The Coopers Plains terminators are there to ensure the FGBN line runs every 15min from Ferny Grove to Coopers Plains. When LGCFR will be completed, the Beenleigh trains will most likely run every 15min off/counter peak after extending the Cooper Plains trains all the way down to Beenleigh.
By having the CP trains divert to Flagstone/Beaudesert without any increase in frequency, the Flagstone/Beaudesert and Beenleigh lines will run at 30min frequency each, which is quite suboptimal.
Ooh thank you, didn’t know that. Do you know if there is any peak capacity to allow for Beaudesert/Flagstone services with the existing triple track north of Salisbury? I am not an expert in such things
The 3-track corridor from Salisbury to Boggo Road will have a capacity of 24tph once CRR is complete; the three lines will probably have an allotted capacity of 8tph each (minimum headway of 7.5min for each line). But a train every 15min for each line will be fine during off/counter peak, leaving a 5min headway from Salisbury to Boggo Road.
This assumes that all trains stop all stations from Salisbury to Boggo Road, and the Gold Coast train runs express all the way to Boggo Road, the GC trains may ‘headbutt’ into the Beaudesert and Beenleigh trains if the GC train continues with the express stopping pattern thanks to CRR starting at Dutton Park (instead of Yeerongpilly). So to prevent the ‘headbutting’, my best bet (much to the dismay of GC commuters) is to have GC trains stop all stations from Yeerongpilly to Boggo Road during g off/counter-peak to allow the 15min off/counter-peak frequency on all the three lines.
Ok great thanks :). So it sounds as though there is capacity for up to 8tph, but GC counter peak will be slower.
I believe the counter peak issue with GC trains is a problem even without Beaudesert line (correct me if I’m wrong). The Minerva report highlighted capacity constraints due to the location of the crossovers and dead running to Clapham yard. I can’t remember the exact details though
Yeah what goes in must come out - all those AM peak trains from the Northside (already over 16tph before DSCRL) are running at least as far as Clapham and they all share the one track through the triple…
The problem with this is that there’s a hard to ignore counter-peak demand that’s slowly growing, particularly in the afternoon hours. Making those journeys slower would be even more of a problem in terms of political optics.
GC passengers are already having to suffer through slow journeys due to track closures!
I guess that’s what happens if CRR gets curtailed to Dutton Park from Yeerongpilly 
We can keep the counter peak GC services saving 2.5 minutes between Clapham and Boggo Rd, but it costs us a tph “slot” per train (counting both in and out of service tph here).
I assume most out of service trains between Clapham and Boggo are running to/from Clapham, so that frees up more slots to burn for the express south of Clapham.
What short sightedness to get rid of the tunnel to Yeerongpilly. Makes it a whole lot harder and more expensive to get this line up and running…
Wasnt there a bottleneck at park road until CRR opens as it would seperate the two sectors…plus other bottleneck being merivale bridge
Yes, but the original plans which were shelved contained a tunnel from Boggo Road to Yeerongpilly as well as 4 tracks from Yeerongpilly to Salisbury. This meant there was provision for both all station and express services as well as separating freight traffic from passenger services. It also meant that there was provision for the Salisbury to Beaudesert line.
So, yes there will be a removal of the bottleneck at Boggo Road, but it’s creating another problem and means there’s no future proofing for this new line. So billions would have to be spent fixing that, which means I highly doubt it will ever be built.
And this new setup also means that the section between Boggo Road and Northgate is also not being used to its full potential.
We have both sides of politics to blame for this. The blue team cancelled the original version for that Bat tunnel, and while the red team reinstated it they made cutbacks which means we have the less than optimal solution now.
This is an example of why we need to push for the best policy from the beginning, because politicians will water it down if they get half a chance. It does suck that we have a flawed CRR, but at least we have one instead of Newman’s ridiculous BAT Tunnel.
Yes, that was ridiculous…
You missed out where Blue team sold off the land required for tunnel portals at Yeerongpilly, so they bear a far greater degree of the blame than Red.
Of course, the optimal solution would’ve been having the tunnels extended to Salisbury, so we would’ve then had 5 tracks from Salisbury to Dutton Park (3 surface and 2 tunnel). This would’ve allowed express and local trains to be completely separated along most of the line post-LGCFR, except the section between Salisbury and Kuraby. What’s to be done with that is another matter.
A question on notice of interest.
QUESTION:
With reference to Salisbury to Beaudesert rail line, corridor protection (QTRIP 1487103)—
Will the Minister (a) advise how much funding has been allocated in the 2025–26 financial year
for corridor protection and (b) detail the activities to be undertaken in 2025–26?
Answer: https://documents.parliament.qld.gov.au/tableOffice/questionsAnswers/2025/789-2025.pdf
So for both this and I2S, there’s no money committed to be spent this year.
Lots of heat and little light with all the QTRIP changes…
Think the inland rail is prioritized more as it needed for 3 rail corriders in future (BNE to Toowoomba, I2S & S2B)…
red team still has a lot of responsibilty for stuffing it up
Nope. If Newman didn’t win, we’d almost certainly have proper CRR by now. 90% plus a Blue failure.
Red Team Glazer but ok