Cross River Rail
Cross River Rail will help transform south east Queensland’s rail system and provide essential inner city rail infrastructure to promote future productivity and prosperity.
The project will introduce a new rail line in the inner city (including a new river crossing) with brand new inner city rail stations. A new rail corridor in the city will mean more frequent trains and better services for all of south east Queensland’s rail users.
Cross River Rail will give more passengers quicker access to Brisbane’s inner city with easy interchanges between train lines and other transport.
Brisbane is growing and expanding and the wider region’s population is booming. Better public transport is vital to support south east Queensland’s growth. In the future, we’ll need to move people more efficiently to help manage congestion and climate change and boost our economy.
The Commonwealth and Queensland Governments have committed A$25 million to progress with the detailed feasibility phase of the project.
With construction envisaged to start in 2012, the new rail line could be built by late 2016. Community consultation will be a valuable part of the project so please visit this webpage regularly to find out how to have your say.
Why do we need it?
South east Queensland is growing rapidly and Brisbane is expected to attract thousands of new residents and workers over the next 30 years. This growth will lead to a massive increase in the need for public transport, particularly for trips into and across Brisbane’s inner city areas.
A new corridor in the inner city will make it possible to add more trains to the region’s network. This would provide the ability to move up to 60 000 people per hour into the inner city from the north and south. It would take a 30-lane motorway to match this.
Better and more efficient public transport networks improve the liveability and sustainability of our cities. New inner city rail stations would provide more choice for rail commuters, giving them a new way to travel.
Cross River Rail is about providing an environmentally, user-friendly public transport system which will help reduce traffic on roads. This will help manage congestion — an economic imperative in south east Queensland.
Timeline
| Phase | Activity | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pre-feasibility | mid 2007-late 2008 (complete) |
| 2 | Detailed feasibility | early 2009-mid 2011 (current phase) |
| 3 | Procurement | 2011-2012 |
| 4 | Construction | 2012-2016 |
Where are we now?
The Commonwealth and Queensland Governments have committed A$25 million to progress with the detailed feasibility phase of Cross River Rail.
This planning phase, due to be completed in mid-2011, involves technical investigations to determine the preferred corridor, the preparation of an environmental impact statement, a business case and extensive community consultation. The detailed feasibility phase of Cross River Rail is intended to identify, assess and further develop the options for the future development.
The route and station locations for Cross River Rail are yet to be determined.
The project team is currently exploring the options in greater detail with a view to identifying a preferred corridor by early 2010. Environmental investigations and community consultation will be undertaken once a preferred corridor has been identified.
Background
The South East Queensland Regional Plan 2005-2026 estimates the region’s population will grow from 2.9 million to 4.3 million by 2026. The Queensland Government is planning for south east Queensland’s future rail needs through Cross River Rail.
The South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program 2009-2026 recognises the limited ability of the existing rail network to meet growing demand. This plan identifies the need for a study of inner city rail capacity, including consideration of a second rail river crossing.
The Premier of Queensland, the Honorable Anna Bligh MP, released the Inner City Rail Capacity Study (Pre-Feasibility Report) in October 2008. This study (which represents the pre-feasibility phase of Cross River Rail) assessed the options to expand the inner city rail network as part of an integrated inner city transport network that would support the future expansion of the central business district and inner city.
The Inner City Rail Capacity Study identified a need for Cross River Rail. It found:
- passenger demand in peak periods to the inner city is forecast to increase from more than 44 000 in 2006 (currently 53 000) to between 70 000 and 80 000 by 2016 and 105 000 and 130 000 by 2026
- a bottleneck in the inner city rail network restricts the number of additional trains that can be added to south east Queensland’s rail network to meet growing demand
- three potential corridor options for a new rail line through the inner city by 2016.
Corridor options
Current tender opportunities
We are currently seeking the following services:
- Transport modelling services (ITO no. QTITP061/09)
- Infrastructure design and engineering services (ITO no. QTITP075/09)
- Environmental impact statement services (ITO no. QTITP075/09)
Details are in tender documents available at the Queensland Government Marketplace www.qgm.qld.gov.au. For current tender enquiries, please contact itpprocurement@tmr.qld.gov.au.
Offer closing date: 2.00pm Monday, 9 November 2009
Recent tenders
- Rail operations and modelling services
- Economic advisory services
- Legal services
- Project management and technical leaders
- Communication and stakeholder services
Community consultation
Community consultation will be a valuable part of the detailed feasibility phase of Cross River Rail. Timeframes and activities will be added to the website as soon as they are available.
Cross River Rail publications
All documents relating to the project can be found on the publications page.
Media
12 May 2009 — Cross River Rail key to city’s transport future (Minister for Transport)
7 Oct 2008 — Inner city rail plan to increase capacity (Premier and Minister for Transport)
For more information
For more information contact the project team:
Phone: 1800 462 730r
Email: crossriverrail@tmr.qld.gov.au
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Last updated 28 October 2009
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