Brisbane's Cross River Rail Explained | Talking Tactics with Mel Pikos

Brisbane's Cross River Rail infrastructure project has seemingly been under construction or in the proposal stage for decades. Whether it was the original idea, or the BaT Tunnel (Bus and Train Tunnel) or the currently under construction project. So we wanted to actually have a look at what is actually happening with Brisbane's new rail line, the construction progress of the underground metro tunnels, how it will connect with the Brisbane metro bus rapid transport project and whether this will actually have any benefits for the people of Brisbane.
Let's find out because today we're talking tactics.
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00:00 Introduction
00:54 What is the Cross River Rail?
01:21 New and Upgraded Train Stations
02:36 The Construction Process
04:09 Brisbane's First Railway Lines
04:37 The River Crossings
06:11 Cross River Rail Proposals
07:00 The Benefits: A Better Commute
07:43 The Benefits: A More Reliable Network
08:01 The Benefits: Connected Suburban Precincts
09:53 The Broken Airport to Gold Coast Direct Line
11:37 What do you think?
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[@electro_sykes]

If you think that Cross River Rail and Brisbane Metro is all we need for the Olympics then ur wrong. We need a lot more than just that

[@becsterbrisbane6275]

The outer suburbs- and defiantly northside- are sooooo neglected! So much more is needed!

[@CommentsTroll]

yup! More new lines, more upgrades pls. We can't be just repeating our excitement on the 'Metro' and CRR for the last 5 years.

[@icmull]

Feds just rug pulled us on the funding so probs not going to get much more help. Maybe if Dutton gets in as a Brisbanite he will give us back the funding the feds promised us.

[@hamishrose2536]

You’re right but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

[@forthecreators4604]

I googled sim city tutorials and now I’m addicted to these videos haha

[@rafski420]

Brisbane needs about 15 more train stations in places that's not the Gabba or around CBD

[@becsterbrisbane6275]

Amen!

[@Jack-pz4my]

Good luck managing to find the space to accommodate them.

[@rafski420]

@@Jack-pz4my and do you think finding space at the gabba or around the cbd is easier? nice comment dickhead 🤡

[@rafski420]

@@Jack-pz4my it would definitely be easier than the gabba or around the cbd. we already have central, roma street, south brisbane, southbank and the valley, which some have easily accessible bus stations nearby. sometimes you gotta look at the whole picture rather than being quick to reply something negative. next time use your brain and don't be a dickhead🤡

[@gnhansen29]

It's an exciting project IMHO.

[@paulfri1569]

Need rail urgently at Chermside and Carindale...

[@ItzWindyyy]

Bus network reliability imo out those 2

[@paulfri1569]

@@ItzWindyyy Until you have a traffic jam 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@electro_sykes]

Yeh well Southside residents prefer public transport but Northside prefer driving so road upgrades

[@electro_sykes]

They really need a combined double deck Road/Rail tunnel under Gympie Road

[@rmar127]

Honestly i think CRR is a great start. However if the state government was serious about creating a world class rail network, it needs to move away from the hub and spoke approach. Imagine a rail line that made cross town connections, linking Cleveland to beenleigh to beaudesert.and onto the future Springfield line extension. A reinstatement of the old beaudesert rail line is an absolute necessity to service the fast growing southwest corridor. There has been too much focus on the inner city and Northside infrastructure projects. It’s about time that the southside and west got some love and attention.

[@will_274]

Interesting. Ipswich has a win by the looks of it. We can go straight to the airport without changing.

[@electro_sykes]

after a late night flight, you get Jetlagged and fall asleep on the Airtrain. Then you eventually wake up with Junkies on your train and find out you ended up all the way in Ipswich.

[@electro_sykes]

I actually influenced the idea for shading the colours differently at each station. My original proposal was to colour code each station in different indigenous artworks that mimic the area the station serves.

