The Sunshine Coast railway line refers to the section of
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
's
North Coast line that has regular
interurban
The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 ...
passenger services, which connect
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...
with the
Sunshine Coast and as far north as
Gympie
Gympie ( ) is a city and a locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the Wide Bay-Burnett District, Gympie is about north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city lies on the Mary River, which floods Gympie occasionally. The ...
. It is the longest line on the
Queensland Rail City network
The Queensland Rail Citytrain network, provides urban, suburban and interurban electric passenger railway services in South East Queensland, Australia.
History
The first railway in Queensland did not run to Brisbane, but ran from Ipswich to ...
.
Overview
Nambour and Gympie North services use the
Caboolture line to
Caboolture, then the
North Coast line to
Nambour
Nambour is a rural town and locality in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Nambour had a population of 11,187 people.
Geography
Nambour is north of the state capital, Brisbane. The town lies in the sub ...
and
Gympie North. The line consists of four tracks from
Roma Street to
Northgate, then three tracks to
Petrie
Petrie is a surname of Scottish origin which may refer to:
People
* Alexander Petrie (died 1662), Scottish minister
* Alistair Petrie (born 1970), English actor
* Andrew Petrie (1798–1872), Scottish-born builder, architect and first free settle ...
, allowing Nambour & Gympie North express services to pass the local
Caboolture services. The line is then double track to
Beerburrum.
North of Beerburrum, the line is
single track
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
with
passing loop
A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains or ...
s at most stations. Due to the rapidly rising population on the
Sunshine Coast and 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 the
Gold Coast line south of
Beenleigh
Beenleigh is a town and suburb in the City of Logan, Queensland, Australia. In the , the suburb of Beenleigh had a population of 8,252 people.
A government survey for the new town was conducted in 1866. The town is the terminus for the Beenl ...
.
Traveltrain
Queensland Rail (QR) is a railway operator in Queensland, Australia. Owned by the Queensland Government, it operates local and long-distance passenger services, as well as owning and maintaining approximately 6,600 kilometres of track and relate ...
services; the ''
Spirit of Queensland
The Spirit of Queensland is a Queensland Rail long distance passenger rail service. It is operated by a diesel powered Tilt Train that runs five times a week on the North Coast line between Brisbane and Cairns, a distance of 1,681 kilometres ...
'',
''
Spirit of the Outback
The Spirit of the Outback is a long-distance passenger rail service in Queensland, Australia, operated by Queensland Rail's Traveltrain division.
Route
Debuting in November 1993 by combining the former '' Capricornian'' and '' Midlander'' tr ...
''
and the
Bundaberg and
Rockhamption ''
Tilt Train
The Tilt Train is the name for two similar high-speed tilting train services, one electric and the other diesel, operated by Queensland Rail. They run on the North Coast line from Brisbane to Bundaberg and Rockhampton (electric) and Cairns (d ...
s'' traverse the line, along with
Aurizon
Aurizon ( ) is a freight rail transport company in Australia, formerly named QR National. it was the world’s largest rail transporter of coal from mine to port. Formerly a Queensland Government-owned company, it was privatised and floated o ...
and
Pacific National
Pacific National is one of Australia's largest rail freight businesses.
History
In February 2002, National Rail's freight operations and rollingstock (owned by the Federal, New South Wales and Victorian Governments) were combined with Freig ...
freight trains.
Upgrades
In 2001, the
Queensland Government
The Queensland Government is the democratic administrative authority of the Australian state of Queensland. The Government of Queensland, a parliamentary constitutional monarchy was formed in 1859 as prescribed in its Constitution, as amended f ...
started a study for the need to upgrade the North Coast Line between Caboolture and
Landsborough.
On 14 April 2009, a new 14 kilometre double-track alignment from
Caboolture to
Beerburrum opened. 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 at
Elimbah
Elimbah is a rural town and locality in the Moreton Bay Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Elimbah had a population of 3,963 people. Material was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribut ...
and Beerburrum built.
