New figures show Gold Coast Light rail stage 2 boosted patronage 25 per cent in a month

THE Gold Coast’s light rail has been declared a success, with stunning new figures released a month after its launch showing how popular it is.

USE of the Gold Coast Light Rail has jumped 25 per cent in just a month and is set to get even busier, according to new figures released by the State Government.

The tram extension, which runs between the Gold Coast University Hospital and Helensvale train station, opened just before Christmas, with more than 40,000 people using it on its first day.

Big crowds board the light rail at Helensvale. Picture: Jerad Williams

But new figures released today show it continued to be busy over the Christmas and New Years periods with 172,000 extra trips across the whole tram network in that time.

Of those, 78,000 trips were recorded from the three new stations built along stage 2, including at Helensvale.

Light Rail stage two opens to huge crowds

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Gaven MP and Assistant Tourism Minister Meaghan Scanlon welcomed the figures.

“Since stage two was launched, we’ve seen a 25 per cent increase in patronage on the Gold Coast light rail — that’s equal to 172,000 extra trips,” she said.

Meaghan Scanlon at Parkwood Station Photo by Richard Gosling.

“We’re expecting more and more people will use the light rail service throughout the year as residents return from holidays and become familiar with their new public transport system.

The 7.3km, 11-minute journey along stage 2 connects the light and heavy rails together and allows people to travel from Brisbane to the beach by rail for the first time in more than 50 years.

GoldLinQ chairman John Witheriff, one of the leading figures in securing the tram extension, said patronage was “certainly above expectations” and that he expected numbers to increase significantly next month when the university semester begins.

“It’s a big figure but we have not even seen Griffith University students come back yet so we won’t see the true impact of it until then,” he said

John Witheriff. Picture: Jerad Williams

“We are anticipating an even greater level of take-up than what we are seeing now and these figures just reflect commuters, which is great.

“I think over the coming months we will see people from Pacific Pines and Coomera start to use the park and rides and use the tram which will also have a big impact on road usage.

“These figures have so far certainly exceeded our expectations.”