Railways in South East Queensland

Brisbane, the capital city of the Australian state of Queensland, has a network of suburban railways that carry commuters, long-distance passengers, and freight. Suburban and interurban passenger services in Brisbane and South East Queensland are operated by the Queensland Rail Citytrain network, a branch of Queensland Rail. Queensland Rail also operates long-distance trains across the state. Aurizon and Pacific National operate freight services.

Queensland Rail Citytrain network
A Queensland Rail Citytrain network train at Yeronga Station in 2018
NGR 710 at Yeronga in 2018.
Overview
OwnerQueensland Rail
Area servedSouth East Queensland
Transit typeCommuter rail
Number of lines13
Number of stations154 plus 3 under construction
Annual ridership42.86 million (FY22/23)
Chief executiveKatarzyna Stapleton
HeadquartersBrisbane
Websitequeenslandrail.com.au
Operation
Began operation1979 (1979)
Operator(s)Queensland Rail
Technical
System length689 km (428 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead lines
Top speed140 km/h (87 mph)
Queensland Rail's Electric Multiple Units have been operating in South East Queensland since electrification commenced in 1979

Queensland Rail operates ten suburban lines and three interurban lines, which are all electrified. Centred in the Brisbane central business district, the network extends as far as Gympie in the north, Varsity Lakes in the south, Rosewood in the west, and Cleveland in the east to Moreton Bay.[1]

Each line is ascribed a colour and name on all Queensland Rail signage and marketing collateral including timetables, posters and maps. There are 153 stations on the South East Queensland rail network. Queensland Rail refers to the network by two different names, either as the 'South East Queensland (SEQ) network'[2] or the 'Citytrain network'.[3][4] Rail services and ticketing are co-ordinated by the Queensland government agency Translink.

Queensland Rail’s trains had 42.86 million boardings in the 2022–23 financial year, giving the SEQ rail network the fourth highest patronage out of Australia's suburban rail networks, behind that of Perth[5][6].

In addition to the suburban heavy rail network, a 20km light rail line called G:Link operates in the Gold Coast.

History

Construction

Official opening of the first section of the Ipswich to Grandchester, 1865

The first railway in Queensland did not actually run to Brisbane, but ran from Ipswich to Grandchester. Opened in July 1865,[7] the line into Brisbane was not completed until the opening of the Albert Bridge in July 1875.[8] Branch lines in the city itself did not start until the next decade, with the branch line to Sandgate opened in May 1882, and the branch from Eagle Junction to Racecourse in September the same year.

Lines were opened from Brisbane to Sandgate and Ascot in 1882. The first section of the North Coast line opened to Petrie in 1888.[9] In 1891 this line was connected to the Maryborough line at Gympie, creating a through line to Mount Perry. A branch line was built from Caboolture to Woodford in 1909 and Kilcoy in 1913, now closed. A branch line was opened from Monkland (south of Gympie) to Brooloo in 1915. A line was opened from the first South Brisbane station at Stanley Street, Woolloongabba to Beenleigh in 1885, and extended to Southport in 1889 and Tweed Heads, New South Wales in 1903. This line was closed beyond Beenleigh in 1964.[10]

A branch line was completed between Park Road station and Cleveland in 1889, although the section beyond Lota station was closed and since reconstructed. A new South Brisbane station was built on Melbourne Street in 1891. This became the terminus of the standard gauge line from Grafton in 1930 and Sydney in 1932. A dual gauge line was built from South Brisbane over the Brisbane River to Roma Street in 1978. A line was opened in 1980 from a junction near Lindum station on the Cleveland line to the Port of Brisbane at Fisherman's Island. This was converted to dual 1435/1067 mm gauge and extended in parallel with the duplicated passenger line to Dutton Park in about 1995 under the Keating government's One Nation program.

