Gold Coast fast rail: Coast to lobby for Japan’s old bullet trains and tracks

Retired Japanese bullet trains should be bought to become the new Brisbane to Gold Coast fast rail system under a bold proposal to decongest the M1.

MAYOR Tom Tate wants to speed up the Gold Coast-to-Brisbane fast-train proposal by buying retired - or “hand-me-down” - Japanese bullet trains and tracks.

The first fast-train journey between the Gold Coast and the state capital is at least a decade away as the State and Federal Governments work together on a business case.

But Cr Tate says time is of the essence and cheaper, faster methods should be considered to help with decongesting the Gold Coast’s fast-growing roads.

A Bullet train railway in front of Mount Fuji, Japan.

He wants Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to send him to Japan to make the pitch in person.

Cr Tate told the Bulletin a “hand-me-down” system, including the train stock and tracks would be less expensive than waiting another decade to build a slower train system.

“Countries which already have fast trains are going to be upgrading to the latest generation so I say, give us the hand-me-downs,” he said.

“They’ll have to do something with the existing bullet trains so we could go cap in hand because this would be perfect for the Gold Coast-to-Brisbane connection.

Mayor Tom Tate. Picture: Glenn Hampson

“The machine, the tracks, whatever they can give us, it would be a great running start.

“In asking, we may even be given it as a goodwill gesture.

“If the state is too shy to ask, give me the nod and I’ll go cap in hand or otherwise it will go somewhere else.”

Cr Tate discussed the idea with Department of Transport and Main Roads director general Neil Scales late last month at a Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce transport forum.

Fast rail, which would slash the 74-minute trip between the Gold Coast and Brisbane to 32 minutes, is not expected to be a reality until at least the late 2020s.

A bullet train.

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A high-speed train network championed by the Federal Government in the lead up to this year’s election would go up to 160km/h compared to an existing average of 69km/h - more than halving the trip time.

An $8 million business case has been committed to but serious talks will not begin until other rail projects, including the Cross-River Rail are completed in 2024.

State Government says its Cross River Rail will cut 15 minutes off Brisbane-Gold Coast travel and take 47,000 vehicles off the road.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said Cr Tate’s proposal was “colourful” but the government’s focus remained on Cross-River Rail.

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Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Peled

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“Cross River Rail is the big priority which will bring faster rail to the Gold Coast,” he said.

“Cr Tate’s suggestions are colourful and they will provoke debate.

“The reality is if we are going to do faster rail we have to straighten up the tracks between Kuraby and Beenleigh.

“This is a very old line with lots of curves and there will need to be work done there.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison made an election pledge for a business case for a new fast rail line between the Gold Coast and the state’s capital with an extension to Gold Coast Airport.

Robert Dow. Picture: Peter Cronin

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RAIL Back on Track’s Robert Dow dismissed Cr Tate’s idea, saying its cost would be unfeasible: “What he is talking about is high-speed rail and the cost would be considerable.

“What we need is a fast train which is compatible with the existing infrastructure and if we were to get the Japanese trains you wouldn’t be able to have any stations. The cost of it would be just extraordinary.”