Future Gold Coast: Fast-rail work to begin in late 2020s after Cross-River Rail

Fast rail will slash the 74-minute trip between the Gold Coast and Brisbane to 32 minutes. Now we know when you’ll be boarding super fast trains.

FAST rail slashing the 74-minute trip between the Gold Coast and Brisbane to 32 minutes won’t be a reality until at least the late 2020s.

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.

But the project itself is on the go-slow.

Queensland Rail New Generation Rollingstock NGR trains

FOUR NEW TRAIN STATIONS NEEDED FOR COAST EXTENSION

Only preliminary negotiations have begun on an $8 million business case study and State Transport Minister Mark Bailey says serious talks about the system will not begin until other rail projects, including the Cross-River Rail are completed in 2024.

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From there, talks on fast rail planning and funding plus construction would take several years after that, the Bulletin understands.

“Southeast Queensland is one of the fastest growing parts of Australia so of course we support fast rail being investigated,” Mr Bailey said.

“(But) there are a series of major rail projects that need to be completed before any serious conversation about fast heavy rail between the Gold Coast and Brisbane can be considered.”

BUSINESS LEADERS BACK SOUTHERN RAIL PLAN

Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey.

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

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But Mr Bailey said significant amounts of infrastructure were required first including:

* Expansion of the existing track configuration on the Gold Coast railway line between Kuraby and Beenleigh;

* Funding for a new passenger line between Salisbury and Beaudesert to connect communities to the inland rail.

HOW MUCH SOUTHERN LIGHT RAIL WILL COST

Map of the planned extension of the Gold Coast heavy rail to Gold Coast Airport

“We are in discussions with the Morrison Government about these projects, including fast rail, but fast rail is expensive, so the Morrison Government must be ready to fund it appropriately,” Mr Bailey said

McPherson MP and Federal Minister Karen Andrews said the project was a priority for the city to reduce congestion.

“The Federal Government is in proactive discussions with Queensland concerning the time frame for the business plan,” she said.

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Federal Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

“We need to look at the capacity of the current rail lines, along with what the impacts are going to be.”

This business case will look at feasibility as well as practicalities such as timeline of delivery and how it would incorporate with the existing railway network and Cross River Rail.

The Gold Coast-Brisbane congestion-buster was among five national pre-election fast rail business cases aimed at boosting capital city connections to regional centres.