The Beaudesert line was opened between Bethania and Beaudesert in 1888, and closed in 1996. The Canungra line was completed to Canungra in 1915, now closed. The line from extended from Roma Street to Central stations in 1889, and to Brunswick Street station in 1890. The Ferny Grove line was opened from a junction at Mayne to Enoggera in 1899. The short Laidley Valley railway lines opened on 19 April 1911 but was never profitable.

Electrification

A start on electrification of the suburban network was approved in 1950 but a change of state government in 1957 saw the scheme abandoned in 1959.[11] It was not until the 1970s that electrification was again brought up, with contracts let in 1975.[12] The first part of the new electric system from Darra to Ferny Grove opened on 17 November 1979.[13][14] The network was completed by 1988, with a number of extensions made since and additional rolling stock purchased. Services were initially operated under the Queensland Rail brand, with the Citytrain name established in 1995.[15]

Duplication

Oxley station's new platform and track (left)

To increase the capacity on a number of lines, the rail network in Brisbane has required some tracks to be duplicated. In June 2004, Queensland Government announced rail duplication of the Gold Coast line between Ormeau and Coomera stations.[16] Between 2008 and 2010, work was carried out to duplicate the tracks between Darra and Corinda stations. Work included a link to the Springfield line and upgrades to Oxley and Darra stations.[17] In 2010, funding was allocated for the duplication of the rail line between Keperra to Ferny Grove.[18]

Beenleigh line

A third track was laid between Salisbury and Kuraby stations, a length of 9.5 km (5.9 mi). Previously two tracks, the added capacity allows Gold Coast line services to operate with less chance of delays. Seven railway stations along the section were significantly upgraded. The project was commissioned on 2 March 2008.[19]

Ferny Grove line

A second track was laid between Mitchelton and Keperra railway station, including an upgrade to the intermediate stations, Oxford Park and Grovely. Upgraded with two platforms, this upgrade allows additional services to operate on the line during peak hour, and will also remove waiting times outbound from Mitchelton and inbound from Keperra. Other improvements include lifts and footbridges, to meet the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport, and new, modern station buildings.[20] The further duplication of the railway between Keperra and Ferny Grove stations, plus an additional platform and parking at Ferny Grove has been completed.

Gold Coast line

The line between Ormeau and Coomera stations, 6.7 km (4.2 mi) in length, was duplicated in October 2006, allowing for additional capacity.[21] Similarly, the 16.6 km (10.3 mi) length between Helensvale and Robina stations was duplicated in July 2008, removing the need for a four-minute layover at Helensvale for Robina services to wait for the Brisbane service due to the single track either side of the station.[22]

Ipswich line

5.2 km (3.2 mi) of track between Corinda and Darra stations was quadruplicated. Previously four tracks to Corinda then two to Ipswich, the quadruplication allowed for greater capacity, especially with the Springfield railway line branching from Darra station.

Sunshine Coast line

13.7 km (8.5 mi) of track north of Caboolture station to Beerburrum station has been duplicated and re-aligned, along with the construction of stations at Elimbah and Beerburrum. Construction work began in 2007, and the project was commissioned on 14 April 2009.[23]

From Beerburrum station, 17 km (11 mi) of track to Landsborough is proposed to be similarly duplicated and re-aligned. This project is in planning stage, with construction scheduled to begin in 2020.[24]

Airport line

The Airport rail line opened to passengers in May 2001.[25] Under a BOOT scheme – build, own, operate and transfer – the Queensland Government licensed Airtrain Citylink to build the rail line, to own and operate it, and hand the entire infrastructure over to the Queensland Government after 35 years when the company will then cease to exist.[25][26] Airtrain Citylink contracted Transfield Services to build, operate and maintain the line[25] and finally Airtrain Citylink contracted Queensland Rail to provide rolling stock for the rail line.[27]

Gold Coast line

In July 2007, Queensland Government announced the rail extension for the Gold Coast line.[28] The first stage was completed in 2009[29] which took the line to Varsity Lakes.[28] It was later proposed to take the line to Tallebudgera but it didn't happen.[28] This is the first stage of the proposed progressive extension of the line to the Gold Coast Airport. Further extension of the line including proposed stations at Tallebudgera, Elanora and Tugun is expected to be constructed after the completion of the Cross River Rail project.[30]

A light rail line, G:link, on the Gold Coast opened in July 2014.

