Cross River Rail must go ahead before rail crisis in 2016

Media Release.

The release of new draft timetables for the Citytrain network by the LNP government today represent the last efforts to squeeze capacity out of the network before the rail capacity crisis hits in 2016. 

Shadow Transport Minister Jackie Trad said the Newman government’s arrogant decision to play politics to get Tony Abbott elected had killed off the Cross River Rail project and put south-east Queensland on the path towards a rail capacity crisis in 2016. 

“Instead of working with Federal Labor to build Cross River Rail when they had the chance, Campbell Newman and Scott Emerson played politics and went back to square one to design a new project from scratch,” Ms Trad said.

“Crunch time in 2016 is getting closer and closer."  

“These changes represent the last bits of capacity that can be wrung out of the network as it stands. We urgently need Cross River Rail to be built."  

“We can’t wait for Campbell Newman and Scott Emerson to start from scratch and design a new plan."

“Campbell Newman and Scott Emerson still have the blueprints for Cross River Rail in their top drawer."

“It is shovel ready now."  

“All they need to do is pick up the phone and tell Tony Abbott he needs to restore the funding that Federal Labor had set aside for Cross River Rail.”

Ms Trad said the former Labor Government had delivered stage 1 of the Citytrain timetable review covering the Ipswich, Richlands, Caboolture and Sunshine Coast lines in mid-2011 and  it had taken the LNP more than 18 months to finalise stage 2. 

“Finally, Scott Emerson has completed Labor’s timetable review after 18 months behind his desk and after patronage has plummeted to its lowest levels in five years,” Ms Trad said.

“Queenslanders cannot afford Minister Emerson and the Newman Government dragging their heels on Cross River Rail any longer.”