[@liamthompson9342]

The main problem I perceive with our rail network is reliability. A splash of rain and the whole thing shuts down, leaving everyone stranded. It doesn't seem like XRR is even claiming to mitigate that. It will shuttle more passengers - when it happens to be working.

[@ItzWindyyy]

Not just unlocking bottleneck but enable extension to Cooly, Maroochy, Beaudesert lines as well as Ippy loop (Ripley) & mayyyybeee new stations at places like Samford, Redland bay/Victoria Point & DFO, the cruise terminal (assuming thry sort the issue with runway crossing). Also Alderley-Bald Hills link to pave way for outer suburb orbital line to include Bracken Ridge,, The Gap, Tennyson, etc....

[@electro_sykes]

can't they just extend the existing Pinkemba/Doomben line to the Cruise terminal and give the entire line an upgrade. Be so much cheaper and maybe also build a spur to Hamilton. Doomben line passengers have been crying out for better service for years.

[@ItzWindyyy]

@@electro_sykes could see be turned into a loop line linking cruise terminal doen to hamilton then doomben etc

[@TOTN17]

@@electro_sykes There doesn't look like there would be enough room to take the line further then Pinkenba Village but the line was built with provisions to double track the line

[@markshinnawi7477]

looking 4ward to it

[@georgemarshall5374]

I think Brisbane rail system should be much bigger and better it needs so much more work on it just like Sydney has done Brisbane needs to do the same as Sydney because it’s a great idea and it’s worth every penny

[@electro_sykes]

Honestly think about long term over the costs

[@FLAME4564]

as in long term maintanence? i bet Translink, QLR and the Department of Transport are gonna take that into account too.

[@rberjaya]

Cross River rail and the Metro are only connect a few suburbs in the inner city, that's definitely not enough. We need more train lines with affordable price to connect suburbs to cdb to solve congestion problem. Population is growing and train lines is not growing fast enough.

[@electro_sykes]

Gold Coast will get a tram to their airport

[@jayfielding1333]

The Gold Coast Line will also be extended to the airport from Varsity Lakes.

[@electro_sykes]

@@jayfielding1333 well it was suppose to but Corporate wankers at Brissbane airport are opposing it cos they are worried more airlines will then switch to Gold Coast airport with one seat ride into brisbane, due to lower landing fees at OOL, particully favoured by low cost airlines

[@MrRmano13]

Its a good start but it really only services areas that have good public transportation…there needs to be an east west tunnel running from say intro to the airport crossing the river multiple times..needs to then have the same tunnel come down from the north. If you want to remove car movements you need to make more direct and convenient ways to us public transport..we need to and should spend another 20 billion if that’s what it takes to upgrades brassy train network…the world will laugh at our city during the Olympics…this project should have been started back in 2010 but bloody politics got in the way of doing the right thing for the ppl of Brisbane…

[@jayfielding1333]

The very initial plans for the next major Brisbane rail line are for a metro from Toowong via West End, the City, Kangaroo Point, New Farm, Bulimba to Brisbane Airport.

[@electro_sykes]

@@jayfielding1333 actually, the plan has been altered to include two metro lines. The one you were talking about and another one that goes from Capalaba to Northside via the NWTC. This will be called the Subway or MRT, not Metro as metro is already the misleading name for a fancy bus

[@egypthobby]

Makes me wonder if the airport air-train will reduce their costs if it is going to be more integrated into the systems. Whenever my family use the airport we always drive as the airport airway tickets are too expensive.

[@MelPikos]

Doubtful, but we can always hope!

[@TOTN17]

​@@MelPikosState Government was looking into ending the privatisation of the Airport Line Early a while back but not much has been said about it recently

[@jayfielding1333]

The Airport Line becomes state owned in 2036.

[@electro_sykes]

@@TOTN17 The same company that makes money from Airtrain also make money from the Airportlink & the Gateway Bridge and all the other Toll Roads across Greater Brisbane. Transurban does have quite a monopoly on access to the Airport.

