REGISTER

JOHN R CRUIKSHANK, Brisbane, Australia MlEAust CPEng TEng IRSE

Project Co-ordinator, Queensland Rail

In 1887 the Queensland State Government committed funding to constructing and operating a railway south of Brisbane from Beenleigh to Southport and 10 years later a further branch line to Tweed Heads on the QueenslandINew South Wales border, the Gold Coast railway was then conceived.

The rail line to Southport commenced operations in the late 19th century to satisfy the freight needs of farmers in the Gold Coast region. Unfortunately the railway never was a profitable operation for Queensland Railways(QR) and the curtain progressively closed on the Gold Coast Railway up until 1964 when the service was discontinued and the infrastructure was progressively removed or abandoned.

Ownership of the original land corridor remained with Queensland Rail and sections of the old corridor have now been used in QR's new Gold Coast Rail network being commissioned later this year.

The sustained development and rapid population growth in the Brisbane to Gold Coast region has once again enabled QR to construct and operate a passenger service in this dynamic area.

QR is set to commission and integrate 45klms of new electrified track, 3 new stations and new high speed rollingstock into its Brisbane Citytrain network.

In conjunction wit this project are other major upgrading works to enable additional trains to integrate into the existing services.

Already further expansion of the new Gold Coast track to Robina a further 18klms south has been approved and is currently under construction.