Cross River Rail

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Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with Brisbane Metro, bus rapid transit.

Cross River Rail
Queensland Rail City network
Operator(s)Queensland Rail
Rolling stockNew Generation Rollingstock
History
Planned opening2026
Technical
Line length10.2 km (6.3 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Route map

Legend
 Cross River Rail
other lines
km
 
Doomben
,
Sunshine Coast
and Shorncliffe lines
Ferny Grove line
 Bowen Hills
Bowen Hills
(original site)
 Bowen Hills
(second site)
3.4
 Exhibition
1.3
 Fortitude Valley
0.0
 Central
0.8
 Roma Street
Tennyson
lines
Pacific Motorway
Merivale Bridge
over Brisbane River
2.6
 South Brisbane
Albert Street
3.5
 South Bank
Woolloongabba
standard gauge
freight line
5.1
 Park Road
Boggo Road
Cleveland line
standard gauge
freight line
Pacific Motorway
5.9
 Dutton Park
Tennyson
lines
This diagram:

Cross River Rail is an underground heavy rail project currently under construction in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The project will see the development of a new rail line underneath Brisbane River, alongside the redevelopment of a number of stations in the Brisbane central business district and along the Beenleigh railway line. The business case for the project was released in August 2017, with construction work officially beginning in September that year.[1][2] The project replaced the planned 2013 BaT Tunnel, which in turn had replaced the original 2010 Cross River Rail proposal.[3] It is the largest infrastructure megaproject ever undertaken in Queensland.

Cross River Rail consists of a new 10.2 km (6.3 mi) line through the CBD from

existing Brisbane rail lines. The project includes 5.9 km (3.7 mi) of twin tunnels and will deliver four new underground stations at Boggo Road, Woolloongabba, Albert Street and Roma Street, with Exhibition station upgraded. Tunnelling for the project was completed in 2021, with construction planned to be complete by 2025 and the new line operational by early 2026.[4]

The project provides a second rail crossing of the Brisbane river due to concerns that the only inner-city rail river crossing, the

Queensland Government.[6] Infrastructure Australia evaluated the business case in 2017 and expressed concerns that the rail patronage projections may not be achieved and that the benefits in the business case may be overstated.[7]
However, Infrastructure Australia still listed Cross River Rail as a priority project.

Under the plan,

Queensland Rail Citytrain will operate in three sectors, all connecting at the existing or new underground Roma Street stations. Sector One will connect the Gold and Sunshine Coasts directly, operating trains from Varsity Lakes and Beenleigh through to Redcliffe Peninsula, Nambour and Gympie. Sector Two will link the Rosewood and Springfield lines through Central to the domestic airport and Shorncliffe. Sector Three will run Ferny Grove trains through Central and Southbank to Cleveland.[8]

History

2010 Cross River Rail proposal

A report titled the 2008 Inner City Rail Capacity Study predicted that the demand for Brisbane peak train services would double by 2016.

Queensland Government to plan for this project.[11]

The original plans for the project were released on 11 November 2010. The project included a 9.8-kilometre (6.1 mi) tunnel, two new surface stations as well as four new underground stations. Upgrades to Moorooka and Rocklea were also proposed. Underground stations were proposed to include retail facilities, and a maximum of 120,000 passengers were claimed to be able to be moved during the morning peak period.[12]

The city station was to be built under Albert Street,[11] with two entrances and allowing for trains up to 200 m (656 ft 2 in) in length.[13] Proposed stations at Woolloongabba and Exhibition were to be named The Gabba and The Ekka respectively.

Ipswich railway line to use the tunnel via the Tennyson railway line.[14] It also allowed the existing rail yards at Clapham
to be used as stabling yards, negating the need to build a new storage depot for trains elsewhere.