Springfield line

The Springfield railway line is a line extending from Darra railway station on the Ipswich line to the Springfield area. The 26 km (16 mi) extension of the network had a total cost of $475 million and was completed in December 2013.[31][32]

Redcliffe Peninsula line

The Redcliffe Peninsula railway line (previously known as the Moreton Bay Rail link) is a suburban railway line extending 27.5 km (17.1 mi) north-northwest from Brisbane central business district (approximately 40.1 km (24.9 mi) from Central station. The line is part of the QR Citytrain network, branching from the existing Caboolture line immediately after Petrie railway station, and extend to the Redcliffe peninsula. It was more seriously identified and anticipated in the 1970s, and the land was purchased in the 1980s although the line was not built. Construction commenced in 2013 and the line was opened to passengers on 4 October 2016.

Future

A number of upgrades and extensions are planned or under construction for the rail network in South East Queensland. The Maroochydore railway line is proposed to branch off the North Coast line at Beerwah and operate via Caloundra to Maroochydore.

In 2011, the Queensland Government released a major transport plan Connecting SEQ 2031, which aimed to double public transport usage in South East Queensland.[33][34] It proposed a number of service upgrades and rail extensions, including Cross River Rail, the Gold Coast light rail, a new high frequency Brisbane subway in the central city from Toowong to Bowen Hills, and a new North-west rail line branching from Cross River Rail at Alderley to Strathpine.[34]

Cross River Rail

Construction site of Cross River Rail at Roma Street station in central Brisbane in 2021
Construction site of Cross River Rail at Roma Street station in central Brisbane in 2021

On 26 August 2007, the then-Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Paul Lucas, announced the Inner City Rail Capacity Study to look at underground rail access under the Brisbane central business district. Dismissing a City Loop-style scenario similar to Melbourne, citing the relatively small size of the CBD and "technical and operational constraints", Lucas imagined an underground line from Park Road station to Woolloongabba, then across the Brisbane River to connect with the Exhibition railway line, with major new stations at Woolloongabba, Gardens Point/QUT, and in the CBD. The study also investigated the feasibility of the Exhibition line operating all year with new stations, and the upgrading of existing lines with additional tracks. Lucas allocated A$5 million to the study and appointed AECOM and Parsons Brinckerhoff as consultants to "look at options for boosting rail capacity in the city centre, including potential for an underground tunnel".[35]

This project, Cross River Rail, is now under construction and scheduled to open to the public in early 2026.[36]

In 2017, work began on a second rail river crossing for Brisbane as the Merivale Bridge nears capacity. The project includes just under six kilometres of new underground rail, three new underground stations at Boggo Road, Woolloongabba and Albert Street, new underground platforms at Roma Street station, and an upgrade to the existing Exhibition station. The new inner-city route will be used by the New Generation Rollingstock.

Lines and services

Queensland Rail operates ten suburban and three interurban rail lines across South East Queensland, centred on the Brisbane central business district. Lines that share a colour connect through the central city. The Exhibition line is a special events service connecting the Brisbane Showgrounds. Note that some stations are counted multiple times on this list.

