Railway_Digest__February_2018

Building stage two
When stage one of the Gold Coast light rail project opened between
Broadbeach South and Gold Coast University Hospital via Surfers Paradise
and Southport on 20 July 2014 (see September 2014 RD, from page 30)
it was always intended that it would be part of a larger network linking
Helensvale railway station through to Coolangatta. However, at the
time of the stage one opening political attitudes towards funding stage
two were mixed. As previously mentioned in this magazine the then
Liberal National Party (LNP) Premier, Campbell Newman, told the Gold
Coast Bulletin on 23 July 2014 that he supported linking the light rail
line to heavy rail but said people had to convince the Gold Coast City
Council that they wanted the tram system extended. However, the
Member for Surfers Paradise and then Education Minister in the Newman
Government, John-Paul Langbroek, said any promise to extend the line
for the Commonwealth Games in 2018 would be ‘irresponsible’ as
the extension may not be completed within four years. From contract
awarding in December 2015 it was completed in almost exactly two years.
A poll conducted by the Gold Coast Bulletin prior to the stage one
opening indicated that only one of the Gold Coast’s eight Queensland
Parliamentary Members (Michael Hart, LNP, Burleigh) supported the
light rail expansion. However, after the stage one opening the LNP
Member for Southport, Rob Molhoek, said he would be contacting the
Southport Chamber of Commerce to organise a petition supporting
extension of the light rail. At the time there was also skepticism in
some quarters that stage one would attract sufficient patronage to
warrant any light rail expansion. However, stage one carried 6.28
million passengers in 2014/15, 7.68 million in 2015/16 and 7.97 million
in 2016/17. After just two years operation the G:Link was carrying the
equivalent of the Gold Coast’s permanent population of just under
600,000 each month. Since the light rail opened there has been a 25 per
cent increase in public transport usage (tram and bus) on the Gold Coast.
These figures were well above initial expectations.
Following the unexpected election of the Palaszczuk Labor Government
in January 2015 the new administration expressed support for constructing
stage two subject to the Federal Government and Gold Coast City Council
providing funding. The Council was supportive but the question of
Federal funding remained unresolved. Despite this, on 6 August 2015,
the Queensland Government announced it was progressing with plans
for the second stage of the Gold Coast Light Rail (Stage 2). GoldLinQ
was instructed to proceed with a call for expressions of interest for the
extension and six submissions were received. As mentioned earlier
the change of Prime Ministers in September 2015 gave hope of some
Federal funding and in October an announcement was made by
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on the Gold Coast that the Federal
Government would contribute $95 million. As mentioned previously,
the Queensland Government contributed $270 million and the
Council $55 million. In the same month the Queensland Government
instructed GoldLinQ to proceed to a Request for Tender stage and three
organisations were invited to submit bids – John Holland, Leighton
Contractors and GamesLinQ – a joint venture between Downer EDI
Works and BMD Constructions. In December 2015, just three months
after the final tenders were received, the contract was awarded to CPB
Contractors, the new name for Leighton Contractors. Construction
commenced in July 2016 with a target date for completion of early 2018.
Included in the contract was the supply of four additional Bombardier
Flexity 2 trams from the company’s Bautzen plant in Germany. These
are identical to the original fleet of 14 trams and they were delivered in
September and October 2017. Each seven-section 43.5 metre long car can
seat 80 and has a total capacity of 309 passengers. Top speed is 70 km/h.
They are the longest trams ever used in Australia.
Aided by generally good weather and, unlike stage one, fewer
encounters with underground utilities, construction had reached the
stage that the final track weld was carried out at Helensvale station on
31 July. A major aspect of the civil engineering works was the removal
Bombardier Flexity 2 No. 10, travelling from Helensvale to Broadbeach South, is about the leave the southern end of the ballasted track section
and diagonally cross the Olsen Avenue/Parklands Drive/Wintergreen Drive intersection on Sunday, 17 December. The 750 V DC feeder cables
from the Arundel substation, which is just out of sight to the right, can be seen attached to the right hand traction overhead pole and the
support arm to reach each of the overhead wires. The signage warning wayward motorist who might stray on to the tracks can be seen.
The Parkwood Family Park, through which Biggera Creek flows, creates a rural backdrop.
38 RAILWAY DIGEST