 7.9m the year before.

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The jump prompted Main Road Minister Mark Bailey to call for the Federal Government to support stage 3A saying the numbers stacked up.

“These passenger numbers overwhelmingly point to the success of Stage 2 and I’m pleased to say we agree the numbers stack up to move ahead with the 6.7-km Stage 3A alignment between Broadbeach South light rail station and Burleigh Heads,” he said.

Today marks 12 months since the second stage of the G: Link opened, with a spike in passenger trip since the connection. Since stage 2 opened, the Helensvale heavy rail station has been on the main benefactors.

The station experienced a 55 per cent jump with passenger trips from the station going from about 717,000 trips to about 1.1 million trips in just a year.

The G:Link travelled more than 700,0000km between Helensvale and the Gold Coast University Hospital in the first year.

Opening morning of the Stage 2 of the Gold Coast light rail saw massive crowds pack onto trams. Picture: Jerad Williams

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The figures come as the state government prepares to take a business case to the federal government to provide funding stage 3A between Broadbeach and Burleigh Heads.

“Any decision around future Queensland Government funding for Stage 3A will depend on that evaluation and the ability to secure funding from both the Federal Government and City of Gold Coast,” Mr Bailey said.

‘‘If this projects receives the level of support we believe it should, then Stage 3A construction could start by 2020.’’

There have been plenty of passengers riding the trams in the past year. Picture: Jerad Williams

Gaven MP Meaghan Scalon said since the light rail opened in July 2014 more than 36 million passenger trips were taken: “It’s an impressive jump in growth when you consider passengers travelling for free during the Commonwealth Games were not included in that annual figure.

“It’s been a really phenomenal year for light rail with about 1.1 million trips taken during the games, a record-breaking weekend for GC600 and now the 10.5 million passenger trips milestone.”

The boost in use of public transport has not been isolated to the heavy and light rail systems. Figures from State Government show northern Gold Coast buses experienced a 42 per cent increase in passenger trips.