South Coast railway line, Queensland

This article is about the former railway line on the Gold Coast. For the present line on the Gold Coast, see Gold Coast railway line.

The South Coast railway line (also known as the Tweed railway line) was a railway from Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland, Australia. The route via the South Coast (now known as the Gold Coast) to Tweed Heads on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. The line operated from 1889 to 1964. Between 1903 and 1961 steam trains ran from Beenleigh to the NSW border.^[1] The Gold Coast railway line re-opened in 1996 along a modified alignment in the north and a new route south but does not extend as far south yet as the South Coast line.

South Coast Line
Train at Tweed Heads in 1940
Overview
Owner	Queensland Railways
Service
Operator(s)	Queensland Railways
History
Opened	25 January 1889 (to Southport) 10 August 1903 (to Tweed Heads)
Closed	1 July 1961 (to Tweed Heads) 30 June 1964 (to Southport)
Technical
Line length	73 kilometres
Track gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Route map showing distance (miles and chains) from South Brisbane Legend 0 mi 0 ch 0 km South Brisbane Follows Beenleigh line 24 mi 15 ch 38.93 km Beenleigh Albert River 26 mi 61 ch 43.07 km Stapylton 31 mi 16 ch 50.21 km Ormeau 33 mi 79 ch 54.7 km Pimpana Pimpana Creek 38 mi 35 ch 61.86 km Coomera Coomera River 39 mi 35 ch 63.47 km Oxenford Saltwater Creek 40 mi 56 ch 65.5 km Helensvale Coombabah Creek 44 mi 54 ch 71.9 km Coombabah 46 mi 40 ch 74.83 km Ernest Junction 50 mi 10 ch 80.67 km Southport 48 mi 77 km Molendinar Nerang River 49 mi 11 ch 79.08 km Nerang 53 mi 54 ch 86.38 km Worongary 55 mi 33 ch 89.18 km Mudgeeraba 61 mi 98 km West Burleigh Tallebudgera Creek 62 mi 70 ch 101.19 km Elanora Currumbin Creek 63 mi 79 ch 102.98 km Currumbin 67 mi 16 ch 108.15 km Bilinga 65 mi 46 ch 105.53 km Tugun 68 mi 4 ch 109.52 km Kirra 69 mi 7 ch 111.19 km Coolangatta New South Wales Border Turning wye 69 mi 33 ch 111.71 km Tweed Heads This diagram: view talk edit

History

Flood damaged Logan River crossing, 1887

The Beenleigh railway line opened in 1885^[2] before being extended 26 miles (42 km) from Beenleigh railway station to Southport in 1889.^[3] The firm of J. W. Sutton and Company of Kangaroo Point in Brisbane provided materials and aided in bridge construction for the railway line.^[4]

A branch line running 22 miles (35 km) from Southport Junction (later renamed Ernest Junction) to Tweed Heads opened on 10 August 1903.^[5]

It had been hoped that the New South Wales Government would extend its Casino to Murwillumbah line a further 30 kilometres from Murwillumbah to Tweed Heads, but this did not occur due to cost of resuming the land and the expenses associated with the tunnel and bridge that would be required.^[6]

Due to the increasing popularity of the motor car, and political interests in road transport, the Tweed Heads branch closed on 1 July 1961, followed by the Beenleigh to Southport line on 30 June 1964, despite fierce local outcry in the case of the line to Southport.

Stations

The initial South Coast line officially opened on 24 January 1889^[7] and included stops at:

