BrizCommuter has for many years been calling for capacity improvements to the Gold Coast / Beenleigh Line corridor. Somewhat surprisingly, some very decent plans for a quad tracking of the Kuraby to Beenleigh section have recently been announced.  Project page - https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/logan-and-gold-coast-faster-rail This project known as the Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail, or Gold Coast Rail Line Capacity Improvement Project involves the construction of 4 tracks between Kuraby and Beenleigh stations. This includes faster track sections, and multiple level crossing elimina ..read more

The 2032 Olympics will be very spread out It is looking like the 2032 Olympics is within Brisbane's reach. With Brisbane's public transport network lagging behind many other other Australian cities, BrizCommuter was rather hoping that the 2032 Olympics would finally bring a fantastic ongoing public transport legacy to SE Queensland. Sadly it is looking like the public transport legacy may be non-existent. The current plans are here: https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/International-Olympic-Committee/Commissions/Future-host-commission/The-Games-of-The-Olympiad/Brisbane-2032-F ..read more

Transperth trains made in Maryborough until 2019 The good news - the Queensland Government will fund new trains for Queensland Rail's CityTrain network, to be build in Maryborough. The bad news - not enough trains have been ordered. So why do we need more trains? The current CityTrain timetable has relatively few spare trains, requiring 40 year old EMUs to keep running to cover NGR train modifications. Unreliable and ageing ICE and SMU200 trains are likely to be retired soon. Approximately 7 additional trains are required to make optimal use of the existing train network pre-CRR and ..read more

With Queensland Rail's new NGR trains seemingly banned from the Ferny Grove Line, and 40 year old EMU trains being regulars, here is a satirical brochure for the Ferny Grove Heritage Railway... Take a nostalgic trip on one of the Southern Hemisphere's most historic, and not particularly long railway journeys, the Ferny Grove Heritage Railway. Relive your Brisbane childhood by travelling on 40 year old EMU trains*, and bashing your head on those weird handrails hanging from the ceiling. Whilst the old door handles have been replaced by push buttons, we have made sure that at least two consecu ..read more

 Cross River Rail's (CCR) advertising slogan "More Trains, More Often" was recently replaced with "Transforming the way we travel". This is no surprise to BrizCommuter and other rail experts who have questioned CRR's ability to significantly increase trains services throughout SE Queensland in its current form, since project iterations and budget cuts removed critical infrastructure required to maximise the effectiveness of CRR.  Base diagram designed by timh (click to enlarge) Unlike new train tunnels in London, Auckland, Sydney, and Melbourne, where the proposed peak train ..read more

Brisbane's Cross River Rail (CRR) project has suffered from lack of transparency, notably the lack of rail operations plan since various project changes, made the original rail operation plan impossible. Project Change 11 has just been announced (more on that later), but Project Change 10 is missing in action.  Also, it should be noted that most station plans related to Dutton Park have also gone missing in action. Using the investigative powers of Scooby Doo, BrizCommuter has worked out that the secret Project Change 10 is highly likely to be related to Dutton Park station.  So can ..read more

Oh no! Queensland Rail (QR) have been running 6-car peak services for a couple of years now. As Queensland is currently under COVID-19 restrictions after 2 clusters, you would expect that QR would make an effort to operate 6-car services as usual to allow for as much social distancing as possible? Unfortunately, this isn't the case. Today (Monday 12th April 2021) there have been multiple reports of overcrowded 3-car trains running during the peak period on the Ferny Grove and Shorncliffe Lines. BrizCommuter was unfortunate enough to be on the 4:26pm from Central to Ferny Grove, and co ..read more

The offending track layout Are there any words in the English language for "worse than incompetent"? Because if there is, it would describe Brisbane's Cross River Rail (CRR) project. BrizCommuter has previously discussed how the 3 tracks between Dutton Park and Salisbury, and track layouts at Mayne will result in Cross River Rail only adding a handful of additional train services to SE Queensland's train network. Just when you thought things can't get any worse - they have! A third platform face is being added at stations between Dutton Park and Moorooka (inclusive) for operational f ..read more

Whilst Queensland Rail's (QR) 2014 train timetable changes were generally an improvement, the timetables introduced uneven or irregular timetable scheduling to some lines, notably the Gold Coast, Beenleigh, and Ferny Grove Lines. The irregular (approx. 7.5mins, 7.5mins, then 15mins) service on the Gold Coast and Beenleigh Lines is presumably due to train turnbacks at Kuraby blocking the track, and probably won't be resolved until a 3rd track and platform is built at Loganlea. However, the Ferny Grove Line is a different story. The am peak has a decent and regular 8tph service approximately ev ..read more

Screenshot: BCC Brisbane City Council (BCC) is currently running a survey on options for the North West Transportation Corridor (NWTC), also known as the Trouts Road corridor. This corridor runs from Everton Park to Carseldine. BCC state that "The Australian Government has committed up to $10 million to the development of the north west transport network business case. Funding through the Major Project Business Case Fund is supporting Council to investigate the transport needs of this growing region, including opportunities to utilise the existing North West Transport Corridor, to inf ..read more