[@FLAME4564]

@@electro_sykes I agree I think theres a reason for having this Train to the airport was to ease the strain and congestion on the Gateway airport toll road thats been happening cause trust me i traveling with my father sometimes by car down the Bruce Highway have often been stuck in traffic have always suspected its beenc cuz of this Gateway (toll Road Airport Link and having a direct Station to the airport would be useful in easing the Gateway Tollroad Conjestion and allowing them to make money much easier and faster while using the airport train at the same time

[@lis819]

Nothing for Redland Bay, then. New developments around here every two shakes of a lambs tail, but no rail or additional bus lines. Just so long as the well heeled yuppies in the city centre have yet another means of public transport.

[@zanzah_]

CBD needs 3 or 4 stations at LEAST to track with projected growth

[@gonegahgah]

What happened to a replacement Loganlea Station???

[@fletchy40]

Will the Gold Coast Line eventually expand itself down to Coollongatta Airport?

[@91Caesar]

Yes* The long term intent is to progress the line from it's current terminus at Varsity Lakes to the Coollongatta Airport. This was true back when the terminus was Robina and plans were underway to extend to Varsity Lakes. However, there is no clear timeline, budget or major commitment to actually enacting this. It's less a promise and more an ambition. Hypothetically any new government could quite easily decide they are going to abandon any plans to one day develop the route, only to lose the next election and have the new new government recommit to it. Any extension past Varsity Lakes simply isn't close enough to actually happening for it to be anything more then a handwave one way or the other right now. That said I don't think there is any risk of the concept of heavy rail to Coollongatta Airport ever being abandoned. It is broadly accepted that it will happen one day by a majority of the public, the politicians and the business interest involved, so it is unlikely to ever be completely dropped. There is just a lot of 'When' and 'How' that needs to be locked in.

[@freibuis]

Airport to Gold coast was sold to us as an airport to airport service in the future. which never happened

[@JamesFFiT]

But also means the first stop after exhibition station will be eagle junction station. Trains from Goldie and Springfield up to Caboolture and Redcliffe currently use platforms 3&4 at Albion and go past as express trains. Are they changing it so those stop at albion and wooloowin? The maps dont seem to show the new line stops there which would be a missed opportunity for the inner north but the manoeuvre from the left to the right is true. The only way around it is to stop the trains at Albion as well. Otherwise we have no way to transfer to the new line any closer inbound than eagle junction and would have to go all the way inbound to Roma street to transfer to get to the Gold Coast! Albert street station will be useless for the inner north residents. Southside got all the upgrades! Hurry up and upgrade Albion. The budget papers say 2025 or 2026 or still years away!Seems stupid to upgrade exhibition then run it express to eagle junction! Anyway Rant over lol good for outer commuters coming in though! Bring on a new rail tunnel north under Brisbane for the Sunshine Coast rail line. They need it up there badly. Car is king currently.

[@electro_sykes]

Why not upgrade Albion stadion

[@electro_sykes]

But that will slow down my journey on the Caboolture line. I am already pissed that I now need to change trains to get to Milton

[@JamesFFiT]

@@electro_sykesthey are but not for a few years.

[@JamesFFiT]

@@electro_sykesyeh true.

[@electro_sykes]

Why it badly needs an upgrade with transit oriented development already around it. Also, considering Toombul shopping centre closed forever since the floods, it would make sense to build a new shopping centre above Albion station @@JamesFFiT

[@electro_sykes]

What about fixing the bottleneck between Central and Northgate

[@electro_sykes]

That’s where the Gympie Road Rail/Road tunnel would come in I guess

[@MelPikos]

I'm looking at making a video on this soon!