2012 revised plan

In June 2012, the newly elected

Newman Government announced plans for a scaled down version of the project estimated to cost $4.5 billion. The revised plan excluded upgrades to existing stations and extra above-ground train lines south or north of the new tunnel. The revised plan was expected to be completed by 2020. Thirty-nine commercial properties were to have been resumed for the project, including the Royal on the Park hotel[15] and another nine properties in the central business district.[13] One hundred and five residential properties at Yeerongpilly were to have been resumed for the expansion of the Yeerongpilly railway station
.

2013 Bus and Train Tunnel proposal

Main article: BaT Tunnel
See also:
Citytrain patronage is quoted as having increased at an annual average of 3.4% between 2006 and 2012, compared to an average annual population increase of 2.4% over the same period, confirming forecasts that the Merivale Bridge will reach capacity some time between 2016 and 2021. However, this capacity constraint may be over pessimistic as doubt has been cast on the pre-2009 figures supplied by Queensland Rail due to double counting of patronage figures.[18]

Project description

The current 2016 proposed 10.2-kilometre (6.3 mi) rail link involves building a new 5.9-kilometre (3.7 mi) tunnel under the Brisbane River and the Brisbane central business district, creating five new inner city station precincts, and increasing the core capacity of the rail network. The alignment will extend from Dutton Park, through four new underground stations at Boggo Road (adjacent to the Boggo Road busway station), Woolloongabba, Albert Street and Roma Street, towards upgraded stations at Exhibition and Bowen Hills.[19] A new line through the city centre was needed because of the centralised nature of the existing inner-city network of stations.[1] If any inner-city services were interrupted it led to traffic bottlenecks that rippled across city-wide services.[1]

The tunnel will utilise the European Train Control System, and Automatic Train Operation. The maximum capacity is 24 trains per hour in each direction.[20][1] According to the project's business case the desired design speed is 80 km/h (50 mph).[1] The four new underground stations will have platform screen doors, a first for Brisbane.[1][21] Platforms will be 220m long to accommodate future nine-car trains, though the tunnel will initially run six-car trains.[1] The project will utilise a combination of construction methods, including cut-and-cover station box construction for some stations, mined station caverns for the CBD stations, and both Tunnel Boring Machines and Road-headers for tunnelling.[2]

In December 2019, work commenced on the demolition of the

Labor Government has stated the project will provide more than 1,500 jobs each year during construction, and boost the Queensland economy by $70 million.[28]

Queensland Rail's New Generation Rollingstock at Roma Street station.
Queensland Rail's New Generation Rollingstock are compatible with Cross River Rail's European Train Control System and will be used in the new tunnels.

The New Generation Rollingstock fleet will operate in the tunnels. The Queensland Government has also initiated a process of building a new fleet of 65 EMUs capable of operating on the new corridor, with the government committing $600 million to the first 20 trains in 2020.[29] In 2021 three manufacturers were shortlisted for the project and the Queensland Government committed $7.1 billion to build all 65 trains, with construction to take place at a purpose-built facility in Maryborough.[30][31][32] The design of the trains, and the eventual service plan for Cross River Rail, have not been detailed by the government.

Delivery

The project is being delivered through public-private partnerships and contracts, and is arranged into three major infrastructure packages.[33] The first is the Tunnel, Stations and Development public-private partnership to deliver the main underground and tunnelling works, the Rail, Integration and Systems alliance to deliver the rail system upgrades, and the European Train Control System contract to deliver the new signalling system.[33][24] These contracts were awarded in 2019.[24]

Sectorisation

Cross River Rail will add an additional sector to the rail network, replacing the current main and suburban sectors. Exact operations of the network are yet to be publicly revealed, however in 2022 SEQ Rail Connect was published by the Department of Transport and Main Roads. The document serves as a high level conceptual plan for integrating tunnel operations into the existing network with an emphasis on high service levels and network reliability. Sectorisation was chosen over grade separation to reduce construction and maintenance costs while allowing for high frequencies. The sectorised network will also reduce the propagation of service perturbation, ensuring any delays are contained within a single sector. According to SEQ Rail Connect the three sectors will consist of the following line pairs:

Sector 1

Sector 1 will operate north-south via the rebuilt Exhibition station and the Cross River Rail tunnel. Northern Lines include the Sunshine Coast line, Caboolture line and the Redcliffe Peninsula line. Southern Lines include the Gold Coast line and Beenleigh line.

