Key details have been revealed for a proposed rail duplication on the Sunshine Coast.
The state government has said that the 13km duplication between Beerburrum to Beerwah will be “shovel ready” next year and completed by 2027.
It followed calls from a community group for the government to get moving on the line.
The duplication is part of the $550m Beerburrum to Nambour Rail Upgrade (B2N) Stage 1, which is designed to increase rail capacity for passenger and freight services on the Sunshine Coast. The region is experiencing rapid population growth and will host part of the 2032 Olympic Games.
A John Holland Queensland and Seymour Whyte joint venture, with SMEC Australia and WSP Australia as joint venture designers, will undertake enabling works and finalise the design for the rail upgrade.
The state government issued a press release that said the agreement would enable the B2N project to get a headstart on rail approvals and investigate options for staging the works “to strike the right balance between construction efficiency and service disruption”.
“With pressures on the supply of commodities such as steel and concrete used in track construction and rail structures, completing the detailed design is an important step before commencing the major works,” the release said.
“This will provide additional confidence around the construction costs and reduce risks in delivery.”
Construction was expected to be completed by 2027, weather and construction conditions permitting.
It was initially hoped that works could start and finish earlier.
“(But) the delivery timescale has been revised to allow for the complexity of design, construction and commissioning processes in the rail environment,” the release said.
The main works of the B2N Stage 1 will include duplicating the rail line between Beerburrum and Beerwah, building three new road-over-rail bridges, removing level crossings and expanding the park ‘n’ ride facility at Beerburrum.
New park ‘n’ ride facilities at Landsborough and Nambour are set to open this year. The Nambour park ‘n’ ride expansion will provide 50 additional parking spaces on the eastern side of Nambour station, at the corner of Mill Street and Civic Way.
The Landsborough park ‘n’ ride expansion will provide an additional 300 parking spaces on the eastern side of the station, removing the need for people to cross the level crossing to park. Buses to the coast will also use the new facility.
The realignment of a 1km section of Steve Irwin Way south of Glass House Mountains to make way for the new rail line was also expected to be completed within the next few months.
The Australian Government has committed $390m and the Queensland Government is committing $160.8m towards B2N Stage 1.
The project is set to increase rail capacity, improve reliability and reduce travel times for passenger and freight services in the growing Sunshine Coast region, and it’s estimated to support an average of 333 direct jobs.
Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the project “will massively increase capacity on the rail network between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast”.
“This upgrade is a vital infrastructure project for the Sunshine Coast,” he said.
Member for Nicklin Rob Skelton said it would make commuting more accessible and efficient.
“With a growing population in the region, this key piece of infrastructure will help alleviate pressure on the Bruce Highway,” he said.
“With early works due for completion mid-year, the appointment of a contractor for pre-construction and design means the upgrade will be shovel-ready by 2024.
“Consultation can now also ramp up with the local community as the design becomes more detailed.”
