The initial planning phase of a multimillion-dollar study into the future of rail beyond Beerwah is expected to be completed this year, but there is still no timetable for extending the duplicated line further north.
The $6.25 million Beerburrum to Nambour Rail Upgrade Duplication Study is the latest in at least 17 years of planning for increased rail capacity along the corridor, including an earlier TMR study that identified and preserved an alignment for a future duplicated railway.
The current project will inform what infrastructure will be required beyond stage one of the Beerburrum to Nambour Rail Upgrade, which is already under construction.
Stage one is set to duplicate the North Coast Line between Beerburrum and Beerwah, along with delivering road and rail bridges, level crossing changes and other infrastructure.
Detailed designs for the works were released in May with construction expected to be completed in late 2027.
The project will complement The Wave, a planned multibillion-dollar rail and metro bus route between Beerwah and Sunshine Coast Airport.
Meanwhile, the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) said the duplication study would assess future capacity and refine plans for subsequent stages of the upgrade, which could also include services between Nambour and Gympie North.
A TMR spokesperson said the department was progressing the study in partnership with the Australian government.
“The study is evaluating opportunities to improve network performance, operational efficiency, customer accessibility and freight capability. This includes considering how best to use the already preserved rail corridor.”
The Beerburrum to Nambour Rail Upgrade Duplication Study first appeared in the Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program in 2021, comprising $5 million from the Australian Government and $1.25 million from the Queensland government.
“The initial planning phase will be completed later this year, subject to government approval. This is not a near-term project, and future work will remain subject to further planning, developments and state-wide priorities,” the spokesperson said.
TMR had already completed a separate rail corridor study in 2009, proposing a double-track railway between Landsborough and Nambour that was envisaged to be implemented by 2026, subject to government priorities and funding.
The 2008-09 State Budget allocated $58.3 million to continue planning works for the North Coast rail line between Landsborough and Nambour.
The Landsborough to Nambour Rail Corridor Study identified a preferred route and included community consultation and a detailed environmental impact assessment. Its proposed project involved about 22km of double-track railway between Landsborough and Nambour, with the corridor wide enough to potentially accommodate another two tracks in the future.
TMR said the planning completed in 2009 identified the land required for an alternative alignment and preserved it from incompatible development. Subsequent reviews have made minor changes to improve environmental outcomes.
The department still lists the corridor as preserved today, stating the new alignment would ultimately replace the existing winding single-track section between Landsborough and Nambour.
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By 2011, the proposed operational date had shifted from 2026 to 2031. A Coordinator-General report at the time estimated the capital cost of the project at $1.7 billion and said detailed design and construction staging remained undefined and dependent on future government priorities and funding.
The duplicated railway between Landsborough and Nambour was never built.
