South Coast railway line, Queensland
The South Coast railway line was a railway from Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland, Australia. The route via the Gold Coast to Tweed Heads on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. The line operated from 1889 to 1964. 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.
History
The Beenleigh railway line opened in 1885 before being extended from Beenleigh railway station to Southport in 1889. The firm of J. W. Sutton and Company of Kangaroo Point in Brisbane provided materials and aided in bridge construction for the railway line.A branch line running from Southport Junction to Tweed Heads opened on 10 August 1903.
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.
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.
Route
The initial South Coast line officially opened on 24 January 1889 and included stops at:| Distance from South Brisbane railway station | Station | Coords | Notes |
| Yatala | |||
| Stapylton | |||
| Ormeau | Coords are approximate as the area has been substantially redeveloped, losing landmarks from railway era map | ||
| Pimpana | |||
| Coomera | |||
| 39 Mile Platform | |||
| Helensvale | |||
| Coombabah | |||
| Ernest Junction | |||
| Southport |
It included a number of cuts, river crossings, long grades and a tunnel at, Ernest Junction, that remains in situ. The second branch of the South Coast line, known as the Nerang-Tweed Heads extension, opened in 1903 and stretched from Ernest Junction to the Queensland-New South Wales border. Stops included:
| Distance from South Brisbane railway station | Station | Coords | Notes |
| Benowa | |||
| Molendinar | |||
| Nerang | |||
| Worongary | |||
| Mudgeeraba | |||
| Reedy Creek | |||
| West Burleigh | |||
| Elanora | |||
| Currumbin | |||
| Tugun | |||
| Bilinga | |||
| Kirra | |||
| Coolangatta | |||
| Tweed Heads |
The present day Pacific Motorway largely follows the route the railway between Yatala and Currumbin. Stewart Street between Currumbin and Tugun, the Gold Coast Highway between Tugun and Kirra, Coolangatta Road between Kirra and Coolangatta, and Griffith Street in Coolangatta/Tweed Heads are built on the former railway reservation.
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.From opening until the 1950s, services were operated exclusively by PB15 class locomotives, the largest locomotive permitted to cross the Logan River. Diesel rail cars operated some passenger services from the 1950s until closure.
Remains
- 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 railway bridge over Currumbin Creek was converted to a footbridge. As was the Tallebudgera Creek bridge converted to a footbridge
- 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 2 West Burleigh tunnels do not; they were demolished to make way for the Pacific Motorway.
- The Coolangatta station area is now located between Chalk St and Griffith Street.
Replacement