Gold Coast Rapid Transit System

G:link, also known as the Gold Coast Light Rail, the Gold Coast Tram or simply the 'G, is a light rail system serving the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, and is the sole light rail system in Queensland. The system forms part of Translink's South East Queensland public transport network and consists of a single line of nineteen stations. Helensvale railway station is the northern terminus of the system, while Broadbeach South serves as the southern terminus. The line initially opened on 20 July 2014 and was subsequently extended northwest from Gold Coast University Hospital to Helensvale on 17 December 2017.

Background

The Gold Coast is one of the fastest-growing regions in Australia, with an annual population growth of 2–3%.Estimated Resident Population
Profile.id The project was first proposed in the Gold Coast City Council Transport Plan 1996 after some years of consideration and review. In 2002, the Queensland and Federal Governments each contributed $650,000 to fund the Gold Coast Light Rail Feasibility Study. In 2004, the draft summary report was released.

History

Stage 1

In 2009, the Queensland Government committed $464 million to the Gold Coast Rapid Transit (GCRT) project, supplementing $365 million committed by the Federal Government and $120 million provided by Gold Coast City Council.

In June 2011, the GoldLinq consortium comprising Bombardier Transportation, Downer EDI, Keolis, McConnell Dowell and Plenary Group was awarded the contract to build and operate the Gold Coast light rail line for 18 years under a Public Private Partnership.

In August 2012, the cost of the initial section was estimated at $1.6 billion. Construction began on the Gold Coast University Hospital station shell in July 2010. In late 2010, early roadworks began in Broadbeach and Southport.

By November 2013, much of the work was complete with the southern section at Broadbeach being the only section of trackwork to be completed. Testing commenced on the northern section of the line in October 2013. The line opened on 20 July 2014, with a free travel day, before normal operations began on 21 July.

The system had a significant impact on property both directly and indirectly in the corridor. A total of $170 million was allocated for property resumptions. The Queens Park Tennis Club and Southport Croquet Club were both relocated.

Stage 2

After the successful opening and operations of Stage 1, the Queensland Government announced in February 2016 plans to extend the light rail line from the University Hospital to the Helensvale railway station, providing a connection with the Gold Coast railway line that connects the city with Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland. Financial commitment from the state and federal governments needed to progress with the extension was finalised in late 2016. The new extension includes tracks and 3 new light rail stations, with Helensvale being the new northern terminus for the line. Construction commenced in 2016 with plans to be completed in time for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April 2018. Construction finished early, ahead of schedule with passenger services commencing in December 2017.

Planned extensions

Stage 3 extension

The Queensland Government, in conjunction with the Gold Coast City Council and the federal government, announced the plan to extend the light rail line south, from the existing Broadbeach South station to Burleigh Heads back in 2018 with the original completion date to be in 2024. Due to funding disputes among the three levels of government, the COVID-19 pandemic along with rising construction costs in recent years, the project kept getting delayed. In February 2020, three parties were short-listed to build the extension:
*a CPB Contractors / Seymour Whyte joint venture
*a Fulton Hogan / UGL Rail joint venture
* John Holland
It was announced in October 2020 that John Holland had won the contract, with the state government releasing a statement in 2021 saying that the agreement will see the construction consortium undertake detailed construction planning and start establishing a site presence along the corridor.

In July 2022 construction formally started with water, sewerage and gas infrastructure upgrades and relocation on the Gold Coast Highway between Broadbeach and Nobby Beach. Major construction including earthworks and construction of the tracks will commence in 2023 with the project expected to be operational by 2026.

Planned stations

There will be 8 new stations, all built with the same design as the first two stages, however, there are no park'n'ride facilities like there were in stage 2. All stations on the extension configured as a central platform station, meaning that both north and southbound platforms are located in the middle, with tracks on either side. With signalised pedestrian crossing and all exits are wheelchair accessible. As of late 2022, construction has started on stage 3 and is expected to be completed by 2030.

Mermaid Beach station is located in the suburb of the same name near the intersection of the Gold Coast Highway and Crescent Avenue and Montana Road. A number dining and retail options are located near the station along with parks and a medical centre.

Located slightly south of Markeri Street, Mermaid Beach South station provides direct access to a number of holiday accommodations, a small retail precinct and residential dwellings are located only a short walk from the station.

Nobby Beach station will be situated between Albicore Street and Dolphin Avenue on the Gold Coast Highway. It will serve the Nobby Beach retail precinct, and the beach is only a short walk away.

Miami North station will be on the corner of Paradise Avenue and the Gold Coast Highway, and will serve northern Miami and the Miami State High School.

Miami station will be on the corner of Hythe Street and the Gold Coast Highway, serving Miami Beach and a number of holiday resorts.

Christine Avenue station will be located on the corner of Christine Avenue and the Gold Coast Highway, on the southern side of Miami. Christine Avenue will serve a number of retail and dining venues, as well as the North Burleigh Surf Beach.

