PROJECT REPORT
Cross River Rail will feature 5.9 kilometres of twin tunnels under the Brisbane River and the CBD.
UNBLOCKING AUSTRALIA’S
‘RIVER CITY’
ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE’S TOM O’KEANE SPEAKS WITH CROSS RIVER RAIL DELIVERY AUTHORITY CEO GRAEME NEWTON ON HOW THE PROJECT WILL AID BRISBANE’S NEAR-CAPACITY PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM IN THE BUILD-UP TO THE 2032 OLYMPICS.
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or the daily commuter in Brisbane, transportation in and out of the city during peak hours can usually be described as challenging. With limited options for road and public transport access, the city requires an expansion of its current infrastructure. Luckily, one suitable project is already in development and is set to transform the way in which commuters can access the city. The Cross River Rail project, due to come online by 2025, aims to release the growing pressure on the city’s current public transport infrastructure. The population in South East Queensland is forecast to grow from 3.5 million today to 4.9 million in 2036, with 45 per cent of jobs growth expected to be concentrated inside the Brisbane metropolitan area. To ensure that the public transportation requirements of the region were met, the
original proposal for the $5.4 billion project was chambered in 2010. Following further amendments, the business case for the project was released in August 2017. The plan detailed the construction of the new 10.2-kilometre rail line from Dutton Park to Bowen Hills, which includes 5.9 kilometres of twin tunnels under the Brisbane River and the CBD, as well as the construction of four new underground stations, six Southside station rebuilds, three new Gold Coast stations and two station upgrades. Currently more than 2500 workers are situated at 15 active worksites. Additionally, more than 300 apprentices and trainees have contributed to the project. Cross River Rail has also provided a significant boost to the region’s economy, with more than 1500 Queensland subcontractors and suppliers benefitting from the project to date.
Cross River Rail Delivery Authority CEO Graeme Newton says the project will serve to remove the growing stress on the city’s current rail network. “Cross River Rail is essential because Brisbane is growing to a stage where the notion of just driving a car and parking in the city is just not achievable anymore. The main highways and motorways are becoming more congested, so we need to provide an alternative mode of transport,” Newton says. “It really is about solving a transport problem, while building new stations and then driving economic development.” Brisbane’s current rail network is already nearing capacity and is constrained by a single river crossing and just four inner-city stations. The Cross River Rail project will unlock this bottleneck by delivering a second river crossing, allowing more trains to run more often. roadsonline.com.au
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