The Gold Coast railway line is an
interurban
The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 ...
railway line
Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term ''railroad'' and the international term ''railway'' (used by the International Union of Railways and English-speaking countries outside the United Sta ...
operated by
Queensland Rail in
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
, connecting
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...
with the
Gold Coast. The line currently includes stops at 17 stations. In 2021, a journey from
Central station
Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...
to the terminus of this line is scheduled to take 1 hour 23 minutes. Several new stations along the existing line and an extension south are planned.
History
The
Beenleigh railway line opened in 1885 before being extended as the
South Coast Line to
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England.
Southport lies on the Iris ...
in 1889. A branch line to
Tweed Heads, New South Wales was opened in 1903 with excursion trains travelling the line on 10 August 1903 and the first passenger train making the journey from Brisbane on 14 September 1903. Due to the increasing popularity of the
motor car, and political interests in road transport, the Tweed Heads branch closed in 1961 and the line from Beenleigh to Southport closed in 1964.
The new Gold Coast railway opened on a different alignment from Beenleigh to
Helensvale
Helensvale is a suburb of the City of Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. In the , Helensvale had a population of 16,862 people.
Geography
Helensvale is bounded by the Pacific Motorway to the west, by the Coomera River to the north, by ...
in 1996,
Nerang
Nerang is a town and suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , Nerang had a population of 16,864 people.
Geography
The Nerang River flows through the locality from south to east, passing through the town. The river ul ...
in 1997, and
Robina in 1998. In 2009, the line was extended to
Varsity Lakes.
There are plans to extend the line to
Elanora and the
Coolangatta airport by 2031.
Originally built as a
single-track railway, the rail tracks on Gold Coast line were progressively duplicated in stages. The final section of the line to be duplicated was between
Coomera
Coomera is a town and suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , Coomera had a population of 13,305 people.
Geography
Located next to the Pacific Motorway, Coomera is close to Pimpama, Hope Island, Willow Vale, Wongaw ...
and Helensvale stations, with work completed in late 2017, and the new track operational in 2018.
Route
The Gold Coast (Varsity Lakes) railway line is an extension of the
Beenleigh line
The Beenleigh railway line is a suburban railway line extending east-southeast from Brisbane Central railway station, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. It is part of the Queensland Rail City network.
History
Originally known a ...
. Trains travel express between
Park Road and
Beenleigh stations, with limited stops (currently at
Altandi and
Loganlea
Loganlea is a suburb in the City of Logan, Queensland, Australia. In the , Loganlea had a population of 7,321 people.
Geography
The eastern boundary of Loganlea is marked by a winding section of the Logan River. The north of the suburb is ...
) on the
Beenleigh railway line. During events at the
Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre, Gold Coast and
Brisbane Airport
Brisbane Airport is the primary international airport serving Brisbane and South East Queensland. The airport services 31 airlines flying to 50 domestic and 29 international destinations, in total amounting to more than 22.7 million passe ...
trains will make a stop at
Banoon station. Most trains from the Gold Coast run through to Brisbane Airport, allowing tourists and locals access to more international destinations than from the Gold Coast's
own airport.
Prior to 20 January 2014, services on the Gold Coast Line travelled express between South Bank and Beenleigh, stopping only at
Park Road,
Coopers Plains
Coopers Plains is a southern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Coopers Plains had a population of 5,483 people.
Geography
Coopers Plains is south-west of the Brisbane CBD. The suburb is home to the Queen Eliz ...
and
Loganlea
Loganlea is a suburb in the City of Logan, Queensland, Australia. In the , Loganlea had a population of 7,321 people.
Geography
The eastern boundary of Loganlea is marked by a winding section of the Logan River. The north of the suburb is ...
during off-peak hours.
From 2025 the line will utilize
Cross River Rail
Cross River Rail is an underground railway project through central Brisbane, which is, , under construction. Cross River Rail will see the development of a new rail line underneath Brisbane River, and the redevelopment of a number of stations ...
and stop at the three new stations in the inner city.