[@electro_sykes]

@@MelPikos yeh I came up with a Road/Rail tunnel idea under Gympie Road, because it is missing link in both the Northsides Rail & also their road network

[@electro_sykes]

@@MelPikos Albion station badly needs an Upgrade. Makes no sense that it wasn't included in CRR when their is a lot of Transit Oriented Development around the station and yet it has poor accessibility. I also think they needs to be a shopping complex above

[@becsterbrisbane6275]

OMG yes, it's so painful (Northsider here)!

[@ok-bg1we]

Why is logan allways excluded. Why even create a logan between gildcoast and brisbane and do nothing to have it more connected.

[@benpalexander]

Two bits of good news for you happening right now... busway is being extended to the Hyperdome and the rail line is being straightened from Kuraby to Woodridge along with a level crossing removal 👌👌 Would love to see Mel do a video on these upgrades and indeed what that opens up for Logan.

[@FLAME4564]

most likely if u look at the line map u might see the Goldcoast and Beenleigh lines and somewhere logan might be there on one of them i suspect most likely on the Gold Coast line if not possibly the Beenleigh one then again mabey the Gold Coast one idk i have now knowledge of either of those lines myself :3

[@electro_sykes]

Why don’t they upgrade Albion station as part of the works. The Southside gets all the investment

[@pauldiezel4584]

Aspley, McDowall, Albany Creek area is a total public transport dead zone. It needs a big bus hub desperately.

[@steviev1422]

is it free?

[@becsterbrisbane6275]

I just loooove how all these projects really only serve the precious 10km radius of the city. Most actually live OUTSIDE this radius, and god help you if there's a "police incident" say beyond Northgate station (which is usually the case), as there's NO buses as a replacement to/ from the city beyond Bald Hills. No train, you're on your own. And Roma Street right now feels a bit like the portal Craig Na Dun in "Outlander"- you never know where you're going to come out of!!!

[@Shermos]

As said in the video, but perhaps not explained clearly enough, the rail bridge over the Brisbane river is a massive bottleneck which reduces the amount of trains which can run on the entire South East QLD network. A lot of suburban lines cannot run at their full capacity because of this bottleneck. Cross River Rail will mean there will be more frequent services for everywhere at least as far north as Caboolture. It will also open opportunity for double tracking the line to Nambour and for the planned Sunshine Coast line. There are also plans to extend the Springfield line which will benefit from Cross River Rail

[@zanzah_]

Serious. I live at Toombul 15mins from the city and can barely get a train cuz everything is geared towards express trains for those 25km plus

[@peteregan3862]

Another spaghetti network. What metropolitan areas need are commuter rail GRIDs for good coverage of the population and work areas. Grids, by definition, provide alternate paths during breakdowns, incidents and maintenance.

[@electro_sykes]

The south gets more rail but the Northside prefers driving

[@woodvineandco]

Lol. Prefers driving? We just don't have good options. I'd love to drive less.

[@sakarkolachhapati9793]

Which parts are north?

[@aussiebloke51]

All rather underwhelming! Where is the building of circle lines to allow cross suburban travel?

[@ahbudbudberdi]

Gold Coast airport is about to get its own light rail, no need for a direct train from Brisbane airport to the Gold Coast anymore

[@Degjoy]

Even though Australia is much much richer, Finland has eradicated homelessness, whereas Australia hasn’t. Australia has nationwide, huge practically empty buildings, with expensive interiors and wasteful construction. There are enormous problems with drug taking, mental health issues and inequality. A new Amnesty International report has described Australia's human rights record as "embarrassing".

[@woofwoof9667]

I live here and you are 100% right.

[@electro_sykes]

Use the old Myer space to house the homeless. Sure it would put it into good use, even if it’s only temporary

[@carisi2k11]

But that is only because no one wants to go there except the russians.

[@natesnautical]

horrible opening music

[@markspin4596]

With the rate of immigration this current government is obsessed with, makes you wonder if this project is even worthwhile...

[@dekumutant]

Migration is being heavily curbed now the post covid backlog is done with

[@peterlewis6836]

stupid waste of money

[@dekumutant]

Public infrastructure?