Second Avenue Burleigh station will be on the corner of Second Avenue and the Gold Coast Highway, just north of Burleigh Heads. A number of holidays resorts are a short walk away, as well as Burleigh Heads State School.

The southern terminus of Burleigh Heads will be located at the junction of Goodwin Terrace and the Gold Coast Highway. It will serve the James Street retail and dining precinct, as well as Memorial Park, Justins Park, Burleigh Head National Park and Burleigh Heads Surf Beach. The station will offer bus connections to Varsity Lakes railway station and southern suburbs, including the Gold Coast Airport.

Route

The new extension will begin from the current southern terminus, Broadbeach South travelling on the median strip of the Gold Coast Highway for the whole way south to Burleigh Heads. The extension will pass through Mermaid Beach, Nobby's Beach, Miami and Burleigh Heads with the hopes of creating better connectivity, reducing congestion and improving travel times.

Stage 4 extension

The Gold Coast City Transport Strategy 2031 supports a future expansion to Coolangatta via the Gold Coast Airport. The extension of the light rail line from Burleigh Heads station would continue south along the Gold Coast Highway, passing through the southern suburbs of Palm Beach and Tugun and connecting the city's international airport with the light rail. A potential light rail corridor has also been identified from the Airport to Coolangatta and will be preserved for possible future expansion. In August 2020, funding was provided to formulate a business case for the extension. Since 2021 community consultation and preliminary works have begun on stage 4.

Route

The single line runs from Helensvale railway station to Broadbeach South. Beginning at Helensvale railway station, the line runs parallel to the Gold Coast railway line until it meets the Smith Street Motorway, which it then follows, stopping at Parkwood and Parkwood East. The next two stops serve the Gold Coast University Hospital and the Gold Coast campus of Griffith University. The line runs south, passing over the Smith Street Motorway and the depot before reaching Queen Street station and Nerang Street station that services the Southport medical precinct. The next two stops serve the Australia Fair Shopping Centre, and the following stop serves the Broadwater Parklands. The line passes over the Nerang River before reaching the only stop in Main Beach, which serves the Sea World theme park. The next stops are Surfers Paradise North and Cypress Avenue, the latter serving the Chevron Renaissance Shopping Centre and the Funtime amusement park. The next stop, Cavill Avenue serves the heart of Surfers Paradise including Cavill Avenue and Paradise Centre. The following station services the Q1 residential tower as well as the SkyPoint observation deck. The next stops are Northcliffe, Florida Gardens and Broadbeach North, the latter serving the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre, The Star Gold Coast, the Oasis Shopping Centre and the Oracle Shopping Centre. The line terminates at Broadbeach South which serves Pacific Fair Shopping Centre and provides bus connections to southern suburbs as well as the Gold Coast Airport. It takes around 44 minutes to travel from one end of the line to the other.

There are nineteen stations on the line. One station is located in Helensvale, two are in Parkwood, seven are in Southport, one is in Main Beach, six are in Surfers Paradise, and two are in Broadbeach. All but one of the stations is street-level open-air structures with passenger canopies on the platforms. The Gold Coast University Hospital station is underground. Eleven stations have side platforms and eight have island platforms. Eight of the stations have kiosks on the platforms. Seven stations offer transfers to bus services and Helensvale also offers transfers to train services. Two of the stations have free park & ride lots with a total of 1,400 new parking spaces. The most heavily trafficked station is Cavill Avenue, with an average of 4,729 daily passengers in February 2016.

Rolling stock

The Gold Coast Rapid Transit fleet consists of 23 Bombardier Flexity 2 trams built in Germany. The trams feature low floors and have dedicated spaces for wheelchairs, prams and surfboards. They have a top speed of and room for 309 passengers with seating for 80. Fourteen trams were ordered to serve the original section of the line. Four additional trams were ordered in November 2015 to service the Helensvale extension. These were delivered in September and October 2017. A further five built in Alstom's Wien Donaustadt plant in Austria were delivered from July 2023 entering service in July 2024.

Infrastructure

The system primarily operates in a centre-running configuration. It uses standard gauge tracks with overhead catenary. Third rail technology was investigated, though power from overhead lines was ultimately utilized.

Stations

Eighteen of the stations are street-level open-air structures featuring passenger canopies, and one is underground. Eleven stations have side platforms and eight have an island platform. Seven stations offer transfers to Translink bus services. Park & ride facilities are also available at Helensvale and Parkwood stations: during the construction of Stage 2, 1000 car park spaces were built at the new Parkwood station, while 400 new car park spaces were built at Helensvale, in addition to the 877 existing spaces there.

Operation

Services are operated by Keolis Downer, a joint venture between Keolis and Downer. Fares are set by Translink with all stations fitted with go card readers. A 50 cent flat rate across all zones applies. All G:link stations are located within zone 5.

Service frequencies (in minutes) from 17 December 2017:

† ''No service between Helensvale station and Gold Coast University Hospital''

On Monday to Friday mornings (midnight to 5 am), light rail services are replaced on most of the routes by Kinetic Group route 700. These buses do not service the section between Helensvale station and Gold Coast University Hospital.