South East Queensland rail lines
Line First Service Image Length Stations Rolling stock
Airport line 2001 Brisbane Airport rail line 15.9 km (9.9 mi) 2 (branch)
Beenleigh line 1881 (electrified 1982-4) QR SMU 239 arriving at South Brisbane railway station on a Beenleigh line 41.5 km (25.8 mi) 22
    Caboolture line 1888 (electrified 1982-6) Caboolture railway station, Queensland 2012 49.6 km (30.8 mi) 13
      Cleveland line 1888 (electrified 1982-8) Cleveland station, Brisbane 37.3 km (23.2 mi) 25
        Doomben line 1882 (electrified 1988) Doomben station, 2012 8 km (5.0 mi) 11
          Exhibition line 1882 (electrified 1982) Exhibition railway station, Brisbane 2012 3.4 km (2.1 mi) 1 (branch)
            Ferny Grove line 1899 (electrified 1979) Grovely station, Brisbane 13.5 km (8.4 mi) 11
              Gold Coast line 1996 Varsity Lakes station, 2016 20
              • New Generation Rollingstock
              Ipswich and Rosewood line 1876 (electrified 1979-93) East Ipswich station, 2012 57 km (35 mi) 32
              Redcliffe Peninsula line 2016 Mango Hill station, Brisbane 2017 12 km (7.5 mi) 6 (branch)
              Shorncliffe line 1882 (electrified 1982) Shorncliffe station platform, Brisbane 11 km (6.8 mi) 18
              Springfield line 2013 Springfield Central station, Brisbane 2013 13.6 km (8.5 mi) 4 (Branch)
              Sunshine Coast line 1881 (Electrified 1988) Landsborough station platform, Queensland 2012 180 km (110 mi) 29

              RailBus services

              Translink operates several bus routes along corridors on behalf of QR where the railway line has been closed to passenger traffic or supplements low-patronage lines at specific times of the day.[37]

              To relieve congestion on the single track North Coast line north of Beerburrum, the rail service is supplemented by a bus service operated by Kangaroo Bus Lines on weekdays between Caboolture and Nambour as route 649.[38]

              Stations

              Platforms at Roma Street railway station in central Brisbane
              Platforms at Roma Street railway station in central Brisbane

              There are 153 stations on the South East Queensland rail network.[1] The four Brisbane city stations — Roma Street, Brisbane Central, Fortitude Valley and Bowen Hills — are served by all suburban and interurban lines and together form the core of the network.

              Operators

              Passenger

              Suburban and interurban passenger services are operated under the Citytrain brand of Queensland Rail, and are co-ordinated by Translink. Long-distance passenger services operate from Roma Street around the state under the Traveltrain brand, while an interstate service to Sydney is operated by New South Wales operator NSW TrainLink using its XPT fleet.

              In a city with a population of 2 million, passenger traffic on the suburban network doubled in the 10 years from 1979 to 1989 to reach 50 million journeys a year in 1989, and by 1992 it had increased by another 10%.[39]

              In June 2009 as part the split of Queensland Rail's commuter rail and the freight business,[40] The Citytrain brand was dropped in favour of using the redesigned Queensland Rail brand. Since then most traces of the Citytrain brand have been removed from rolling stock and station signage.

              On 8 March 2017, the Queensland Government released a report called "Fixing the trains: a high-level implementation plan to transform rail in Queensland" This report officially resurrected the Citytrain network naming for the first time since the split. Since this report, the Citytrain brand has slowly made its way back into reports. This brand re-emergence does not seem to be a controlled and deliberate action, but rather appeared in the report due to the Citytrain brand being well known amongst many within the Brisbane area. The report unofficially initiated a return of the Citytrain branding, and established the Citytrain Response Unit to respond to the plan.

              Freight

              2300 class on a freight service at Redbank station

              Aurizon operates the majority of freight services on both the 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard and 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow gauges, with Pacific National on the standard gauge and their narrow gauge Pacific National Queensland division also operating services.

