Sunshine Coast railway line

Sunshine Coast line
Sunshine Coast line
	Landsborough railway station,2012
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Queensland Rail
Locale	Sunshine Coast
Termini	Roma Street; Gympie North;
Stations	29
Website	queenslandrail.au
Service
Type	Commuter rail/Intercity rail
System	Queensland Rail Citytrain network
Operator(s)	Queensland Rail
Rolling stock	IMU(Gympie North & Nambour); SMU260/NGR(Nambour)
Technical
Line length	180 km (110 mi)
Track length	172.21 km (107.01 mi)
Number of tracks	Quadruple to Northgate, triple to Petrie, double to Beerburrum, remainder single track with passing loops.
Track gauge	1,067 mm(3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1988
Operating speed	140 km/h (87 mph)

TheSunshine Coast railway linerefers to the section ofQueensland'sNorth Coast linethat has regularinterurbanpassenger services, which connectBrisbanewith theSunshine Coastand as far north asGympie.It is the longest line on theQueensland Rail Citytrain network.

Overview

Elimbah stationin September 2012

Glasshouse Mountains stationin September 2012

Nambour and Gympie North services use theCaboolture linetoCaboolture,then theNorth Coast linetoNambourandGympie North.The line consists of four tracks fromRoma StreettoNorthgate,then three tracks toPetrie,allowing Nambour & Gympie North express services to pass the localCabooltureservices. The line is then double track toBeerburrum.

North of Beerburrum, the line issingle trackwithpassing loopsat most stations. Due to the rapidly rising population on theSunshine Coastand in hinterland towns, the annual compounded growth rate for morning peak passenger numbers on the line north of Caboolture is 6%, second only to the 7.1% figure for theGold Coast linesouth ofBeenleigh.

Traveltrainservices; theSpirit of Queensland,^[1]Spirit of the Outback^[2]and theBundabergandRockhamptionTilt Trains^[3]traverse the line, along withAurizonandPacific Nationalfreight trains.

History

TheNorth Coast railway linereached the Sunshine Coast area in 1890. In 1988, the section of the line was electrified for electric multiple units. Today, the Sunshine Coast railway line usesinterurban passengerservices operated byCitytrain.

Upgrades

In 2001, theQueensland Governmentstarted a study for the need to upgrade the North Coast Line between Caboolture andLandsborough.

On 14 April 2009, a new 14-kilometre (8.7 mi) double-track alignment fromCaboolturetoBeerburrumopened. A four kilometre section of the old line immediately north of Caboolture was retained for use as a passing loop, with the remainder of the old line lifted. This saw new stations atElimbahand Beerburrum built.Glasshouse Mountains,BeerwahandLandsboroughstations have all received major work including platform extensions and lifts.^[4]^[5]The line is scheduled to be duplicated to Landsborough by 2021.^[6]

In 2009, the platforms atMooloolah,Palmwoods,Woombye,Eudlo,Eumundi,PomonaandCooranwere extended with scaffolding and plywood materials.^[7]Initially intended as an interim arrangement until permanent extensions were built, the temporary platforms remain.^[8]

A study has been completed into duplicating and straightening the line between Landsbrough andNambour.It is proposed that two new tunnels and four upgraded stations (Mooloolah, Eudlo, Palmwoods and Woombye) will be constructed.^[9]In September 2024, aJohn Holland/Seymour Whyteconsortium was awarded a contract to deliver stage 1 of the project. This will include duplication of the line between Beerburrum and Beerwah and straightening the line between Beerburrum and Glass House Mountains. Construction is to commence in 2025.^[10]^[11]There is also a proposed line from Beerwah To Caloundra and the Queensland government has set aside 1.44 billion in construction.

Line guide and services

Trains to and from Nambour typically run express betweenPetrieandBowen Hills,with stops atNorthgateandEagle Junction.^[12]Trains to and fromGympie Northskips stations betweenCabooltureandBowen Hillsstopping only atPetrieandNorthgate.

To relieve congestion on the section north of Beerburrum, the rail service is supplemented by a bus service operated byKangaroo Bus Lineson weekdays between Caboolture and Nambour as route 649.^[12] Passengers for/from theRedcliffe Peninsulaline change at Petrie,Shorncliffeline at Northgate,AirportandDoombenlines change atEagle JunctionandFerny Grovelines change at Bowen Hills, and all other lines at Central.