Extension plans
The
South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program
The South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program 2010–2031 (SEQIPP) is produced by the Queensland Department of Infrastructure and Planning and outlines estimated infrastructure investment across South East Queensland Australia to 2031 ...
of the
Bligh Labor
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the la ...
government included a proposal to extend the line to the Coolangatta Airport terminal. This was also included in the
Labor
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the la ...
government's "Connecting SEQ2031" infrastructure plan.
The proposed alignment parallels the Pacific Motorway before passing under the threshold of runway 32 at the
Gold Coast Airport and looping around to the terminus, near the airport carpark. Under the South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program, land reservations were proposed for possible new infill stations between Beenleigh and Ormeau (Yatala is a prime candidate) and at Pimpama, Coomera North, Helensvale North, Parkwood and Merrimac on the existing line. Further triplication north of Beenleigh has also been proposed.
The cost of extending the line to the airport has been costed at around $2.8 billion.
An extension to the
G:link light rail system was announced in October 2015. Beginning at Helensvale station, the line was extended to the former terminus at Gold Coast University Hospital, and now continues via the previously built line to Southport, Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach. The extension was opened in December 2017 in time for the
2018 Commonwealth Games
The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and also known as Gold Coast 2018, was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth that were held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, ...
.
New stations
As part of the
Cross River Rail
Cross River Rail is an underground railway project through central Brisbane, which is, , under construction. Cross River Rail will see the development of a new rail line underneath Brisbane River, and the redevelopment of a number of stations ...
project, three new stations will be built along the existing line at
Pimpama
Pimpama is a northern suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , Pimpama had a population of 9,396 people. The name is of Aboriginal origin. The suburb contains numerous schools with the first opening in the 1870s.
A sm ...
,
Hope Island and
Merrimac. The first one will be built by 2024, while four other ones are planned at
Tallebudgera,
Elanora,
Tugun, and
Gold Coast Airport once the line is extended.
The Cross River Rail project will allow trains to depart on the line every five minutes during peak periods
Line guide, frequency and services
Typical service frequency on the Gold Coast railway line are two trains per hour, increasing to six trains per hour in peak periods. Gold Coast services generally run express between
Beenleigh railway station and
Park Road railway station
Park Road railway station is the junction station for the Gold Coast and Cleveland lines in Queensland, Australia. It serves the Brisbane suburb of Woolloongabba.
It is served by Beenleigh, Cleveland and Gold Coast line services. Immediat ...
, with stops at
Loganlea Station and
Altandi Station. The typical travel time between Varsity Lakes and Brisbane City is approximately 79 minutes (to
Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...
).
Most services generally continue as the
Airtrain service to
Brisbane Airport
Brisbane Airport is the primary international airport serving Brisbane and South East Queensland. The airport services 31 airlines flying to 50 domestic and 29 international destinations, in total amounting to more than 22.7 million passe ...
, stopping at the
International and
Domestic terminals.
Passengers for/from the
Beenleigh line change at either Beenleigh, Loganlea or Altandi,
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
line at Park Road,
Ipswich
Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line ...
/
Rosewood
Rosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining, but found in many different hues.
True rosewoods
All genuine rosewoods belong to the genus ''Dalbergia''. The pre-eminent rosewood appreciated ...
/Springfield lines at Roma Street, Ferny Grove at Bowen Hills and all other Northbound lines at Eagle Junction.
Shortcomings were exposed by unexpectedly high passenger take-up during the construction of the
Pacific Motorway, exacerbated by the extension of the service to Brisbane Airport while failing to provide for the additional passengers' baggage.Before a 2010 upgrade in peak-services, previously many peak-hour commuters had to stand for much of the 70-minute journey.
In 2010, services on the line was found to be the most delayed in the state.
Delays were caused by a number of factors including signal failure and severe weather conditions.
See also
*
Rail transport in Queensland
References
External links
Queensland RailTransLink includes train timetables.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gold Coast Railway Line
Public transport on the Gold Coast, Queensland
Brisbane railway lines
Railway lines opened in 1996
Logan City
1996 establishments in Australia