Mum seeks public transport change after Caboolture train station nightmare

Stranded and facing a $220 Uber fare, a Sunshine Coast mum was left “furious” at the lack of public transport after an Elton John concert in Brisbane.

Sunshine Coast parents Kylie and Robert Kennedy at the Elton John concert in Brisbane last Saturday.

A Sunshine Coast mum is calling for better public transport after she and her family were left stranded and “furious” when they couldn’t train home after attending a concert in Brisbane last weekend.

Sunshine Coast resident and mum-of-five Kylie Kennedy said she, her husband, and son, 28, trained from Landsborough to Caboolture last Saturday afternoon on January 21 to attend a “fantastic” Elton John concert in Brisbane.

Afterwards, she and her family trained from Brisbane to Caboolture, believing there would be a connecting train from Caboolture to Landsborough.

But she said her family, alongside several other passengers wanting to go to the Sunshine Coast, were left stranded when they arrived in Caboolture at 11.30pm and discovered there weren’t any trains or buses going to Landsborough until Sunday, 8am.

“It was literally insanity to us that we were stuck in Caboolture,” she said.

Elton John performs at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane as part of his 2023 Australia & New Zealand Tour. Picture: Markus Ravik

She said she had checked the train’s time table online, but the website wasn’t clear.

Mrs Kennedy said she got “pretty lucky” with one of her other sons picking her up because an Uber would’ve cost her more than $220.

After hearing others had experienced the same issue, Mrs Kennedy said she wanted public transport to be available from Caboolture to as far as Nambour on weekends late at night for locals to enjoy concerts or even a night out in the big smoke.

She said it was “common sense” and would also be particularly helpful for special events in Brisbane.

A Translink spokesperson said it encouraged public transport users to plan their journey online to ensure its service was available when needed.

The spokesperson said that public transport in the state ensured its service was available in areas and at times where there was demand.

“Translink continues to monitor potential demand for public transport across the state to determine the need for increased services and span of hours in existing service areas,” the spokesperson said.

Originally published as Mum seeks public transport change after Caboolture train station nightmare