The location of the relocated Beenleigh train station has finally been confirmed – 850m north of the position originally proposed.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads confirmed the station would be relocated to James and Victoria Streets near the Town Square and Magistrates Court – around 650m north of its current location.
“The new station will feature a range of improvements to help make travel easier for customers and the community,” TMR revealed in its update.
This includes raised platforms and increased platform coverage, new lifts and pedestrian overpass, a new multi-storey park ‘n’ ride, a new bus station, a more accessible pedestrian connection to the town square, and active transport connections to local facilities.
But several local business owners have spoken out about fears of resumption and a lack of notice from the government.
TMR said all impacted property owners were notified of any direct impacts on their land in 2021.
The design would also see the installation of a rail tunnel under Beenleigh town centre, which recently underwent a $5 million council-led beautification project.
Preparations for the rail tunnel design began in mid 2021, six months before Logan City Council completed the Beenleigh upgrades.
The procurement phase of the broader Faster Rail project has also begun, with contracts set to be awarded sometime next year.
A second community engagement phase is currently underway.
Seven other Logan train stations are also set to benefit from the $4 billion project, with two station relocations and the rest receiving upgrades.
Trinder Park station will be relocated further north on a new section of straightened track.
“The section of track near Trinder Park station was originally constructed in 1888, and features a considerable curve that limits the operational potential of the Gold Coast line,” a TMR pamphlet reads.
TMR said the straightening of the track, as well as its 20km duplication from two tracks to four, will shave minutes off the journey.
“Currently, trains between Kuraby and Beenleigh share a single track in each direction, limiting the number of peak services that can run,” the TMR website reads.
“During peak periods, all-stop Beenleigh trains need to be held to one side to allow Gold Coast express trains to pass through.”
Infrastructure Australia revealed in its evaluation of the Faster Rail business case that two services were delayed by “between four and six minutes” at Bethania station to allow express trains to pass without delay.
The evaluation said the project would see the speed of the line lifted from 100km/h to 140km/h, enabling trains to travel faster – averaging 50km/h for all–stops trains and 73km/h for express services, including stops at stations.
However, Infrastructure Australia estimated the speed of the train would marginally affect commuters’ time savings.
Instead, the majority of time savings would come from smaller waiting times (made possible by track duplication), and increased accessibility (made possible through station upgrades).
A construction timeline will be determined once contracts have been awarded.
