QUEENSLAND’s state government has committed $A 2.75bn ($US 1.78bn) to the first phase of the new 37.9km direct line that will connect Australia’s Sunshine Coast with southeast Queensland.
The estimated cost of the first phase, from Beerwah, on the main line between Brisbane and Cairns, to Caloundra on the coast, is $A 5.5-7bn. Further phases will extend the new line north along the coast from Caloundra to Maroochydore.
The first phase involves construction of 19km of double track from a junction at Beerwah, as well as protection of the rail alignment all the way to Maroochydore. The new line is designed for a maximum speed of 160km/h, although existing trains have a top speed of 140km/h. The higher speed would allow a journey to Brisbane to be completed 45 minutes quicker than by road.
The Queensland government’s initial commitment will require matching funding from the federal government to enable construction to be completed by 2032 in time for the Olympic Games that are being hosted by the state capital, Brisbane. The federal government has already promised to provide $A 1.6bn for the project.
Queensland’s premier, Mr Steven Miles, says the new line will unlock thousands of new homes in the growing Sunshine Coast region and speed up the release of new, affordable development.
“Without the rail line,” he says, “that development would bring an unmanageable level of congestion to the local road network, making this connection essential for new housing to be brought forward.”
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