Sector 2

Sector 2 will operate east-west via the existing inner-city core network. Eastern Lines are the Shorncliffe line, Airport line and Doomben line. Western Lines include the Ipswich and Rosewood line and Springfield Central line.

Sector 3

Sector 3 will operate east-west via the existing inner-city core network and the Merivale bridge incorporating the Ferny Grove and Cleveland lines. Exact line pairings and operations have not been publicly revealed by the State Government.

Stations

As part of the project 4 new underground stations will be built in Brisbane, 8 stations will be rebuilt including Exhibition station and stations between Dutton Park and Salisbury, and 3 new stations will be built on the Gold Coast line.

Four new underground rail stations will be built in central Brisbane, while Exhibition station will be expanded.[34] Dutton Park railway station is being relocated and rebuilt to the south of Annerley Road.

Boggo Road

Boggo Road in the inner-city suburb of Dutton Park will be a busy transport hub with a direct interchange available with the proposed Brisbane Metro. The station will provide direct pedestrian access to Princess Alexandra Hospital and is proposed that 134 trains will pass through the station during the morning peak.[35] Easy access to the University of Queensland will be available by transfer at the nearby Boggo Road busway station.

Woolloongabba

Woolloongabba railway station under construction in February 2021

Mater health precinct.[36] It has nearby access to the high capacity South East Busway to the west. The Gabba is planned to be rebuilt for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, for which it will serve as the main stadium.[37] As part of this, the new stadium will be closely integrated with the new Woolloongabba Cross River Rail station.[37]

Albert Street

Albert Street will provide rail services to the southern part of the Brisbane CBD, providing direct access to the Parliament of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point Campus.[38] A station in the southern CBD was vital as both the existing Roma Street station and Central station are located in the northern part of the city.[1] A station in this area places it within walking distance of new growth areas such as Queen's Wharf and 1 William Street.[1]

Roma Street

Demolition of the Brisbane Transit Centre complex in January 2020, to make way for the new Roma Street station entrance.
Demolition of the Brisbane Transit Centre complex in January 2020, to make way for the new Roma Street station entrance.

The new underground Roma Street station will be an extension of the existing ground-level station that will provide direct access to the existing bus and train network as well the proposed Brisbane Metro. Demolition of the Brisbane Transit Centre commenced in December 2019, with it to be relocated partially underground near the underground platform entrances.[23] A set of new high rise buildings will occupy the site.[39]

The subway and busway platforms at Roma Street station are also receiving a facelift as part of the project, to better integrate the new and existing station. Customers transferring from the above ground station to the underground or vice versa will benefit from a tap-less interchange.

Exhibition

The existing

Bowen Hills will undergo an extensive upgrade. The station only opens a few times a year, servicing special events such as the Brisbane Ekka held at the Brisbane Showgrounds. After the station is upgraded, it will open year-round with high-frequency services connecting the surrounding residential community.[40]

Dutton Park to Salisbury Station Upgrades

Seven existing rail stations will be upgraded at Dutton Park station, Fairfield station, Yeronga station, Yeerongpilly station, Moorooka station, Rocklea station and Salisbury station.[41] Stations will be rebuilt with additional accessibility features (such as braille maps and rubber platform gap fillers), high level platforms, new lifts, new enclosed stairs and overpasses for weather protection, and new drop-off and cycling facilities.[41] Stations will also receive an additional third platform apart from Dutton Park station which will also be relocated and rebuilt to the south of Annerley Road. Yeerongpilly station's existing lifts and footbridge will be retained.[42]

Gold Coast Line

In July 2021, the State Government announced that a further three stations would be built on the Gold Coast railway line as part of Cross River Rail.[43] These will be located at Pimpama, Hope Island and Merrimac.

