Queensland’s 20 year Transport Plan

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh today unveiled Connecting SEQ 2031: An Integrated Regional Transport Plan for South East Queensland.

Rail is the centrepiece of the new plan, with planned construction of 207km new railway lines including:

  • 15km rail line between Alderley and Strathpine using the predominantly government-owned North West Transport Corridor
  • Extensions to Maroochydore (38km), Coolangatta (17km), Moreton Bay Rail Link (12.6km), Springfield (16.5km), Ripley (13.5km) and Flagstone (31.5km)
  • Extending the Gold Coast Rapid Transit project on the Gold Coast to Coolangatta.
  • A 8km Brisbane subway from Toowong to West End to Newstead/Bowen Hills, with extensions to Hamilton Northshore/Airport Village and Bulimba possible in the longer term.

The plan also includes new services:

  • UrbanLink with more frequent services and higher capacity trains operating inbound of Darra, Strathpine, Loganlea, Ferny Grove, Manly, Springfield, Shorncliffe and the Airport
  • ExpressLink with high speed express services from Ipswich, Cleveland, Ormeau and Caboolture
  • CoastLink rail from Brisbane to the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast with high speed European style trains.
  • Other initiatives in Connecting SEQ 2031: An Integrated Regional Transport Plan for South East Queensland included:
  • Targets for cycling in south east Queensland including a 3000 km network of cycleway by 2031 including new bikeways and walkways within a 5km radius of urban centres.
  • Plans to remove heavy vehicles from suburban roads and provide a ‘ring road’ system to navigate around Brisbane – including the new north-south connection between Toowong and Everton Park.
  • Continuing the busway network with construction of the Northern and Eastern Busways to Bracken Ridge and Capalaba.
  • Major freight investment to support the economy, including the full development of Acacia Ridge freight terminal, a dedicated dual gauge freight line from Acacia Ridge to Port of Brisbane in the existing rail corridor.
  • Introducing new technology to better manage road and public transport movements (such as information on travel options, real time management of motorway flows and improved railway signalling).

More information can be found at http://www.connectingseq.qld.gov.au/.