Rail Industry Welcomes Brisbane Cross River Rail Announcement

The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) applauds the Queensland Government’s announcement regarding the multi-billion dollar Cross River Rail project today.

“The Cross River Rail project will provide the much-needed second rail crossing of the Brisbane River,” said Danny Broad, Chief Executive Officer of the ARA.

“With Brisbane’s population expected to approach five million people within twenty years, the Cross River Rail project will increase the capacity of Brisbane’s rail network, allowing additional trains to run through Brisbane’s CBD, thereby meeting the forecast demands of the city’s population,” said Mr Broad.

Although the creation of a statutory authority charged with delivering the project does not guarantee the project’s certainty, the ARA commends the Palaszczuk Government’s approach to securing the project’s future.

The ARA recognises the budgetary demands facing governments across Australia in funding transport infrastructure. The use of innovative funding to deliver Cross River Rail has the full support of the ARA. The opportunity to realise value-capture opportunities through a Federal, State and Local government co-investment alongside private sector funding is a sustainable and forward-looking approach.

The Cross River Rail alignment will create significant economic benefits for the region, create thousands of construction jobs, as well as ensure post-construction operational and maintenance jobs and lead to urban revitalisation and growth with the delivery of five new station precincts.

“The ARA looks forward to the finalisation of the business case and the subsequent investment decision. We urge the Palaszczuk Government to work hard towards a 2016 investment decision that facilitates construction beginning in 2018,” said Mr Broad. “The ARA has been a long-time advocate for a Cross River Rail project in Brisbane and the significant economic, social and urban benefits the project will provide.”