Construction

Albert Street railway station under construction in February 2021
Construction site of new underground Roma Street railway station in April 2021

In April 2016, the Queensland Government announced it would pass legislation to establish the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority to deliver the new project and any related public transport projects.[44] After finalisation of a business case in August 2017, construction officially started in September 2017, when work began on demolishing the defunct GoPrint building at Woolloongabba, to make way for Cross River Rail.

In April 2019, the Queensland Government appointed a CIMIC Group led consortium to deliver various aspects of the project. The consortium began work in late 2019, with a five year construction time frame.[45][46]

In June 2021, construction was halted over one weekend because of worker concerns about the potential release of dangerous

silica dust from the conveyor belt carrying tunnel spoil to the surface.[47]

Spoil from the diggings is transported to Rochedale where it is made into bricks at a brickworks.[48] The bricks will be used in housing construction in South East Queensland.

One of the tunnel boring machines (TBM) was named after Professor Else Shephard, the other after Merle Thornton.[49] Pre-cast concrete segments were manufactured at Wacol by Wagners, a Toowoomba-based construction company.[50] TBM Else completed its tunnel boring when it broke through to the northern portal on 25 November 2021.[51] The second machine completed its tunnelling on 17 December 2021. By September 2022, track had been laid under the river linking Albert Street and Woolloongabba stations.[52]

Jacobs Engineering Group is responsible for reconfiguring the existing network, supply and installation of supporting rail systems and seven station upgrades.[53]