Distance from South Brisbane railway station	Station	Coords	Notes
	Yatala		Closed in 1891.[8]
	Stapylton	27.739149°S 153.230014°E / -27.739149; 153.230014 (Stapylton railway station (former))	[9]
31 miles 16 chains (50.2 km)	Ormeau	27.792725°S 153.265299°E / -27.792725; 153.265299 (Ormeau railway station (former))	[10][11]
33 miles 79 chains (54.7 km)	Pimpama	27.8152°S 153.2921°E / -27.8152; 153.2921 (Pimpama railway station (former))	[11][12]
38 miles 35 chains (61.9 km)	Coomera,	27.872830°S 153.312883°E / -27.872830; 153.312883 (Coomera railway station (former))	[11]
39 miles 27 chains (63.3 km)	39 Mile Platform (Oxenford)	27.8855°S 153.3154°E / -27.8855; 153.3154 (Oxenford railway station)	[11][13]
40 miles 56 chains (65.5 km)	Helensvale	27.898255°S 153.328348°E / -27.898255; 153.328348 (Helensvale railway station (former))	[11]
	Coombabah	27.950143°S 153.346100°E / -27.950143; 153.346100 (Coombabah railway station)	Closed in 1891.[8][14]
46 miles 40 chains (74.8 km)	Ernest Junction	27.970056°S 153.358775°E / -27.970056; 153.358775 (Ernest Junction railway station (former))	[11]
	Unnamed	27.966329°S 153.386194°E / -27.966329; 153.386194 (Unnamed railway platform)	[14]
	Unnamed	27.967255°S 153.399823°E / -27.967255; 153.399823 (Unnamed railway platform)	[14]
50 miles 10 chains (80.7 km)	Southport	27.9637°S 153.4110°E / -27.9637; 153.4110 (Southport railway station (former))	[11][15][16]

It included a number of cuts, river crossings, long grades and a tunnel^[17] at Ernest Junction that remains in situ (and is now heritage-listed).^[18] The second branch of the South Coast line, known as the Nerang-Tweed Heads extension,^[19] opened 14 September 1903^[20][21] and stretched from Ernest Junction to the Queensland-New South Wales border. Stops included:

Distance from South Brisbane railway station	Station	Coords	Notes
47 miles 61 chains (76.9 km)	Molendinar	27.9855°S 153.3560°E / -27.9855; 153.3560 (Molendinar railway station (former))	Renamed from Benowa in October 1889.[22][11][23]
49 miles 11 chains (79.1 km)	Nerang	27.9953°S 153.3401°E / -27.9953; 153.3401 (Nerang railway station (former))	[11][24][25]
53 miles 54 chains (86.4 km)	Worongary		[11]
55 miles 33 chains (89.2 km)	Mudgeeraba		[11]
	Reedy Creek
61 miles 23 chains (98.6 km)	West Burleigh	28.1147°S 153.4416°E / -28.1147; 153.4416 (West Burleigh (Booninbah) railway station (former))	On the western bank of Tallebudgera Creek roughly where the Pacific Highway crosses the creek today.[11][26] Renamed from Booningba.[27]
62 miles 70 chains (101.2 km)	Elanora	28.1245°S 153.4644°E / -28.1245; 153.4644 (Elanora railway station (former))	At the intersection of Palm Beach Avenue and the Pacific Highway[11][26]
63 miles 79 chains (103.0 km)	Currumbin	28.1378°S 153.4731°E / -28.1378; 153.4731 (Currumbin railway station (former))	On the eastern bank of Currumbin Creek. The current pedestrian bridge is the former railway bridge.[11][26][21]
65 miles 46 chains (105.5 km)	Tugun	28.1435°S 153.49434°E / -28.1435; 153.49434 (Tugun railway station (former))	Roughly on the intersection of the Gold Coast Highway and Toolana Street.[11][26]
67 miles 16 chains (108.1 km)	Bilinga	28.1601°S 153.5110°E / -28.1601; 153.5110 (Bilinga railway station (former))	Roughly on the intersection of the Gold Coast Highway and George Street.[11][26]
68 miles 4 chains (109.5 km)	Kirra	28.1698°S 153.5262°E / -28.1698; 153.5262 (Kirra railway station (former))	Roughly at the intersection of Coolangatta Road and Haig Street.[11][26]
69 miles 7 chains (111.2 km)	Coolangatta	28.1685°S 153.5367°E / -28.1685; 153.5367 (Coolangatta railway station (former))	Griffith Street.[11][15][28]
69 miles 33 chains (111.7 km)	Tweed Heads	28.1720°S 153.5405°E / -28.1720; 153.5405 (Tweed Heads railway station (former))	[11]