              The main rail freight terminal is in the southern Brisbane suburb of Acacia Ridge, located off the Beenleigh suburban line at the northern end of the line from New South Wales. A freight line was opened from Acacia Ridge to Fishermans Island and the Port of Brisbane in 1980,[13] running alongside the Beenleigh line from Salisbury to Dutton Park, then follows the Cleveland line to Lindum. Dual gauge access on the line was promised by the Federal Fraser government in 1983, but it was not until 1997 that the work was carried out, eliminating the break-of-gauge and enabling trains to run direct from the port across the New South Wales border.[41]

              Approximately four million tonnes of freight is moved from outside South East Queensland to points within it; 1.1 million tonnes was to interstate destinations. One of the largest internal traffic flows is the movement of coal along the Western Line to the Swanbank Power Station and the Port of Brisbane.[42]

              The Fisherman Islands intermodal terminal was opened in 1994.[13] Other rail freight terminals have been located at South Brisbane, Park Road, Yeerongpilly, Clapham, and Salisbury.[43]

              Fares and ticketing

              The South East Queensland rail network structures its fares according to Translink's eight pricing zones. The system has integrated ticketing with public transport throughout South East Queensland using the contactless fare payment card called go card.[44] The card requires passengers to touch the card on a card reader at the start and end of each journey, and when transferring between services.

              Fleet

              All of the Queensland Rail City Network rolling stock is electric and air conditioned.

              New Generation Rollingstock EMU set 753 at Sherwood Station, on a Redcliffe (Kippa Ring) service

              All trains are electric multiple units with a driver cabin at both ends, with the exception of EMU60 through EMU79 having a cab at one end. These units also had only 3 powered bogies (per 3 car set) compared to the 4 powered bogie arrangement for the remaining EMUs. The last of these units, EMU78, was scrapped in August 2020. All EMU, SMU and IMU units consist of 3 cars, giving a fleet total of 621 cars, plus the 20 ICE cars. The ICE units are usually configured as five car trains.

              Suburban trains are occasionally scheduled on interurban lines if other toilet equipped rolling stock is not available. While using suburban trains on interurban lines increases operational flexibility, the trains are not provided with the facilities of the IMU, ICE or NGR units, such as toilets or high-backed seats.

              The 260 Series SMU, 160 Series IMU and the NGR all come with free Wi-Fi on board.[47] The Wi-Fi usage is limited to 20MB.[48]

              75 new six-car New Generation Rollingstock trains were ordered in January 2014 and were delivered between late 2015 and late 2019.[49] A new maintenance facility for these trains was built at Wulkuraka. The first NGR entered service on 11 December 2017.

              To keep up with projected passenger increases, the procurement of 20 new electric trains was announced in 2020, with TMR considering the option of ordering an additional 45 electric trains, potentially adding up to 65 new electric trains in the next decade.[46]

