Sunshine Coast direct rail: Geotechnical work under way

Premier Steven Miles has made a bold declaration about the future of Sunshine Coast rail – but it overlooks a critical detail.

The only way to get heavy rail transport all the way to Maroochydore is through a Labor government, Premier Steven Miles now claims – despite not yet committing to a timeline of when that will happen.

Mr Miles opened an information centre for the critical Sunshine Coast rail line in Caloundra on Wednesday as geotechnical work on stage one of the project got under way.

The government has committed to building the direct Sunshine Coast rail line, and has broken up the project into three stages.

Only the first section to Caloundra can be built in time for the 2032 Games, at a cost of $5.5bn shared equally between the state and federal governments.

The initial package will also quarantine the rest of the rail corridor to Maroochydore.

Premier Steven Miles officially opens a new information and engagement centre for the Sunshine Coast direct rail at Caloundra. Picture: Patrick Woods

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has previously said he believed it was still possible to get the rail line from Beerwah all the way to Maroochydore by 2032, warning if the terminus was Caloundra it would turn the town into a massive car park.

Mr Miles said only the government had a “real plan” to get rail to Maroochydore, noting the business case had advised the project be done in stages.

But there is no timeline for when the rail line will get to Maroochydore.

Transport Minister Bart Mellish said the government was “talking to the market” on future stages.

“So as funding comes online in future years, the plan is to get to Maroochydore,” he said.

The first section starting in Beerwah is set to include a stop in Nirimba to service Stockland’s sprawling Aura mega-development and its 50,000 future residents before ending in Caloundra about 3km from the town’s main beach.

The direct Sunshine Coast rail line is expected to shave 45 minutes off travel from Brisbane to Caloundra compared with driving, with trains to go as fast as 140km/h in some sections of the full line.

Originally published as Sunshine Coast direct rail: Geotechnical work under way