Route

From Beenleigh, coast-bound trains crossed the Old Pacific Highway three times between there and Yatala. In between these was the impressive Albert River crossing, made of three steel lattice girder spans. After passing Stapylton, the alignment was straight and of good standard, before reaching Ormeau. The alignment began to curve here, eventually reaching the Pimpama River and Pimpama Station. Coomera station was next, and a short distance later, the line crossed the Coomera River on a large bridge, similar to the Albert River bridge but with four spans instead of three. The southern floodplain of the river was crossed on timber trestles, leading to Oxenford. Passing Saltwater Creek, the line went through Helensvale, which had a small halt with little else but a nameboard signalling the station. After climbing nearly two miles, the railway passed through the curved Ernest Junction Tunnel. The station was just past here. The Southport branch continued on to Southport, but the Tweed Heads line continued onwards. Passing the small station of Molendinar, the line passed under the Southport-Nerang Road. The Nerang River bridge was next. Then came Nerang and Mudgeeraba stations, today covered by the busy Pacific Motorway. A tunnel was reached at West Burleigh, before arriving at the station of that name. After crossing Tallebudgera Creek bridge (now also demolished and replaced by the Pacific Motorway) travellers reached Elanora, then came the still extant Currumbin Creek bridge. From here, the route followed today's Stewart Street between Currumbin and Tugun, the Gold Coast Highway between Tugun and Kirra, Coolangatta Road between Kirra and Coolangatta, and Griffith Street over the border to Tweed Heads.

Services

Passenger trains ran from South Brisbane to Southport with connecting trains from Ernest Junction or Southport to Tweed Heads. Picnic and excursion trains ran through from South Brisbane to Tweed Heads on Sundays.^[29][30][31]

From opening until around 1910, A12 and B13 class locos were the main motive power. From there until the 1950s, services were operated exclusively by PB15 class locomotives, the largest locomotive permitted to cross the Logan River. Diesel rail cars of the 1800 and 2000 classes operated some passenger services from the 1950s until closure in the 1960s.^[32][33]

Remains

A preserved piece of railway, where the route crossed Bay Street at Tweed Heads

• The Beenleigh railway line is still in use.
• The track bed between Ernest Junction and Southport, and between Tugun and Coolangatta, is still visible.
• The original Nerang station still exists at the Gold Coast Hinterland Heritage Museum at Mudgeeraba.
• The railway bridge over Currumbin Creek was converted to a footbridge. Prior to 1995 the Tallebudgera bridge carried water pipes across the creek. That bridge has since been demolished to make way for widening of the Pacific Motorway.
• Short sections of the route at Currumbin, Coolangatta and Southport have been reused as a pedestrian/bicycle paths.
• The Southport tunnel still exists, but the West Burleigh tunnel doesn't, it was demolished to make way for the Pacific Motorway.
• The Coolangatta station area is now located between Chalk St and Griffith Street.
• The site of Southport railway station is now a local club.

Replacement

The Gold Coast railway line on a new alignment opened from Beenleigh to Helensvale in 1996, Nerang in 1997, Robina in 1998 and Varsity Lakes in 2009.^[34]