              Closed lines

              Further reading

              References

              1. "QR Citytrain Network Map". Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
              2. Network map Archived 26 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine Queensland Rail 26 September 2022
              3. Plan your journey Archived 26 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine Queensland Rail 26 September 2022
              4. Queensland Rail on Twitter: "Citytrain network update" Queensland Rail 26 September 2022
              5. Queensland Rail (20 September 2023). "Queensland Rail Annual and Financial Report FY2022-2023. Page 40" (PDF). Queensland Rail. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
              6. Public Transport Authority of WA (27 October 2023). "Transport Performance". Public Transport Authority of WA. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
              7. "QR Corporate – QR History – Beginnings". QR Limited. Archived from the original on 15 January 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2008.
              8. "QR Corporate – QR History – Building to the bush". QR Limited. Archived from the original on 22 July 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2008.
              9. "QR Corporate – QR History – The common carrier". QR Limited. Archived from the original on 22 July 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2008.
              10. The Old South Coast Line Revisited Marggraf, E.W. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin November 2003 pp422-427
              11. Geoffrey B. Churchman (1995). Railway Electrification in Australia and New Zealand. IPL Books. p. 131. ISBN 0-646-06893-8.
              12. Geoffrey B. Churchman (1995). Railway Electrification in Australia and New Zealand. IPL Books. p. 132. ISBN 0-646-06893-8.
              13. "QR Corporate - Modern competitive railway". corporate.qr.com.au. Archived from the original on 22 July 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2008.
              14. "Brisbane Rail Electrification Stages 1 and 2" Armstrong, J Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin August 1982 pp165-192
              15. "Annual Report Summaries" Railway Digest February 1996 page 26
              16. "OPTIMISM SPURS MAJOR QR INVESTMENT". Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
              17. "Corinda to Darra Rail Upgrade: Overview". QR Network. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
              18. Tony Moore (8 June 2010). "Station upgrades for SEQ". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 9 June 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
              19. "Salisbury to Kuraby Third Track". SEQIPRail. QR Limited. 11 January 2008. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
              20. "Mitchelton to Keperra Duplication". SEQIPRail. QR Limited. 30 November 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
              21. "Ormeau to Coomera Duplication". SEQIPRail. QR Limited. 29 November 2007. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
              22. "Helensvale to Robina Duplication". SEQIPRail. QR Limited. 30 November 2007. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
              23. "Caboolture to Beerburrum Doubling". SEQIPRail. QR Limited. 14 January 2008. Archived from the original on 24 October 2009. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
              24. "Beerburrum to Landsborough Track Doubling". SEQIPRail. QR Limited. 29 December 2007. Archived from the original on 24 October 2009. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
              25. "Transfield – Current Activities – Brisbane Airtrain". Archived from the original on 3 November 2009. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
              26. "Extra Rollingstock for Airtrain Services". Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
              27. "State Government makes tracks from Robina to Varsity Lake". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
              28. "Gold Coast rail extension opens six months ahead of schedule". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
              29. Department of Transport and Main Roads (5 February 2019). "Robina to Tugun Rail Impact Assessment Study". www.tmr.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
              30. "SEQIPRAIL - Darra to Springfield Transport Corridor - Overview". SEQIPRail. QR Limited. 10 November 2007. Archived from the original on 17 June 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
              31. "Fast track to growth: Springfield train line is opened". The Queensland Times. Archived from the original on 3 May 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
              32. Queensland Government (2011). "Connecting SEQ 2031" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 May 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
              33. Queensland Government (2011). "Connecting SEQ 2031: Part C Detailed network strategies for 2031" (PDF).
              34. "Future rail connection in study's sights" (Press release). Government of Queensland. 26 August 2007. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
              35. "'Absolutely unavoidable' $960m cost blowout for Brisbane's Cross River Rail revealed". ABC News. 31 March 2023. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
              36. "Route 649 timetable". Translink.
              37. Geoffrey B. Churchman (1995). Railway Electrification in Australia and New Zealand. IPL Books. p. 136. ISBN 0-646-06893-8.
              38. Queensland asset sales to reap $15 billion Archived 19 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine Brisbane Times 2 June 2009
              39. Philip Laird (2001). Australia's gauge muddle and prospects. p. 191. ISBN 0-86840-411-X. Archived from the original on 11 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2008. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
              40. "4.3 SEQ Rail Freight Task". South East Queensland Intermodal Freight Terminal Study. Queensland Transport. Archived from the original on 26 July 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2008.
              41. Bureau of Transport Economics (February 1974). "Development of a Rail Freight Terminal at Acacia Ridge". Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics. Archived from the original on 27 July 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2008.
              42. "About go card". Translink. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
              43. "Citytrain fleet". queenslandrail.com.au. Archived from the original on 3 July 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
              44. "Rollingstock Expansion Program". gateway.icn.org.au. Archived from the original on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
              45. "QUEENSLAND RAIL COMPLETES ROLL-OUT OF WIFI TRAINS". Archived from the original on 20 May 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
              46. "Transport Priority in State Budget 2008-09" (PDF). SEQIPRail. QLD Treasury Department. 3 June 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
              47. "New Generation Rollingstock". Department of Transport and Main Roads. Archived from the original on 5 November 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
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