Springfield line
Richlands railway station, 2018
Overview
Websitequeenslandrail.com.au
Technical
Track length16.0 km (9.9 mi)
Number of tracksQuadruple to Darra, double track to Springfield Central
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification2013
Operating speed140 km/h (87 mph)
Route map
Line route

Springfield railway line is a 13.6 km (8.5 mi)[1] suburban railway line in Brisbane, Australia that branches from the Ipswich/Rosewood line after Darra railway station. Construction of the line started on 5 July 2010, and it opened on 2 December 2013.[2] The line was developed along with the widening of the nearby Centenary Motorway.

The line speed is rated for speeds of up to 140 km/h (87 mph) in most sections. However, only the interurban multiple unit 100 and 120 series and New Generation Rollingstock trains can run at the full speed of the line. The current timetable is based on a top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph) between Richlands and Springfield stations, which is faster than the Centenary Motorway that runs alongside.

Services on this line are the busiest on the Brisbane network.[3]

Construction and opening

refer to caption
Richlands railway station, 2011

Construction of the first stage of the line, to Richlands, started on 5 July 2010, with the first sleeper being laid at Darra on the Ipswich line.[4] The line was developed along with the widening of the nearby Centenary Motorway from two to four lanes from Darra through to the Logan Motorway.[5] The original completion date was for 2015.[6] However this was bought forward to 2013.

Construction of the first station on the line, Richlands, started on 1 July 2008 (2008-07-01),[7] and the line was due to begin service on 23 January 2011 (2011-01-23) without service from Darra to the City due to scheduled maintenance works on the Ipswich line.[1]

The opening was brought forward to 17 January 2011 (2011-01-17) to assist travellers from further west who could not use the Ipswich line, which was out of service due to Queensland floods.[8]

On 23 October 2011 (2011-10-23), work started on the second stage of the line to Springfield. The station originally proposed as Springfield Lakes station was renamed Springfield, and the one proposed as Springfield station renamed Springfield Central.[9]

The extension to Springfield Central began service on 2 December 2013.

A proposal exists to extend the line from its present terminus at Springfield Central to Redbank Plains,[10] Ripley Valley, Yamanto, and Ipswich station.[11]

Route

Springfield railway line viaduct
Over 800 metres long, the railway viaduct has piers designed to allow for the planned expansions of nearby Logan and Centenary Motorways.

Passengers would change for or from the Ipswich and Rosewood lines at Darra; Beenleigh, Gold Coast and Cleveland lines at Roma Street; and all other lines at Central.

The route crosses the interchange between the Logan Motorway and Centenary Motorway on a two-track viaduct more than 800 metres (2,600 ft) long. The viaduct has been designed so that its piers do not obstruct planned expansions of both roads.[12]

Springfield railway line
showing distance from Central and ticket zone
Sunshine Coast, Kippa-Ring, Shorncliffe lines
Airport line
Doomben line
6.5 km
 Eagle Junction
(1)
Ferny Grove line
Exhibition line
2.7 km
 Bowen Hills
(1)
1.3 km
 Fortitude Valley
(1)
0.0 km
 Central
(1)
0.8 km
 Roma Street
(1)
Cross River Rail (under construction)
Exhibition line
Beenleigh, Cleveland, Gold Coast lines
Hale Street (Inner City Bypass)
2.3 km
 Milton
(1)
3.5 km
 Auchenflower
(1)
4.5 km
 Toowong
(1)
6.0 km
 Taringa
(1)
7.4 km
 Indooroopilly
(1)
Albert Bridge over the Brisbane River
8.5 km
 Chelmer
(1)
9.5 km
 Graceville
(1/2)
10.7 km
 Sherwood
(2)
Yeerongpilly via Tennyson Line (closed to commuter rail)
11.6 km
 Corinda
(2)
13.3 km
 Oxley
(2)
16.0 km
 Darra
(2)
 Ipswich, Rosewood lines
Ipswich Motorway
 Richlands (2)
Progress Road
 Ellen Grove (proposed station) (3)
Logan Motorway
Centenary Highway
 Springfield (3)
29.6 km
 Springfield Central (3)
Continues to Proposed Springfield to Ipswich Line

Proposed extensions

Extensions proposed in the Connecting SEQ 2031 plan
Continues to Darra and Brisbane City
Springfield Central
 (3)
Augusta Parkway
Augustine Heights
 (3)
Redbank Plains
 (3)
Swanbank
 (3)
South Ripley
 (3)
Ripley
 (3)
Deebing Heights
 (3)
Cunningham Highway
Yamanto
 (3)
Warwick Road
Churchill
 (3)
USQ Ipswich
 (3)
Brisbane Street
Main Line to Rosewood Station
Ipswich
 (3)
Continues to Darra and Brisbane City

In the Connecting SEQ 2031 Plan, the QLD Government has listed an UrbanLink high frequency (15min) service running from Darra to Springfield, and on to Redbank Plains via Augustine Heights, as an extension to the existing Springfield Line. It also talks about an ExpressLink (30min frequency) between Ipswich and Ripley, via UQ Ipswich (now USQ Ipswich), Churchill, Yamanto and Deebing Heights; with the vital corridor between Ripley and Redbank plains being reserved for a later time after 2031. In 2019, the City of Ipswich completed an overview of the Ipswich Central to Springfield Central public transport corridor with a focus on the proposed extension.[13]

The lines are shown in the map below.[14]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Hurst, Daniel (6 January 2011). "The train station with no trains". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 7 January 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  2. ↑ "Springfield Rail Bonus: Extra Station and $171 Million Saved" (Press release). Queensland Government. 20 February 2011. Archived from the original on 13 March 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  3. ↑ Rendall, Jessica (7 September 2020). "Queensland commuters stay away from trains despite low coronavirus case numbers". abc.net.au. ABC News. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  4. ↑ O'leary, Christopher (7 July 2010). "Work on rail link begins". South-West News.
  5. ↑ Moore, Tony (7 June 2010). "Budget plans to fast track rail line to Springfield". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 8 June 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  6. ↑ Chris O'Brien; Emma Pollard (7 June 2010). "Government fast-tracks Springfield rail line". abc.net.au. ABC News. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  7. ↑ "$800 million project offers transport choices" (Press release). Queensland Government. 1 July 2008. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  8. ↑ "New train station to open early". Brisbane Times. 16 January 2011. Archived from the original on 17 January 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
  9. ↑ "Work underway on Springfield rail link". TransLink. 24 October 2011. Archived from the original on 28 October 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  10. ↑ Jackson, Zane (10 August 2011). "Push for rail in Redbank Plains". The Queensland Times. Archived from the original on 9 September 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  11. ↑ Kieran Banks (2 December 2013). Fast track to growth: Springfield train line is opened Archived 23 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine. The Queensland Times. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  12. ↑ Pacheco, Pedro; Filipe Magalhaes (2015). Multi-Span Large Bridges: International Conference on Multi-Span Large Bridges, 1-3 July 2015, Porto, Portugal. CRC Press. p. 480. ISBN 9781315687193. Archived from the original on 29 October 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  13. ↑ "Ipswich Central to Springfield Central Public Transport Corridor" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 March 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  14. ↑ "Connecting SEQ 2031" (PDF). Queensland Government Department of Transport and Main Roads. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
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