101-421: G:link , also known as the Gold Coast Light Rail , the Gold Coast Tram or simply the 'G , is a light rail system serving the Gold Coast in Queensland , Australia, and is the sole light rail system in Queensland. The system forms part of Translink's South East Queensland public transport network and consists of a single 20 km (12 mi) line of nineteen stations. Helensvale railway station
202-724: A "light rail" vehicle (it is a heavy rail vehicle), and is only included for comparison purposes. Low-floor LRVs have the advantage of a low-floor design, allowing them to load passengers directly from low-rise platforms that can be little more than raised curbs. High-floor light rail systems also exist, featuring larger stations. Historically, the track gauge has had considerable variations, with narrow gauge common in many early systems. However, most light rail systems are now standard gauge . Older standard-gauge vehicles could not negotiate sharp turns as easily as narrow-gauge ones, but modern light rail systems achieve tighter turning radii by using articulated cars . An important advantage of
303-458: A bus, there will be even more capacity when there is a combination of cars and light rail. Table 3 shows an example of peak passenger capacity. The cost of light rail construction varies widely, largely depending on the amount of tunneling and elevated structures required. A survey of North American light rail projects shows that costs of most LRT systems range from $ 15 million to over $ 100 million per mile. Seattle's new light rail system
404-403: A chaotic breakdown inflow and a dramatic drop in speed (a traffic jam ) if they exceed about 2,000 vehicles per hour per lane (each car roughly two seconds behind another). Since most people who drive to work or on business trips do so alone, studies show that the average car occupancy on many roads carrying commuters is only about 1.5 people per car during the high-demand rush hour periods of
505-1142: A common right-of-way (however, Link converted to full separation in 2019). Some systems, such as the AirTrain JFK in New York City, the DLR in London, and Kelana Jaya Line in Kuala Lumpur , have dispensed with the need for an operator. The Vancouver SkyTrain was an early adopter of driverless vehicles, while the Toronto Scarborough rapid transit operated the same trains as Vancouver, but used drivers. In most discussions and comparisons, these specialized systems are generally not considered light rail but as light metro systems. Around Karlsruhe , Kassel , and Saarbrücken in Germany, dual-voltage light rail trains partly use mainline railroad tracks, sharing these tracks with heavy rail trains. In
606-539: A future expansion to Coolangatta via the Gold Coast Airport . The 14 km (8.7 mi) extension of the light rail line from Burleigh Heads station would continue south along the Gold Coast Highway, passing through the southern suburbs of Palm Beach and Tugun and connecting the city's international airport with the light rail. A potential light rail corridor has also been identified from
707-523: A group of Paradise Waters residents appealed for a tram stop to be added at their locality, as had been originally planned, but were denied it by Council. A former mayor suggested there was a feeling they "were punished because some of them opposed it at the time." Light rail Light rail (or light rail transit , abbreviated to LRT ) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology while also having some features from heavy rapid transit . The term
808-416: A light rail train may have three to four cars of much larger capacity in one train under the control of one driver, or no driver at all in fully automated systems, increasing the labor costs of BRT systems compared to LRT systems. BRT systems are also usually less fuel-efficient as they use non-electrified vehicles. The peak passenger capacity per lane per hour depends on which types of vehicles are allowed on
909-435: A live rail. In outer areas, the trams switch to conventional overhead wires . The Bordeaux power system costs about three times as much as a conventional overhead wire system and took 24 months to achieve acceptable levels of reliability, requiring the replacement of all the main cables and power supplies. Operating and maintenance costs of the innovative power system still remain high. However, despite numerous service outages,
1010-543: A longer distance. Light rail cars are often coupled into multiple units of two to four cars. Light rail systems may also exhibit attributes of heavy rail systems, including having downtown subways, as in San Francisco and Seattle . Light rail is designed to address a gap in interurban transportation between heavy rail and bus services, carrying high passenger numbers more quickly than local buses and more cheaply than heavy rail. It serves corridors in which heavy rail
1111-642: A more diverse range of design characteristics than LRT, depending on the demand and constraints that exist, and BRT using dedicated lanes can have a theoretical capacity of over 30,000 passengers per hour per direction (for example, the Guangzhou Bus Rapid Transit system operates up to 350 buses per hour per direction). For the effective operation of a bus or BRT system, buses must have priority at traffic lights and have their dedicated lanes, especially as bus frequencies exceed 30 buses per hour per direction. The higher theoretical of BRT relates to
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#17327935466341212-460: A possible extension to Biggera Waters . The proposed line would branch off from the existing University Hospital light rail station , travelling north before terminating at Harbour Town Shopping Centre in the suburb of Biggera Waters . The Gold Coast's council 2031 Transport plan published outlines a possible extension to Bundall . The proposed line would branch off from Cavill Avenue , travelling west for several kilometres before terminating in