Patronage

Over 1.74 million passengers used the Gold Coast Light Rail in its first 100 days after opening. More than five million paid trips were made in the first nine months of operation. 6.6 million passengers were carried on the line in its first year, and total public transport users on the Gold Coast - across buses and trams - increased by 25 per cent. In February 2016 the Queensland Government announced the ten million passenger milestone had been reached and noted that Cavill Avenue was the busiest station with 4,729 boardings a day.

The following table lists patronage figures for the network during the corresponding financial year. Australia's financial years start on 1 July and end on 30 June. Major events that affected the number of journeys made or how patronage is measured are included as notes.

Potential extensions

Besides Stages 3 and 4, the Gold Coast City Council envisions an extensive light rail network that would potentially consist of of track and 4 light rail lines as outlined in the ''City Transport Strategy 2031''. Future extensions however are not expected to take place until after Stage 4 to Gold Coast Airport is fully completed and further feasibility studies are undertaken, with the time-frames for the projects still undecided.

Main Beach and The Spit

A branch line from Main Beach to The Spit was proposed in the Gold Coast City Council's 2031 transport plan, ''City Transport Strategy 2031''. The council announced a number of potential route options in April 2017 and invited public comment. The line is expected to cost around $200 million and would be paid for by developers and would be around long.

Biggera Waters

The Gold Coast's council 2031 Transport plan published outlines a possible extension to Biggera Waters. The proposed line would branch off from the existing University Hospital light rail station, travelling north before terminating at Harbour Town Shopping Centre in the suburb of Biggera Waters.

Bundall

The Gold Coast's council 2031 Transport plan published outlines a possible extension to Bundall. The proposed line would branch off from Cavill Avenue, travelling west for several kilometres before terminating in the suburb of Bundall. Stations may include Chevron Island, HOTA, Bundall Business District and Gold Coast Turf Club.

Nerang

The Gold Coast's council 2031 Transport plan published outlines a possible extension to the Nerang. The proposed line would spur off from Broadbeach, travelling west along Hooker Boulevard and north along Nerang–Broadbeach Road before terminating at the Nerang railway station. Stations would include Mermaid Waters, Carrara Markets and Carrara Stadium.

Robina

A Robina extension is proposed in the Gold Coast City Council's ''Light Rail southern Gold Coast publication''. The proposed extension would branch off from Nobbys Beach and terminate at Robina railway station passing through Bond University, Market Square, Robina Town Centre and Robina Stadium.

Varsity Lakes

The ''Light Rail southern Gold Coast'' published by the Gold Coast City Council also outline a proposal extension to Varsity Lakes from Burleigh Heads. The extension would branch out from Burleigh Heads and follow Burleigh Connection Road, passing by Stocklands Burleigh Heads Shopping Centre and the light industrial areas of West Burleigh before terminating at Varsity Lakes railway station, providing a heavy rail connection.

Tweed Heads

On 19 February 2019, Tweed Heads MP Geoff Provest announced $1 million of funding towards strategic planning to extend the Gold Coast light rail system from the Gold Coast Airport to over the New South Wales border into Tweed Heads.

In 2020, a feasibility study was proposed by the NSW state government for a light rail corridor between Gold Coast Airport and Tweed Heads.

Objections

The Gold Coast light rail project was subject to protest campaigns from some local residents and politicians. Those who attempted to stop Stage One included Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clarke, former mayor and candidate Lex Bell (who proposed the use of native title to stop the project),Light-rail haters resort to native title, ''Gold Coast Bulletin'', 14 April 2012

/ref> and a string of short-lived protest organisations. Their claims included that it was a 'zombie' project and 'white elephant' that would saddle ratepayers with unsustainable debt. The removal of iconic palm trees and poincianas for the construction upset others.''Gold Coast Bulletin'', 9 February 2012

In 2016, a retired property analyst, Alan Midwood, claimed light rail had been a "gross financial disaster" that had doubled roadway congestion, and calling for it to be scrapped. Other notable objectors who achieved media coverage included the owner of Surfers Paradise shop Condom Kingdom, who feared construction would impact sales, and Surfers Paradise Meter Maids, who vowed to chain themselves to trees to prevent the project going ahead.

One group operated by a Paradise Waters resident, alleged light rail was "a proven killer" that slaughtered at "a rate 2.5 times that of cars". Following the success of the project, in 2017, a group of Paradise Waters residents appealed for a tram stop to be added at their locality, as had been originally planned, but were denied it by Council. A former mayor suggested there was a feeling they "were punished because some of them opposed it at the time".Tony Moore, 'Gold Coast City Council votes against light rail stop at Paradise Waters', Brisbane Times, 31 January 2017

/ref>

References

External links

Official siteConstruction consortium site
*

{{Gold Coast Landmarks

Keolis
Light rail in Australia
Public transport on the Gold Coast, Queensland
Railway lines opened in 2014
Gold Coast Light Rail
2014 establishments in Australia
750 V DC railway electrification