Queensland’s LNP opposition has pledged they will rename the Cross River Rail the Elizabeth Line in honour of Queen Elizabeth II if they win the looming state election.
The opposition launched an online petition in the wake of the Queen’s death in September 2022, calling for the multi-billion-dollar rail project to be renamed after the late monarch.
In response to an enquiry from ABC Radio Brisbane, the LNP said they received close to 5,000 signatures in support of their push to call Cross River Rail the Elizabeth Line.
The opposition also confirmed that, should they win the state election in October, they will go ahead with the proposed name change.
In a short statement, deputy LNP leader Jarrod Bleijie said: “The LNP supports this as a fitting tribute to a lifetime of service.”
The proposal mirrors a similar move in London where a new rail line was called the Elizabeth Line to mark Queen Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee.
The Cross River Rail project runs for 10 kilometres, including under the Brisbane River and CBD, with four new underground stations and one new station above ground.
Once open, Cross River Rail will be integrated with the broader rail network, although one sector of the network will use all the new stations and tunnel built for the project.
The LNP did not say what section of the rail network, from station to station, would be known as the Elizabeth Line under their proposal.
Government to review station names
Train lines in Queensland are currently named after geographic locations, such as the Ipswich/Rosewood line, the Redcliffe Peninsular line, the Gold Coast line, and the Doomben line.
Transport Minister Bart Mellish indicated Labor would not rename Cross River Rail because it was not a standalone rail line.
“In fact, the Sunshine Coast, Caboolture, Redcliffe Peninsula, Gold Coast, and Beenleigh lines will all run through Cross River Rail’s tunnels once operational,” Mr Mellish said in a statement.
“As Cross River Rail will be integrated into the broader train network when it opens, there will be no standalone name needed.
“Legibility and familiarity are important aspects in the naming of stations and lines to ensure customers are able to clearly identify destinations and easily move around the network.”
Mr Mellish said work to review Cross River Rail station names would begin in “due course”.
Within Brisbane, the hospital at Coopers Plains and the Supreme and District Courts in the CBD are both named after Queen Elizabeth II.
Cross River Rail is due to open in 2026, well after this year’s October state election.
The LNP’s online petition has not been presented to state parliament.