Federal funding to deliver Beerburrum to Nambour Rail Upgrade
14 May 2018
Federal Government: The
Federal Government is committing $390 million to duplicate Queensland's
North Coast Rail Line between Beerburrum and Landsborough, and build
capacity upgrades from Landsborough to Nambour, delivering improved
passenger and freight movement between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
Michael McCormack said the Federal Government was committed to providing
the rail infrastructure Queenslanders need to enjoy the fast and
reliable train services they deserve.
“Reduced travel times and greater trip reliability makes rail a more
attractive option for travellers between the region and
Brisbane in particular, while more parking at stations will also add
to the equation,” Mr McCormack said.
Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities Paul Fletcher said the
Turnbull Government had moved quickly to commit this funding following
the business case being approved by Infrastructure Australia.
“This upgrade, which would duplicate about 20 kilometres and upgrade a
further 19 kilometres of track along the busy commuter corridor, is big
news for the Sunshine Coast and surrounding regions,” Mr Fletcher said.
“This project makes good sense in itself—as it will relieve pressure on
the busy Bruce Highway and provide commuters with additional train
services.
“It also offers a potential launch pad for further work to deliver a
faster rail service along this route in the future, depending on the
outcome from the business case which is now under way.
“In March this year we announced funding for a business case to plan for
faster rail between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. That business case
will take as its starting point the upgraded Beerburrum to Nambour
line—the subject of today's funding announcement—and will examine
potential further investments which would allow a faster rail service to
be delivered between Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.”
Infrastructure Australia added the Beerburrum to Nambour
Rail Upgrade as a priority initiative on its Infrastructure Priority
List on 27 March 2018 because the project is needed in the near-term and
will deliver national productivity gains.
Federal Member for Fisher Andrew Wallace said the project would provide
a range of upgrades between Landsborough and Nambour including passing
loops extensions and additional parking at some stations.
“Through this major investment, we will address conflict between
passenger and freight trains on the current single-track line, which is
constraining the growth of both types of traffic,” Mr Wallace said.
“This will also be a significant economic boost to the region, creating
more than 600 jobs and driving even more investment into the local
economy.”
Federal Member for Fairfax Ted O'Brien said freight train paths were
expected to reach capacity by 2023 and without this investment in
duplicating the line, freight traffic would likely switch to road based
transport to meet supply chain requirements, placing further pressure on
the Bruce Highway.
“The people of the Sunshine Coast and the broader region have been
calling for Governments to get on board with improving rail, and the
Federal Government has listened to that and delivered,” Mr O'Brien said.
“It is critical we invest in the rail corridor now to deal with
congestion, but also plan for a future that may include fast rail to the
Sunshine Coast from Brisbane in 45 minutes.”
The Australian Government will work with the
Queensland Government to finalise funding arrangements for the
project and develop a construction timeframe.
--ENDS--
Source: Australian Government - www.minister.infrastructure.gov.au
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