By Brisbane Institute CEO, Karyn Brinkley

I’ll admit my naivete knows no bounds. But when I see a proposal that has bipartisan support at state and local government level; almost doubles peak-hour trains to move an extra 120,000 people into and out of the city each morning; rejuvenates the underused southern end of the CBD, and seems to offer a genuine solution to our anxiety about managing traffic congestion alongside population growth, I get pretty excited.

The cross-river rail project is such a proposal.  Slated for completion in 2016, it promises a new north-south rail line including a rail tunnel under the Brisbane River and incorporating four new underground train stations, at Albert Street, Roma Street, Boggo Road Urban Village and Woolloongabba.

It suggests those train stations will be multi-use destinations adding convenience to commuters’ trips in a way we don’t see with so many existing, lonely suburban stations.

It adds an extra river crossing to take load off the bottle-neck of the Merivale Bridge, which currently takes all trains on the Gold Coast, Beenleigh, Cleveland, Ferny Grove, Airport and Doomben lines. This bottleneck is the single biggest reason Queensland Rail can’t meet the public demand for more train services in busy periods.

The government is careful not to raise hopes of a Sydney-style metro loop, with Sydney-style frequency of trains.  It also insists the cross-river rail project is not just about the inner city, but is essential for improving public transport services in the suburbs.

I’ve never been one to get excited about trains and tunnels, but the potential to fundamentally change the way we move around our city and to finally produce a non-road solution to our city and suburban traffic congestion leads me to think the government’s PR might be right:  this could be a game-changer.  And I’m not the only one to think so. 

Admitting they have their own projects to push for federal government funding, the south east Queensland mayors, led by Campbell Newman, are nevertheless backing this project to take priority.  The federal government has put $20 million into the current feasibility study, although the federal opposition is coy about committing to it before August 21. Transport lobby groups such as RACQ and Rail Back on Track support it.