Projects

Brisbane to the Gold Coast (Kuraby to Beenleigh Faster Rail Upgrade)

The Australian Government committed $1.12 billion in the 2022 Budget to upgrade the 19km section of passenger rail between Kuraby and Beenleigh. The project will double capacity from two to four tracks; realign tracks to improve travel times; upgrade seven stations and relocate one; deliver new park ‘n’ ride capacity; improve safety by removing five level crossings; and invest in interconnected network upgrades to make it easier and safer to walk, cycle and drive to and from stations.

The Brisbane to Gold Coast Rail Line is one of the busiest long-distance commuting lines in Australia and forecast to continue to grow strongly. There is only one track in each direction between Kuraby and Beenleigh, and it is expected to reach capacity by 2028. Addressing this bottleneck will be critical to meet the demand of projected population growth and provide the transport support critical for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

This capital investment builds on the commitment of $178.1 million of Australian Government funds in the 2021 Budget for pre-construction activities. The project will finalise the scope, cost, timing and procurement for the project and undertake community consultation. The estimated cost of the project is $356.2 million. The Queensland Government is matching the Australian Government funding of $178.1 million. Pre-construction is expected to be completed in 2023.

Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast (Beerwah to Maroochydore Rail Extension)

The Australian Government committed $1.6 billion in the 2022 Budget to deliver a new 37km rail line from Beerwah to the key regional centre of Maroochydore, including possible new stations at locations such as Kawana and Caloundra.

The Sunshine Coast region is one of the fastest growing regions in Australia. The new line will open up mass transit accessibility to the Sunshine Coast and deliver a step change in public transport services. This will reduce congestion on road transport corridors along the Sunshine Coast and to Brisbane. The project will be built along the Caloundra and Maroochydore Corridor Options Study (CAMCOS) corridor that was preserved in 2001 by the Queensland Government.

Sydney to Newcastle (Tuggerah to Wyong Faster Rail Upgrade)

The Australian Government committed $1.0 billion in the 2022 Budget to constructing two new rail tracks between south of Tuggerah and north of Wyong (around 10km), extra platforms and station upgrades at Wyong and Tuggerah, and new dual track rail bridges over the Wyong River.

The project addresses a key capacity bottleneck and reliability constraint in the rail network and will improve travel time and reliability for passenger and freight services.

Melbourne to Geelong Faster Rail

The project will upgrade the rail corridor to deliver faster passenger rail services from Melbourne to Geelong. The project will be undertaken in a number of stages. Stage 1 will construct a dedicated track from Werribee to Laverton, allowing rail services to travel to Geelong via Werribee rather than Sunshine. This route is shorter and will allow express services to operate, potentially reducing travel times by 10-15 minutes.

The estimated cost of Stage 1 is $4 billion. Australian Government funding of $2 billion was committed in the 2019 Budget which has been matched by the Victorian Government. Planning for Stage 1 is underway, with the development of a detailed business case expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

Planning

Business cases and corridor investigations

The Australian Government is committed to supporting and shaping the growth of our cities and regions by delivering faster, more efficient and reliable rail infrastructure and services. The Government is investigating faster rail because of its potential to shift population growth away from our cities, stimulate regional development and improve access to jobs, services and affordable housing.

The 20 Year Faster Rail Plan (the Plan) released in 2019 establishes the framework for delivering faster, more efficient and reliable journey times along strategic corridors that link our major capital cities and growing regional centres.

As the first key planning step, $64 million is being invested to progress faster rail business cases and corridor investigations along the following key corridors identified in the Plan:

Sydney to Newcastle (completed)
Sydney to Wollongong (completed)
Sydney to Parkes (completed)
Melbourne to Greater Shepparton (completed)
Melbourne to Warrnambool, Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton, Albury-Wodonga and Traralgon (underway)
Kuraby to Beenleigh on the Gold Coast rail corridor (completed)
Brisbane to the Gold Coast (underway)
Perth to Bunbury (underway)

The National Faster Rail Agency is working in partnership with state and territory governments, industry and the private sector on these studies. Business cases are being developed to examine faster rail options along each corridor and their potential to reduce travel times. Business cases are helping guide future investment decisions and provide advice to government.

Sydney to Newcastle

Australian Government funding of $5.25 million was provided to investigate faster rail options from Sydney to Newcastle in partnership with the New South Wales Government. The Australian Government provided funding under the $20 million Faster Rail Prospectus to develop a strategic business case. The business case was completed in 2019.

Sydney to Wollongong

Australian Government funding of $8 million was provided to investigate faster rail options from Sydney to Wollongong (and on to Bomaderry) in partnership with the New South Wales Government. The business case was completed in 2021.

Sydney to Parkes

Australian Government funding of $8 million was provided to investigate faster rail options from Sydney to Parkes (via Bathurst and Orange) in partnership with the New South Wales Government. The business case was completed in 2021.

Melbourne to Greater Shepparton

Australian Government funding was provided to the private sector consortium, Consolidated Land and Rail Australia (CLARA), under the $20 million Faster Rail Prospectus to develop a business case from Melbourne to Greater Shepparton. The business case investigated options to construct two new cities each housing a population of up to 400,000 near Shepparton and Nagambie, connected by high-speed rail to Melbourne. The business case was completed in September 2019. Next steps are in the hands of the consortium.

Melbourne to Warrnambool, Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton, Albury-Wodonga and Traralgon

Australian Government funding of $16 million was provided to investigate faster rail opportunities for the Melbourne to Warrnambool, Bendigo, Ballarat, Albury-Wodonga, Shepparton and Traralgon corridors. The corridor investigations are underway and should be completed by late 2022.

Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast

Australian Government funding was provided to the private sector consortium, North Coast Connect (NCC), under the $20 million Faster Rail Prospectus to develop a detailed business case from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast. The business case was completed in 2019.

Brisbane to the Gold Coast

Australian Government funding of $8 million was committed to investigate faster rail options from Brisbane to the Gold Coast in partnership with the Queensland Government. The project is being undertaken in two parts:

The first part developed a detailed business case for capacity upgrades between Kuraby and Beenleigh (now called Logan and the Gold Coast faster rail). This detailed business case was completed in August 2021.
The second part will conduct a Brisbane to Gold Coast corridor investigation for the entire corridor from Brisbane to the Gold Coast, including a possible extension from Varsity Lakes to the Gold Coast Airport. The investigation commenced in 2021 and should be completed by late 2022.

Perth to Bunbury

Australian Government funding of $4 million was committed in the 2020 Budget to investigate faster rail options from Perth to Bunbury in partnership with the Western Australian Government. The project started in mid-2021 and is expected to be completed in 2024.