Perth makes use of a number of freeway or motorway corridors, and has developed engineering standards for placing narrow gauge trains (like those used in QLD) into such corridors.
This provides a very fast trip versus cars in a motorway. Stations are generally enclosed which mitigates noise.
A key problem with the Beenleigh line is that it is a legacy alignment and is therefore slow. The Gold Coast - Beenleigh Faster Rail project is likely to only improve travel times by about 5 minutes or so.
The following R1 concept explores the idea of using the M3 or M1 Pacific Motorway alignment (either median, elevated or parallel) for separating the Gold Coast line from the Beenleigh line.
The current alignment has Gold Coast trains travel at an average speed of around 55 km/hr between Boggo Road (Park Road) and Beenleigh stations.
If Gold Coast trains could travel at higher average speeds, similar to Perth trains, significant time savings could be realised.
- At 100 km/hr the in-vehicle time for a train trip becomes 17 minutes faster.
- At 130 km/hr it becomes 20 minutes shorter.
- At 160 km/hr it becomes almost 25 minutes shorter.
These speeds are not in the HSR range, but within the capabilities of existing or future train rollingstock.
Time saved as compared to a Gold Coast express train running between Park Road and Beenleigh (~ 35 km, at average speed 55.26 km/hr in 38 minutes).
