Cross River Rail

Cross River Rail
Overview
Type Commuter Rail
System Queensland Rail City network
Status Construction starting late 2017
Locale Brisbane
Termini Dutton Park
Bowen Hills
Website Cross River Rail
Operation
Owner Queensland Rail
Technical
Line length 10.2 km (6.3 mi)
Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)

Cross River Rail is a proposed underground rail line through central Brisbane. In April 2016, the Queensland Government announced it would establish the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority to deliver the new project.[1] The project replaces the planned 2013 BaT Tunnel,[2] which in turn had replaced the original 2010 Cross River Rail proposal.

A new rail crossing is needed to ease congestion and improve accessibility.[3] A second rail crossing is required after 2021 when Brisbane’s only inner-city rail river crossing, the Merivale Bridge, is expected to reach maximum capacity.[4] The project includes just under six kilometres of rail tunnel, four new underground inner city train stations and an upgrade to the existing Exhibition station. Cross River Rail is considered to be the highest infrastructure priority by the Queensland Government.[3]

Current proposal

The current 2016 proposed 10.2-kilometre (6.3 mi) rail link involves building a new 5.4-kilometre (3.4 mi) tunnel under the Brisbane River and the Brisbane central business district, creating five new inner city station precincts, and increasing the core capacity of the rail network. The alignment will extend from Dutton Park, through Boggo Road adjacent to the Boggo Road busway station, Woolloongabba, Albert Street, Roma Street and Exhibition to Bowen Hills.[5] Construction is due to start in late 2017, with completion by 2024.[6] Part of the Brisbane Transit Centre is to be demolished.[7]

With an estimated capital cost of $5.4 billion it is expected to be the largest transport project ever built in Queensland. In addition, the project's detailed business case identifies the project will result in costs of $4.9 billion for additional services and complementary growth projects, and $4.4 billion for operation and maintenance costs over a 30 year period. [8] On 13 June 2017, the Queensland Government allocated $2.8 billion to start building the rail link.[9] The remaining $2.6 billion of capital costs and other project costs is proposed be allocated in future budgets. The Cross River Rail Delivery Authority has stated construction will start in late 2017, with completion in 2024.[10] The Labor Government has stated the project will provide more than 1,500 jobs each year during construction, and boost the Queensland economy by $70 million.[6]

Previous proposals

2010 Cross River Rail proposal

A report titled the 2008 Inner City Rail Capacity Study predicted that the demand for Brisbane peak train services would double by 2016.[11] 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.[12]

The original plans for the project were released on 11 November 2010. The project included a 9.8-kilometre (6.1 mi) tunnel, two new surface stations as well as four new underground stations. Upgrades to Moorooka and Rocklea were also proposed. Underground stations were proposed to include retail facilities, and a maximum of 120,000 passengers were claimed to be able to be moved during the morning peak period.[13]

The city station was to be built under Albert Street,[12] with two entrances and allowing for trains up to 200 m in length.[14] Proposed stations at Woolloongabba and Exhibition were to be named The Gabba and The Ekka respectively.

Yeerongpilly was chosen as the southern portal because it had less impact on residents than a tunnel entrance at Fairfield.[15] An entrance there would allow trains on the Ipswich railway line to use the tunnel via the Tennyson railway line.[15] 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.

2012 revised plan

In June 2012, the newly elected Newman Government announced plans for a scaled down version of the project estimated to cost $4.5 billion. 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. Thirty-nine commercial properties were to have been resumed for the project, including the Royal on the Park hotel[16] and another nine properties in the central business district.[14] One hundred and five residential properties at Yeerongpilly were to have been resumed for the expansion of the Yeerongpilly railway station.

2013 Bus and Train Tunnel proposal

In November 2013, the Queensland Government announced a revised plan for the BaT (Bus and Train) project as an alternative to the previous Cross River Rail proposal. The revised plan involved a 14.8m external diameter (13.5m internal diameter) 5.4 kilometres (3.4 mi) tunnel to accommodate both a dual track rail line on the lower level and a two lane busway above. The cost was expected to be $5billion with construction proposed to start in 2015 and completion in 2021.[17][18] Citytrain patronage is quoted as having increased at an annual average of 3.4% between 2006 and 2012, 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 and 2021. However, this capacity constraint may be over pessimistic as doubt has been cast on the pre-2009 figures supplied by Queensland Rail due to double counting of patronage figures.[19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Third cross river rail plan for Brisbane unveiled". ABC News. Retrieved 2016-04-08.
  2. ↑ BaT Tunnel scrapped as government looks for different cross river rail line Brisbane Times 6 March 2015
  3. 1 2 "Cross River Rail". Infrastructure projects. The State of Queensland. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  4. ↑ Sarah Vogler; Steven Wardill (13 June 2017). "Queensland Budget: $2 billion for Cross River Rail". The Courier-Mail. News Corp. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  5. ↑ Remeikis, Amy. "Tunnel vision back on the table for Brisbane". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 2016-04-08.
  6. 1 2 "Labor will build Cross River Rail". Retrieved 2017-06-13.
  7. ↑ Michael Madigan; Sarah Vogler (26 February 2017). "Infrastructure Minister Jackie Trad seeks public input to revised Cross River Rail proposal that cuts costs". The Sunday Mail. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  8. ↑ Cross River Rail Detailed Business Case 2016, Executive Summary, pp 30-32
  9. ↑ Mark Ludlow (13 June 2017). "Queensland budget 2017: Annastacia Palaszczuk to go it alone on Cross River Rail". Australian Financial Review. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  10. ↑ "Cross River Rail to dominate Queensland election". The Courier Mail. News Corp. 17 June 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  11. ↑ "Cross River Rail key to city's transport future". TransLink Transit Authority. 12 May 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  12. 1 2 Tony Moore (13 July 2010). "Brisbane CBD's new underground station revealed". Brisbane Times. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  13. ↑ "First underground train station for Brisbane". RailStaff Publications Limited. 13 July 2010. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
  14. 1 2 Tony Moore (11 November 2010). "Major hotel to make way for cross river rail". Brisbane Times, Fairfax Media. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  15. 1 2 Tony Moore (15 September 2010). "Rail line to wipe out 66 properties". Brisbane Times. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  16. ↑ "New Brisbane cross-river rail details released". ABC News Online. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 11 November 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  17. ↑ Double-deck rail and bus tunnel proposed for Brisbane Railway Gazette.
  18. ↑ "Underground Bus and Train". Queensland Government Department of Main Roads. 2013-11-22. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  19. ↑ Australian Government, Department of Infrastructure and Transport, Research Report, No 131, 2012, p48
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