Gold Coast light rail: Inside the tram’s first passenger journey on July 20, 2014

The sun had not even come up when more than 350 Gold Coasters made history aboard the light rail. This is the inside story of what happened on that fateful journey.

The sun was still 90 minutes away from rising when the first passengers boarded the Gold Coast’s trams for the inaugural journey.

It was 5am on July 20, 2014 at the Broadbeach South station when Tram 12 pulled out heading north with 50 passengers, while another simultaneously departed from Gold Coast University Hospital beginning a new era of public transport.

Cheers erupted aboard the trams at the moment the journey began.

Both passed each other at Paradise Waters, halfway through the then-35 minute trip.

People cheered as the first tram rolls in the station. Picture by Scott Fletcher

The southbound tram departed with 100 passengers, a number which grew to 200 by the end of the journey, while the northbound arrived two minutes early at 5.35am at the hospital carrying 100 people.

It was a moment Gold Coasters had waited nearly 30 years for.

More than 350 people packed both trams and braved freezing pre-dawn temperatures and high winds.

Some, including Broadbeach Waters residents Peter and Judith Krook were so eager they arrived at 4.15am

Mrs Krook said she had closely followed construction of the system and wanted to enjoy the journey.

Peter and Judith Krook were the first people waiting for a tram at 4:30 am at the Broadbeach South station. Picture by Scott Fletcher

“I remember doing a survey on the light rail about a decade ago when it was first talked about and then followed the testing so I was just itching to get aboard,” she said.

“There is only one first tram and we are so excited to be on it.”

The first to actually board the northbound tram were Robina residents Greg and Heather Abbot.

For them, riding the light rail was reward for a job well done.

Mr Abbot, a construction worker, toiled away on the project in its early stages and relocated underground services before the tracks were laid.

Even then, he was keen to see the trams extended to the boarder and north to Helensvale.

“These trams are beautiful and the facilities well-built so all we need now is to see it go further north,” he said.

“This should definitely connect with the heavy rail, both down to Coolangatta and out to Helensvale, Mudgeeraba and Nerang.

Greg Abbot and Heather Abboton the first tram. Picture by Scott Fletcher

“I think we need the positivity for this to connect up.”

Among those who climbed aboard were Helensvale residents James Gold and Randy Adams who had been parting in Surfers Paradise before they boarded the tram at 5.15am on their way home.

It was a special trip for Mr Gold who had worked on the light rail as a labourer during its early stages. Mr Adams backed light rail as “the best way to get home”.

“We came straight out of the club and got on the trams and I reckon it is the best way to get home,” he said.

“It is a lot cheaper and more efficient than getting a taxi all the way home and I think this is just what the Gold Coast needs.”

The crowds continued to build as the sun rose and throughout the first day of the system’s operation, which ran without cost to the 100,000 passengers who came aboard.

James Gold and Randy Adams Picture by Scott Fletcher

GoldLinQ chairman John Witheriff told the Bulletin at the time he was overjoyed at the size of crowds.

“It was a big day and the smiles on everyone’s faces told the story of the light rail,” he said.

“It has been a long effort and affected a lot of people but it is going to make one hell of a difference to the Gold Coast.

“After all this time it is great to be aboard a crowded tram and it is everything I thought it could be.” After just six hours and 90 trips, GoldLinQ reported more than 25,000 people had boarded the tram system. Queues stretching kilometres from stations and waits of up to an hour were reported throughout the day.

Crowds waiting for a ride on the tram. Picture by Scott Fletcher

Mayor Tom Tate said the launch was an “historic day” for the Gold Coast.

“People have voted with their feet to show support for this system and it will allow the community a direct connection with the hospital and the university,” he said.

“It is not just about now, it is about the future legacy and a gift for a future generation.”

Even as the trams began operating, calls were already growing for the next stage – from Griffith University to Helensvale to be completed by the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

A funding battle kicked off which was finally resolved in late 2015 when the state and federal governments came to an agreement with the council and secured the project’s future, which was finished in December 2017.

Now, 10 years on, construction is well-underway on Stage 3, connecting Broadbeach and Burleigh Heads, with the first trams set to run in late 2025.