See also

• Queensland portal
• Railways portal

• Construction of Queensland railways
• Rail transport in South East Queensland

References

1. Kinsella, Elise (20 April 2018). "Why were the Gold Coast's old train lines ripped up?". ABC News. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
2. History of Mt Gravatt Our Brisbane
3. The Southport Railway Archived 27 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine Brisbane Courier 25 January 1889 page 6
4. "Kangaroo Point: Iron Ships and Bridges". The Brisbane Courier. 24 May 1930. p. 22. Retrieved 24 January 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
5. Visitors from New South Wales Archived 27 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine The Brisbane Courier 11 August 1903 page 5
6. Tweed Heads Railway Extension Archived 24 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine The Brisbane Courier 29 May 1903 page 5
7. "The Southport Railway". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. XLV, no. 9, 682. 25 January 1889. p. 6. Archived from the original on 27 April 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
8. "Local and General". Logan Witness. Vol. XIII, no. 672. Queensland, Australia. 7 February 1891. p. 2 – via National Library of Australia.
9. Beenleigh, Queensland (Map) (2nd ed.). Royal Australian Survey Corps. 1947. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
10. "Town of Ormeau" (Map). Queensland Government. 1971. Archived from the original on 5 April 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
11. "Queensland Two Mile series sheet 2m37" (Map). historical-maps-qld.oldmapsonline.org. Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy. 1947. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
    "Untitled" (Map). Queensland Government. 1947. Archived from the original on 5 April 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
12. Tamborine Queensland (Map) (Second ed.). Royal Australian Survey Corps. 1954. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
    "Tamborine" (Map). Queensland Government. 1954. Archived from the original on 2 April 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.)
13. "Parish of Barrow" (Map). Queensland Government. 1973. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
14. Queensland. Department of Natural Resources and Mines (1887). Moreton 40 Chain map, sheet 11 south 1887 (Map). Department of Natural Resources and Mines. Archived from the original on 15 March 1961. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
15. "South Coast Rail Line". Archived from the original on 15 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
16. "Southport" (Map). Queensland Government. 1978. Archived from the original on 5 April 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
17. "Southport Railway". South Coast Bulletin. Vol. 8, no. 430. Queensland, Australia. 21 August 1936. p. 6. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
18. "Ernest Junction Railway Tunnel (entry 650228)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
19. "Opening of Nerang Railway". Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald And General Advertiser. Vol. XLIV, no. 6642. 27 August 1903. p. 2. Retrieved 9 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
20. "Visitors From New South Wales". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. LX, no. 14, 220. 11 August 1903. p. 5. Archived from the original on 27 April 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
21. "Currumbin Creek Railway Bridge (former)" (PDF). Gold Coast City Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
22. "Railway Station Names". The Telegraph (Brisbane). No. 5, 295. Queensland, Australia. 2 October 1889. p. 4. Retrieved 11 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
23. Great Britain. War Office. General Staff. Australian Section, cartographer. (1926). Tambourine Queensland (Map). Scale 1:63,360. Australia 1:63,360. [Melbourne]: [Australian Section Imperial General Staff]. § 1 map : colour ; 44 x 78 cm, on sheet 56 x 83 cm. nla.obj-337985011. Retrieved 28 January 2024 – via Trove.
    "Tambourine" (Map). Queensland Government. 1926. Archived from the original on 5 April 2020. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
24. "Opening of Nerang Railway". Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald and General Advertiser. Vol. XLIV, no. 6642. 27 August 1903. p. 2. Retrieved 9 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
25. "Town of Nerang" (Map). Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 5 April 2020. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
26. "Moreton 40 Chain map AG2 series sheet 16 south". Queensland Government. 1929. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
    Queensland. Survey Office (July 1929). Moreton 40 chain map. Sheet 16 South (Map). Gov't. Printer. Archived from the original on 24 April 1963. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
    Queensland. Department of Natural Resources and Mines (2006). Moreton 40 Chain map, sheet 16 south [Reproduction of 1929 edition] (Map). Department of Natural Resources and Mines. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
27. "Burleigh and Beenleigh". The Brisbane Courier. No. 17, 747. Queensland, Australia. 1 December 1914. p. 6. Retrieved 30 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
28. "Tweed Heads" (Map). Queensland Government. 1943. Archived from the original on 5 April 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
29. "Southport Timetable". The Week. Vol. XXVII, no. 682. Brisbane. 12 January 1889. p. 26. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
30. Nine Special Trains Booked for 4BH Picnic to Southport (21 October 1939). The Telegraph (Brisbane), p. 4 (Late Week End Final All the News). Retrieved 18 January 2018, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article188037010
31. "Tweed Heads-Brisbane Railway". Northern Star. Vol. 28. New South Wales, Australia. 24 October 1903. p. 8. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
32. "Locomotives". The Telegraph. No. 16, 575 (5 O'clock City ed.). Brisbane. 15 January 1926. p. 12. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
33. "1st Diesel run". The Courier-Mail. No. 4980. Brisbane. 13 November 1952. p. 3. Retrieved 18 January 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
34. Robina-Varsity Lakes rail extension state's most expensive The Courier-Mail 14 December 2009

Bibliography

• Alan Arundell (2011). The South Coast Railway: A history of Growth and Transport on the Gold Coast. Water Street Productions. ISBN 978-0646555287.
• Kerr, John; Armstrong, John (1978). Destination Sth Brisbane: an illustrated history of the southside railways of Brisbane. Australian Railway Historical Society.

External links

• 1925 map of the Queensland railway system