Glasshouse Mountains,
Beerwah and
Landsborough stations have all received major work including platform extensions and lifts. The line is scheduled to be duplicated to Landsborough by 2021.
In 2009, the platforms at
Mooloolah,
Palmwoods
Palmwoods is a rural town and locality in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Palmwoods had a population of 5,676 people.
Geography
Palmwoods is part of the Sunshine Coast situated near Nambour. It is situated close to p ...
,
Woombye
Woombye is a town and locality in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Woombye had a population of 3,246 people.
Geography
Woombye is located on the Sunshine Coast hinterland in Queensland, Australia, approximately no ...
,
Eudlo
Eudlo is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Eudlo had a population of 1,117 people.
Geography
Eudlo Creek rises in the south west of Eudlo ...
,
Eumundi
Eumundi is a rural town and locality in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Eumundi had a population of 2,221 people.
Eumundi is very popular on the coast for its bi-weekly farmers' markets. The marketpla ...
,
Pomona and
Cooran
Cooran is a rural hinterland town and locality in the Shire of Noosa, Queensland, Australia. In the the locality of Cooran had a population of 1,624 people.
Geography
Cooran is predominantly farming land with its urban centre in the north of ...
were extended with scaffolding and plywood materials. Initially intended as an interim arrangement until permanent extensions were built, the temporary platforms remain.
A study has been completed into duplicating and straightening the line between Landsbrough and
Nambour
Nambour is a rural town and locality in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Nambour had a population of 11,187 people.
Geography
Nambour is north of the state capital, Brisbane. The town lies in the sub ...
. It is proposed that two new tunnels and four upgraded stations (Mooloolah, Eudlo, Palmwoods and Woombye) will be constructed.
Line guide and services
Trains to and from Nambour typically run express between
Petrie
Petrie is a surname of Scottish origin which may refer to:
People
* Alexander Petrie (died 1662), Scottish minister
* Alistair Petrie (born 1970), English actor
* Andrew Petrie (1798–1872), Scottish-born builder, architect and first free settle ...
and
Bowen Hills
Bowen Hills is an inner north-eastern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the Bowen Hills had a population of 3,226 people.
Geography
Bowen Hills is by road from the Brisbane CBD.
Mayne is a neighbourhood within the s ...
, with stops at
Northgate and
Eagle Junction.
Trains to and from
Gympie North skips stations between
Caboolture and
Bowen Hills
Bowen Hills is an inner north-eastern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the Bowen Hills had a population of 3,226 people.
Geography
Bowen Hills is by road from the Brisbane CBD.
Mayne is a neighbourhood within the s ...
stopping only at
Petrie
Petrie is a surname of Scottish origin which may refer to:
People
* Alexander Petrie (died 1662), Scottish minister
* Alistair Petrie (born 1970), English actor
* Andrew Petrie (1798–1872), Scottish-born builder, architect and first free settle ...
and
Northgate.
To relieve congestion on the section north of Beerburrum, the rail service is supplemented by a bus service operated by
Kangaroo Bus Lines
Kangaroo Bus Lines is an Australian operator of bus services in the Moreton Bay Region of Brisbane. It operates eight services under contract to the Queensland Government under the Translink banner.
History
In 1978 Daryl Webster purchased Kan ...
on weekdays between Caboolture and Nambour as route 649.
[
Passengers for/from the ]Redcliffe Peninsula
The Redcliffe Peninsula is a peninsula located in the Moreton Bay Region LGA in the northeast of the Brisbane metropolitan area in Queensland, Australia. The area covers the suburbs of Clontarf, Kippa-Ring, Margate, Newport, Redcliffe, ...
line change at Petrie, Shorncliffe line at Northgate, Airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...
and Doomben lines change at Eagle Junction and Ferny Grove lines change at Bowen Hills, and all other lines at Central.
References
{{Public transport in Queensland
Brisbane railway lines
Gympie
Public transport in Sunshine Coast, Queensland
3 ft 6 in gauge railways in Australia