1313-407: A result, has many of the operating characteristics of a metro system rather than a light rail system. A capacity of 1,350 passengers per train is more similar to the heavy rail than light rail. Bus rapid transit (BRT) is an alternative to LRT and many planning studies undertake a comparison of each mode when considering appropriate investments in transit corridor development. BRT systems can exhibit
1414-534: A small retail precinct and residential dwellings are located only a short walk from the station. Nobby Beach station will be situated between Albicore Street and Dolphin Avenue on the Gold Coast Highway. It will serve the Nobby Beach retail precinct, and the beach is only a short walk away. Miami North station will be on the corner of Paradise Avenue and the Gold Coast Highway, and will serve northern Miami and
1515-445: A statement in 2021 saying that the agreement will see the construction consortium undertake detailed construction planning and start establishing a site presence along the 6.7-kilometre (4.2 mi) corridor. In July 2022 construction formally started with water, sewerage and gas infrastructure upgrades and relocation on the Gold Coast Highway between Broadbeach and Nobby Beach. Major construction including earthworks and construction of
1616-500: A string of short-lived protest organisations. Their claims included that it was a 'zombie' project and 'white elephant' that would saddle ratepayers with unsustainable debt. The removal of iconic palm trees and poincianas for the construction upset others. In 2016, a retired property analyst, Alan Midwood, claimed light rail had been a "gross financial disaster" that had doubled roadway congestion, and calling for it to be scrapped. Other notable objectors who achieved media coverage included
1717-534: A top speed of 55–71.5 miles per hour (88.51–115.1 km/h) depending on the system, while the trains on the all-underground Montreal Metro can only reach a top speed of 72 kilometres per hour (44.74 mph). LACMTA light rail vehicles have higher top and average speeds than Montreal Metro or New York City Subway trains. Many light rail systems—even fairly old ones—have a combination of both on- and off-road sections. In some countries (especially in Europe), only
1818-702: A top speed of 70 km/h (43 mph) and room for 309 passengers with seating for 80. Fourteen trams were ordered to serve the original section of the line. Four additional trams were ordered in November 2015 to service the Helensvale extension. These were delivered in September and October 2017. A further five were delivered from July 2023 entering service in July 2024 Eighteen of the stations are street-level open-air structures featuring passenger canopies, and one
1919-481: A tramway, a light metro, and, in a narrow sense, rapid transit. This is especially common in the United States, where there is not a popularly perceived distinction between these different types of urban rail systems. The development of technology for low-floor and catenary-free trams facilitates the construction of such mixed systems with only short and shallow underground sections below critical intersections as
2020-470: Is a generic international English phrase for types of rail systems using modern streetcars/trams, which means more or less the same thing throughout the English-speaking world . Light rail systems can range from trams runnig in streets along with other traffic, to semi-metro systems having portions of grade separated track. People movers are even "lighter", in terms of capacity. Monorail
2121-575: Is a separate technology that has been more successful in specialized services than in a commuter transit role. The use of the generic term light rail avoids some serious incompatibilities between British and American English . The word tram , for instance, is generally used in the UK and many former British colonies to refer to what is known in North America as a streetcar , but in North America tram can instead refer to an aerial tramway , or, in
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#17327935466342222-602: Is a significant amount of overlap between the technologies; similar rolling stock may be used for either, and it is common to classify streetcars or trams as a subcategory of light rail rather than as a distinct type of transportation. However, some distinctions can be made, though systems may combine elements of both. Low-floor light rail lines tend to follow a reserved right-of-way and with trains receiving priority at intersections, and tend not to operate in mixed traffic, enabling higher operating speeds. Light rail lines tend to have less frequent stops than tramways, and operate over
2323-481: Is bounded to the west by the artificial canals of adjacent Mermaid Waters and to the east by the Pacific Ocean . To the north is the suburb of Broadbeach , to the south Miami . The Gold Coast Highway passes through Mermaid Beach. The Gold Coast Oceanway (a pedestrian path) travels along Hedges Avenue. Mermaid Beach receives its name from the cutter HMS Mermaid . Explorer John Oxley sailed aboard
2424-563: Is by far the most expensive in the US, at $ 179 million per mile, since it includes extensive tunneling in poor soil conditions, elevated sections, and stations as deep as 180 feet (55 m) below ground level. This results in costs more typical of subways or rapid transit systems than light rail. At the other end of the scale, four systems (Baltimore, Maryland; Camden, New Jersey; Sacramento, California; and Salt Lake City, Utah) incurred construction costs of less than $ 20 million per mile. Over
