The $163 million Gold Coast rail project is now complete with the first revenue service taking place along the 8.2km Coomera to Helensvale rail duplication.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Transport, Jackie Trad, said Queensland Rail crews had been working around the clock to ensure the project was delivered on time and under budget in preparation for the Commonwealth Games in 2018.
“Queensland Rail crews and contractors have delivered a collective 450,000 hours of work since the start of construction in March last year, to deliver the 8.2km heavy rail duplication, including eight new rail bridges totalling 1.4km in length,” Ms Trad said.
“This includes an impressive 860m bridge spanning across the Coomera River, Hope Island Road and Saltwater Creek, 180 new overhead masts, 50,000m of cabling, and the laying of 18,000m of rail, 13,000 sleepers and 30,000 tonnes of ballast.
Ms Trad said $10 million worth of train station refresh works were also now well underway along the Gold Coast line in preparation to welcome local, interstate and international visitors to the city in April 2018.
“These are the kinds of significant infrastructure projects the Palaszczuk Government is delivering right across the Gold Coast,” Ms Trad said.
“Duplicating the last remaining section of single track on the Gold Coast line between Coomera and Helensvale is crucial to meeting the future public transport needs of the growing Gold Coast community.
“This project has also provided a significant economic boost for the community, with local labour and materials used wherever possible.
“Throughout the life of the project, more than 200 jobs have been delivered in the local construction industry.
“That’s in addition to the much anticipated 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games which is expected to inject $2 billion into the Queensland economy and generate around 30,000 jobs for our state.”
