Funding commitment to fast track the delivery of Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line

The Queensland Government is pushing towards the delivery of the proposed Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line with a $5 million investment to further develop design and planning. 

This investment will fund geotechnical investigations between Beerwah and Birtinya and the data collected will be used to help safely build what will be the longest rail spur in South East Queensland. About one third of the initial 19-kilometre rail line is proposed to be built on viaducts and 10 bridges that will traverse roads, creeks and the Bruce Highway. 

In addition, the project team will install ground water monitoring wells and conduct further environmental investigations. This process will ensure environmental impacts are properly assessed and any impacts are mitigated. 

The project team will also seek to reduce track curves which are vital to allowing trains to travel faster for longer. Approximately 15.8 kilometres or 83 per cent of track between Beerwah and Caloundra stations is designed to allow speeds of 140km/h or faster, enabling travel between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane to be at least 46 minutes faster. 

“The Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line is a gamechanger for transport, with trains able to travel at 140km/h on large sections of the new line. 

“It’s also a significant opportunity for Queensland businesses and local suppliers to contribute to this critical infrastructure project,” Minister for Transport and Main Roads Bart Mellish said. 

The State Government will also start directly engaging with the construction industry as part of the tender process for the Direct Sunshine Coast Rail project. 

Market sounding, which is the crucial next step, will ensure companies have the expertise as well as workforce capacity and readiness to deliver the massive, multi-billion-dollar transport infrastructure. 

An online portal for businesses to register for upcoming industry engagement sessions has also been launched by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR). The sessions will give companies the opportunity to learn more as the project progresses. Contractors and suppliers who register through the online portal will also receive regular updates tailored to their industry. 

The industry engagement portal is separate to a formal expression of interest for major works on the project, which will be announced in due course. 

Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line is expected to support thousands of local jobs as well as create a pipeline of opportunities for the region. Procurement for this project is going to be guided by the Buy Queensland policy to help ensure local businesses will benefit from the project. 

“The market sounding and industry engagement process will look at the capacity and capability of businesses to do the work required to bring the Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line to life. 

“This important step will tell us more about when shovels can get in the ground and when we could potentially see the first trains operating from Caloundra to Brisbane. 

“We want to hear from Queensland businesses and work with them to seize the opportunity the Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line represents for the future of transport in South East Queensland,” Minister Mellish said. 

Last month, a summary of the project’s final business case was released. It included new details about the project such as further information about the technical solution, construction challenges and cost estimates. You can read more about it here. 

The summary of the final business case also highlighted the key features of the proposed Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line. It includes: 

• 37.8 kilometres dual track, narrow gauge rail line between Beerwah and Maroocydore, and associated rail systems (including overhead lines, traction power and signalling) 
• New stations at Nirimba (Aura), Caloundra, Aroona, Birtinya, Mountain Creek and Maroochydore; a rebuilt station at Beerwah and provision for a future station at Beerwah East 
• Approximately 17 kilometres of structure (where required for flood mitigation and road/rail separation) and an approximately 1.2-kilometre tunnel at Little Mountain (with associated fire, life safety system and mechanical and electrical systems) 
• New stabling facilities at Beerwah South and Birtinya 
• Active transport corridors and expansions of local walking and cycling networks around stations 
• Park ‘n’ ride facilities at all stations, except Maroochydore (to discourage people driving into the future city centre), and kiss ‘n’ ride and bus interchange facilities at all stations 

The project is going to be delivered in stages as recommended in the business case, with Stage 1 expected to be completed by 2032. The staged delivery approach will enable the Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line to open sooner. 

The Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line is expected to support about 3,300 direct, full-time equivalent jobs over its life. This estimate is subject to change with project costs and estimated start as well as duration of project delivery. 

“The Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line is another major investment in our rail network by the Queensland Government and we want Queensland businesses to be front and centre. 

“Delivery will take a workforce with expertise from across the construction industry from engineers to architects and manufacturers, builders and truckdrivers. 

“The Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line will offer opportunities for students to complete local apprenticeships in the booming rail and construction industries, encouraging talent to grow and stay in South East Queensland. 

“Projects of this size and scale don’t come around everyday. It is important that we maximise the opportunity that this project presents for the people of Queensland and deliver a secure pipeline of good jobs in one of Queensland’s fastest growing regions. 

“The Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line will support thousands of jobs during construction and ongoing operation and maintenance of the line after construction means secure jobs well into the future,” Member for Caloundra Jason Hunt said. 

The Queensland Government has committed $2.75 billion to deliver the first stage of the project from Beerwah to Caloundra, subject to matched funding from the Federal Government. 

Stage 1 of the Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line will deliver the first 19 kilometres of the rail line, which is more than half of the proposed corridor. This stage is estimated to cost between $5.5 billion to $7 billion. Cost estimates will be finalised as design development, market engagement and procurement progress. 

Once Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line is completed, it will revolutionise travel by providing a fast and reliable alternative to car trips between the Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay and Brisbane. Travelling from Brisbane to Caloundra on the new rail line during peak times will be faster than travelling by car. Moreover, the direct rail line will help reduce congestion on the Bruce Highway and local roads across the Sunshine Coast. 

Source: Queensland Government – Media Statements; Queensland Government – Department of Transport and Main Roads (1, 2)