With an Olympic Games on the horizon and the region’s population predicted to increase by 1.2 million by 2036, connecting the region’s major population centres is critical.
Evolving the region’s rail network with reliable and frequent connections is pivotal to harnessing this growth and supporting the mass movement of people between Brisbane, Logan and The Gold Coast. Effectively this will mean doubling the number of Beenleigh and Gold Coast train services over the next 20 years and addressing the rail line’s capacity between Kuraby and Beenleigh, which is a bottleneck to the rail corridor’s expansion.
The Queensland Government, together with the Australian Government, is planning to increase the number of tracks between Kuraby and Beenleigh from 2 to 4 tracks, with modernised rail systems, station upgrades and level crossing removals. Currently, trains between Kuraby and Beenleigh share a single track in each direction, limiting the number of peak services that can run. All-stop Beenleigh trains need to be held to 1 side for about 4 minutes to allow Gold Coast express trains to pass through during peak periods.
Since 2020, fission’s rail experts have provided cost, risk and program advisory services for the Logan to Gold Coast Faster Business Case (formerly known as Kuraby to Beenleigh Business Case). In this challenging time, based on our extensive experience of assisting clients with assessing up-to-date, live market data associated with escalation and Best Practice Industry Conditions (BPIC), earlier this year, fission undertook a detailed review of the (2021) Business Case, which will provide critical inputs to our latest appointment.
As part of the project’s development, fission is delighted to announce that we have been appointed by the Department of Transport and Main Roads to deliver professional cost, risk and program advisory services to:
- Support the further development of value engineering solutions within the current proposed alignment, delivering cost and constructability assessments to optimise construction methodologies.
- Develop cost estimates, risk assessments and program for the Logan and Gold Coast (LGC) Faster Rail Project, including a European Train Control Systems (ETCS L2) from Salisbury to Varsity Lakes.
- Develop cost and risk estimates for the Loganlea Station Relocation (LSR) Project.
In addition, we will provide ongoing cost, risk and program advisory services, including supporting TMR with a draft funding submission in line with project requirements and undertaking sensitivity analysis for a series of delivery and packaging scenarios.
fission’s Rail Estimating Manager David Darbyshire welcomed the appointment, “We are delighted to have been entrusted by TMR to support the vital next stage in the planning and development of the Logan to Gold Coast Faster Business Case. This project has the potential to play a vital role in the region’s future connectivity, meeting the demands of residents for reliable rail services and providing choice for commuters and visitors.”
“While the project remains in the planning phase and is subject to further approvals by the Australian Government and Queensland Government, we look forward to its ongoing development and approval to provide the region with the enhanced connectivity its growth requires,” said David.
