Cross River Rail

[ v t e ] Cross River Rail
Legend Exhibition line clockwise Exhibition Ekka Exhibition line anti-clockwise Roma Street George Street Brisbane River Gabba Beenleigh line inbound Dutton Park (proposed to be closed) Beenleigh line outbound

Cross River Rail is a proposed new underground rail line and busway in Brisbane, Australia. The project involves building a new 5.4 km 14.8m diameter tunnel under the Brisbane River and the Brisbane central business district, creating two new underground inner city stations, and increasing the core capacity of the rail network.^[1] According to the former Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh the railway will be the largest transport project ever built in Queensland^[2] and is expected to cost around $5 billion.^[3]

Original planning

A report titled the 2008 Inner City Rail Capacity Study predicted that the demand for Brisbane peak train services would double by 2016.^[4] Between Salisbury and Dutton Park the existing line is used by freight trains traveling to the Port of Brisbane and a terminal at Acacia Ridge, and the expected rise in the number of passengers services may interrupt freight services unless a new line is built. The Merivale Bridge is the only inner-city rail crossing in Brisbane, and by 2016 it was expected to be over capacity, leading the Queensland Government to plan for this project.^[5]

Geo-technical surveys, and public consultation began in 2010^[2] after funding for a feasibility study was provided in 2009 by the federal government.^[6] A funding submission was made to the federal government in 2011 after a detailed environmental impact statement was completed.

Original design

The original plans for the project were released on 11 November 2010. The project included a 9.8 km tunnel, two new surface stations as well as four new underground stations.^[1] Upgrades to Moorooka railway station and Rocklea railway station were also proposed.^[1] Underground stations were proposed to include retail facilities,^[6] and a maximum of 120,000 passengers were claimed to be able to be moved during the morning peak period.^[7]

The city station was to be built under Albert Street,^[5] with two entrances and allowing for trains up to 200m in length.^[8] Proposed stations at Woolloongabba and Exhibition were to be named "The Gabba" and "The Ekka" respectively.^[3]

Yeerongpilly was chosen as the southern portal because it had less impact on residents than a tunnel entrance at Fairfield.^[9] An entrance there would allow trains on the Ipswich railway line to use the tunnel via the Tennyson railway line.^[9] It also allowed the existing rail yards at Clapham to be used as stabling yards, negating the need to build a new storage depot for trains elsewhere.

The tunnels would incorporate floodgates at the southern portal and at the Albert Street station to protect against flooding of the Brisbane River. Albert Street would also have entry points 7 m (23 ft) above the level of the 2010–2011 Queensland floods.^[10]

First revised plan

In June 2012, the newly elected Government of Queensland announced plans for a scaled down version of the project estimated to cost $4.5 billion.^[11] The revised plan excluded upgrades to existing stations and extra above-ground train lines south or north of the new tunnel. The revised plan was expected to be completed by 2020. Interim measures such as the removal of some seats to allow more commuters to stand have been proposed to avoid a commuter bottleneck expected by 2016.^[12] Standard gauge interstate services have been rescheduled outside of peak hours to free up capacity on the dual gauge line to Salisbutry.^[11]

Thirty-nine commercial properties were to have been resumed for the project, including the Royal on the Park hotel^[13] and another nine properties in the central business district.^[8] One hundred and five residential properties at Yeerongpilly were to have been resumed for the expansion of the Yeerongpilly railway station.^[3]

Due to the reconstruction costs of the 2010–2011 Queensland floods this rail project was to be delayed by at least two years.^[14]

Preliminary test drilling of the Brisbane River commenced in November 2011.^[15]

Second revised plan

In November 2013 the Queensland government announced a further revised plan, involving a 14.8m external diameter (13.5m internal diameter) 5.4 km tunnel to accommodate both a dual track rail line on the lower level and a two lane busway above. The cost is expected to be $5billion with construction proposed to start in 2015 and completion in 2021.^[16][17] QR Citytrain patronage is quoted as having increased at an annual average of 3.4% between 2006-12, compared to an average annual population increase of 2.4% over the same period, confirming forecasts that the Merivale Bridge will reach capacity some time between 2016-2021.

The latest plan commences in the vicinity of Dutton Park station, with 2 new underground stations at Wooloongabba (adjacent to a major sports ground) and 'George St' (in the CBD) adjacent to a proposed casino redevelopment site. The balance of the proposal involves the previously proposed underground station at Roma St and the line connecting to the Exhibition loop near Bowen Hills. The Underground stations will also be busway stations. The southern end of the busway is proposed to connect directly to the existing Eastern Busway, with the northern end requiring an 800m route using existing streets to connect to the Northern Busway.

The stations are proposed to have 175m platforms to cater for future 7 car trains, and the peak hour headway of 2.5 minutes between trains gives a notional capacity of 24 trains per hour in each direction. This is proposed to facilitate an increase in Gold Coast line services by 80% when it opens, and is also stated as catering for the 'Hillcrest (New Beaudesert) line by 2031'. This proposed line involves converting the existing standard gauge line from the Acacia Ridge freight terminal (just south of Salisbury station) to dual gauge. Hillcrest is a suburb west of Browns Plains and north of Greenbank. The standard gauge line passes west of Beaudesert on its way to the NSW border, and re-establishment of the station at Bromelton may be what is intended by the term 'New Beaudesert line'.

No surface property resumptions are required under this revised plan, but the Dutton Park station is proposed to be closed, as it will need to be demolished as part of the project and the government states that its patronage level of ~150 passengers per peak hour doesn't justify the $150m cost to rebuild the station. Walkways from Park Road station, 800 metres away, are proposed to provide replacement access to the Princess Alexandra hospital, the major facility adjacent to Dutton Park station.

See also

• Rail transport in South East Queensland
• Transport in Brisbane

References

External links

• Official website

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