Other projects

Sunshine Coast Line

In March 2022, it was announced that the Maroochydore railway line would be planned and built ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, with a number of new stations on the branch line and trains running through Cross River Rail.[54][55]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Cross River Rail Business Case August 2017" (PDF). Government of Queensland. p. 10, 51, 54, 111. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Construction". Cross River Rail. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  3. ^ BaT Tunnel scrapped as government looks for different cross river rail line Archived 9 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine Brisbane Times 6 March 2015
  4. ^ O'Neal, Danielle (31 March 2023). "Queensland government reveals Cross River Rail cost blowout of $960 million, now not due to open til 2026". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  5. ^ Sarah Vogler; Steven Wardill (13 June 2017). "Queensland Budget: $2 billion for Cross River Rail". The Courier-Mail. News Corp. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  6. ^ "Cross River Rail". Infrastructure projects. The State of Queensland. 9 May 2017. Archived from the original on 6 July 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  7. ^ a b c "Project Evaluation Summary: Cross River Rail" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  8. ^ "Gold Coast, Beenleigh rail users face major changes as Brisbane's Cross River Rail network is revealed - ABC News". Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  9. ^ "Cross River Rail key to city's transport future". TransLink Transit Authority. 12 May 2009. Archived from the original on 1 December 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  10. ^ "Queensland Rail Annual and Financial Report 2015-16" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 March 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  11. ^ a b Tony Moore (13 July 2010). "Brisbane CBD's new underground station revealed". Brisbane Times. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  12. ^ "First underground train station for Brisbane". RailStaff Publications Limited. 13 July 2010. Archived from the original on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
  13. ^ a b Tony Moore (11 November 2010). "Major hotel to make way for cross river rail". Brisbane Times, Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 12 November 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  14. ^ a b Tony Moore (15 September 2010). "Rail line to wipe out 66 properties". Brisbane Times. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 20 November 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  15. ABC News Online. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 11 November 2010. Archived
    from the original on 12 November 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  16. ^ Double-deck rail and bus tunnel proposed for Brisbane Archived 28 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine Railway Gazette International.
  17. ^ "Underground Bus and Train". Queensland Government Department of Main Roads. 22 November 2013. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  18. ^ Australian Government, Department of Infrastructure and Transport, Research Report, No 131, 2012, p48
  19. ^ Remeikis, Amy. "Tunnel vision back on the table for Brisbane". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  20. ^ "Cross River Rail: Everything You Need to Know". The Urban Developer. The Urban Developer.com. 29 May 2020. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  21. ^ "ST Engineering to supply platform screen doors for Cross River Rail project". Railway Technology. 19 April 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  22. ^ Michael Madigan; Sarah Vogler (26 February 2017). "Infrastructure Minister Jackie Trad seeks public input to revised Cross River Rail proposal that cuts costs". The Sunday Mail. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  23. ^ a b Major demolition for Cross River Rail ramps up at Roma Street Archived 13 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine Minister for Innovation & Tourism Industry Development & Minister for Cross River Rail 18 December 2019
  24. ^ a b c "Major contractors announced to build Cross River Rail". Cross River Rail. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  25. ^ Cross River Rail Detailed Business Case 2016, Executive Summary, pp 30–32
  26. ^ Mark Ludlow (13 June 2017). "Queensland budget 2017: Annastacia Palaszczuk to go it alone on Cross River Rail". Australian Financial Review. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 13 June 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  27. ^ "Cross River Rail to dominate Queensland election". The Courier Mail. News Corp. 17 June 2017. Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  28. ^ "Labor will build Cross River Rail". Archived from the original on 16 June 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  29. ^ "20 Cross River Rail trains to be locally built under new commitment". Infrastructure Magazine. 15 October 2020. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  30. ^ "Three train manufacturers shortlisted for Queensland train building program". Ministerial Media Statements. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  31. ^ "Palaszczuk Government to invest $7.1 billion to make Queensland a train building powerhouse". Ministerial Media Statements. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  32. ^ "Queensland Train Manufacturing Program". gateway.icn.org.au. Archived from the original on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  33. ^ a b "Project Delivery". Cross River Rail. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  34. ^ "Turn-up-and-go transport for the whole of SEQ". Cross River Rail. Archived from the original on 21 May 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  35. ^ Boggo Road Station Archived 26 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine Cross City Rail
  36. ^ Woolloongabba Station Archived 21 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine Cross City Rail
  37. ^ a b "New $1b Stadium: Gabba to be rebuilt as main Olympic stadium". BrisbaneDevelopment.com. 19 April 2021. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  38. ^ Albert Street Station Archived 21 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine Cross River Rail
  39. ^ Roma Street Station Archived 17 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine Cross River Rail
  40. ^ Exhibition Station Archived 14 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine Cross River Rail
  41. ^ a b "Southside Station Rebuilds". Cross River Rail. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  42. ^ "Yeerongpilly station". Cross River Rail. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  43. ^ Annastacia Palaszczuk; Mark Bailey. "Media Statement: Detailed design released for new Pimpama station". Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  44. ^ "Third cross river rail plan for Brisbane unveiled". ABC News. Archived from the original on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  45. ^ Round, Olivia (11 April 2019). "Brisbane's Cross River Rail development consortia appointed by Queensland government". urban.com.au. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  46. ^ Major construction has begun Cross River Rail
  47. ^ Matt Dennien (28 June 2021). "Deadly dust fears prompt walk-off at Cross River Rail worksite". Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  48. ^ Where does the spoil go? (TV news report). Brisbane: Nine News. 18 October 2021. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  49. ^ Parnell, Sean (22 December 2020). "A boring task as ground-breaking women will again stop Brisbane in its tracks". InQueensland. In Queensland Media. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  50. ^ "Wagners Will Supply Tunnel Segments for Cross River Rail". centenarytoday.com.au. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  51. ^ TBM Else breaks through at the Northern Portal. Brisbane: Cross River Rail. 26 November 2021. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  52. ^ "Tracks fully laid beneath Brisbane River". RailExpress. Prime Creative Media. 26 September 2022. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  53. ^ "Jacobs Alliance to Serve Australia's Cross River Rail Project". yahoo!news. yahoo!. 25 January 2020. Archived from the original on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  54. ^ Moore, Tony (29 March 2022). "Brisbane to Maroochydore in 70 mins under 2032 rail plan". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  55. ^ Hall, Peter (27 March 2022). "'Out of cars and onto trains': the $1.6B bid for Sunshine Coast rail link". Sunshine Coast News. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.

External links

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