Skip to main content

Brisbane to build combined road/rail tunnel

Australia’s Queensland Government has revealed concept designs for what would be the world’s first double-deck bus and rail tunnel to replace the planned Cross River Rail project. The 15 metres wide, the US$4.6 billion underground bus and train (UBAT) tunnel would be capable of accommodating a double-track railway and two bus lanes with three underground combined bus-and-rail stations. In a statement outlining the UBAT programme, Premier Campbell Newman said: “The project we are announcing today deliver
November 22, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Australia’s Queensland Government has revealed concept designs for what would be the world’s first double-deck bus and rail tunnel to replace the planned Cross River Rail project.

The 15 metres wide, the US$4.6 billion underground bus and train (UBAT) tunnel would be capable of accommodating a double-track railway and two bus lanes with three underground combined bus-and-rail stations.

In a statement outlining the UBAT programme, Premier Campbell Newman said: “The project we are announcing today delivers the public transport services needed for the next 50 years.”

Deputy Premier and State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Minister Jeff Seeney said: “This exciting, world-class public transport project demonstrated that the Newman Government is fulfilling its election promise to deliver better infrastructure.

“Queenslanders will have access to one of the most innovative public transport connections in the world through the underground bus and train project. The government is also progressing other transport priorities, including the Bruce Highway and the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing.”

Queensland Government has said that work could begin as early as 2015, with construction planned for completion 2020.

Related Content

  • Multi-million dollar safety upgrade for New Zealand tunnel
    May 18, 2017
    New Zealand transport Minister Simon Bridges has announced work is set to begin on a multi-million dollar fire deluge system that will improve safety and reduce the risk of lengthy closures at Lyttelton Tunnel south of Christchurch. The US$19.9 million (NZ$28.7 million) project is the largest project undertaken at the tunnel since it opened in 1964. The contract has been awarded to McConnell Dowell, with work set to start in the coming weeks. A fire sprinkler system is the most effective means of mana
  • Delivering accurate bus information
    July 27, 2012
    John C. Toone, King County Metro, describes the transition to an IntelliDrive-led approach to communication and information sharing in line with the introduction of a new bus rapid transit service. King County Metro (KC Metro), which serves Seattle, Bellevue and over 20 suburban towns, has been active in the development of intelligent transportation systems for many years. It has operated a signpost-based AVL system for more than a decade and has used this to provide bus location information to the public o
  • Do satellites provide a heavenly view of tolling’s future?
    December 16, 2014
    Satellite-based tolling opens up new options for authorities and can be integrated with DSRC systems as David Crawford discovers. As the proud custodian of the European Union (EU)’s longest road network covered by a single (truck) charging scheme – and the only one to include all major roads - Slovakia has become the continent’s poster-nation for the virtues of GNSS/CN (Global Navigation Satellite System/Cellular Network)-based tolling. It is also proved to be a very fast implementer. Speaking at the 2014 I
  • Horizon 2020 launches three new calls for transport projects
    December 12, 2013
    The launch of calls for proposals and related activities under the Horizon 2020 work programmes for 2014-15 has been announced. The launch of these calls also marks the launch of Civitas 2020, the next phase of the Civitas initiative which is designed to strengthen sustainable urban mobility across and beyond Europe. The first call, Mobility for Growth, focuses on innovation and technology projects in air, rail, road and waterborne transport, logistics, intelligent transport systems and infrastructure.