Let’s get this as straight as a tram track through Palm Beach – light rail is headed to the border. I can’t see that it is going to be parked for heavy rail, or buses.
Yes, the State LNP after the Central Chamber of Commerce transport forum not surprisingly confirmed “we will review the trams” giving hope to the heavy rail lobby. And neither side of politics seems all that keen to commit to anything past ticking off the business case that precedes construction of stage 4 to the airport.
Even a southern community leader wrote later in a text to your columnist: “It makes more sense to connect heavy rail from the airport to airport especially with the 2032 Olympics.”
Artist impression of Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 4 between Tugun and Coolangatta, including Gold Coast Airport and the NSW border. Picture: Department of Transport and Main Roads.
But the southern and central transport plan, as far back as 2012, was built on these findings:
* light rail from Broadbeach to the airport connected with the largest and growing population.
* for tourists, trams could service Burleigh Heads, Currumbin Sanctuary and the Airport.
* the Gold Coast Highway was the fastest and most direct of the any of the corridors.
What was another advantage of light rail going down the Highway?
“It also means the heavy rail corridor adjacent to the M1 will remain protected for a future extension of the Gold Coast line passenger railway which is intended to fulfil a longer distance regional transport function,” the report added.
There is recognition from the start we are dealing with two different transport modes.
Gold Coast transport map showing future light rail and heavy rail to the border.
Let’s fast forward to the latest study — preliminary research for Light Rail Stage Four.
The report says: “One of the longlist options not progressed was the heavy rail extension of the Gold Coast Rail Line from Varsity Lakes to the Airport.
“Heavy rail is considered a complementary project for a mature transport network, not an alternative option.”
The short list transport options numbered 11 — they included expanding the Gold Coast Highway, widening the bridges, allowing for more buses.
None of them matched the trams due to the large numbers to be moved off the road.
The report warned that travel demand in the southern Coast and northern Tweed Shire area is forecast to increase by 32 per cent by 2041, with an increase of 68,752 daily person trips.
The Airport has forecast growth in passenger numbers of 146 per cent. Some arriving here for a beach and theme park holiday, others for our booming event calendar.
Artist impression of the Gold Coast Airport masterplan, which features new hotels, a light rail connection and retail precinct. Picture: Supplied
The warning was if the Deep South fails to get a transport solution it will become a congested and “dormitory” suburb with bleak employment outcomes.
Where does that leave heavy rail?.
It’s on the maps for the tram studies, it’s being explored with no funding committed.
A transport source says: “We haven’t sorted out the corridor (for heavy rail). Heavy rail is much longer project in terms of scale. We’re talking about what stations will go where, and the parking.”
Gold Coast Bulletin