2525-426: Is especially important for wheelchair access, as narrower gauges (e.g. metre gauge) can make it challenging or impossible to pass the tram's wheels. Furthermore, standard-gauge rolling stock can be switched between networks either temporarily or permanently, and both newly built and used standard-gauge rolling stock tends to be cheaper to buy, as more companies offer such vehicles. Overhead lines supply electricity to
2626-427: Is expected to be completed by 2030. Mermaid Beach station is located in the suburb of the same name near the intersection of the Gold Coast Highway and Crescent Avenue and Montana Road. A number dining and retail options are located near the station along with parks and a medical centre. Located slightly south of Markeri Street, Mermaid Beach South station provides direct access to a number of holiday accommodations,
2727-502: Is expensive. Similarly, the most expensive US highway expansion project was the " Big Dig " in Boston, Massachusetts, which cost $ 200 million per lane mile for a total cost of $ 14.6 billion. A light rail track can carry up to 20,000 people per hour as compared with 2,000–2,200 vehicles per hour for one freeway lane. For example, in Boston and San Francisco, light rail lines carry 9,600 and 13,100 passengers per hour, respectively, in
2828-751: Is fully completed and further feasibility studies are undertaken, with the time-frames for the projects still undecided. A branch line from Main Beach to The Spit was proposed in the Gold Coast City Council's 2031 transport plan, City Transport Strategy 2031 . The council announced a number of potential route options in April 2017 and invited public comment. The line is expected to cost around $ 200 million and would be paid for by developers and would be around 2.6 km (1.6 mi) long. The Gold Coast's council 2031 Transport plan published outlines
2929-575: Is hard to distinguish between what is called light rail, and other forms of urban and commuter rail. A system described as a light rail in one city may be considered to be a streetcar or tram system in another. Conversely, some lines that are called "light rail" are very similar to rapid transit ; in recent years, new terms such as light metro have been used to describe these medium-capacity systems. Some "light rail" systems, such as Sprinter , bear little similarity to urban rail, and could alternatively be classified as commuter rail or even inter-city rail. In
3030-559: Is impractical. Light metro systems are essentially hybrids of light rail and rapid transit. Metro trains are larger and faster than light rail trains, with stops being further apart. Many systems have mixed characteristics. Indeed, with proper engineering, a rail line could run along a street, then go underground, and then run along an elevated viaduct. For example, the Los Angeles Metro Rail 's A Line "light rail" has sections that could alternatively be described as
3131-665: Is in Main Beach , six are in Surfers Paradise , and two are in Broadbeach . All but one of the stations is street-level open-air structures with passenger canopies on the platforms. The Gold Coast University Hospital station is underground. Eleven stations have side platforms and eight have island platforms . Eight of the stations have kiosks on the platforms. Seven stations offer transfers to bus services and Helensvale also offers transfers to train services. Two of
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3232-484: Is one of the highest capacity ones, having been upgraded in a series of expansions to handle 40,000 passengers per hour per direction, and having carried as many as 582,989 passengers in a single day on its Line 1 . It achieves this volume by running four-car trains with a capacity of up to 1,350 passengers each at a frequency of up to 30 trains per hour. However, the Manila light rail system has full grade separation and as
3333-593: Is proposed in the Gold Coast City Council's Light Rail southern Gold Coast publication . The proposed extension would branch off from Nobbys Beach and terminate at Robina railway station passing through Bond University , Market Square , Robina Town Centre and Robina Stadium . The Light Rail southern Gold Coast published by the Gold Coast City Council also outline a proposal extension to Varsity Lakes from Burleigh Heads . The extension would branch out from Burleigh Heads and follow Burleigh Connection Road , passing by Stocklands Burleigh Heads Shopping Centre and
3434-407: Is similar to that of a traditional tram, while operating at a higher capacity and speed, often on an exclusive right-of-way. In broader use, it includes tram-like operations mostly on streets. A few light rail networks have characteristics closer to rapid transit or even commuter rail , yet only when these systems are fully grade-separated are they referred to as light metros . The term light rail
3535-654: Is the northern terminus of the system, while Broadbeach South serves as the southern terminus. The line initially opened on 20 July 2014 and was subsequently extended northwest from Gold Coast University Hospital to Helensvale on 17 December 2017. The Gold Coast is one of the fastest-growing regions in Australia, with an annual population growth of 2–3%. The project was first proposed in the Gold Coast City Council Transport Plan 1996 after some years of consideration and review. In 2002,
3636-399: Is underground. Eleven stations have side platforms and eight have an island platform . Seven stations offer transfers to Translink bus services. Park and ride facilities are also available at Helensvale and Parkwood stations: during the construction of Stage 2, 1000 car park spaces were built at the new Parkwood station, while 400 new car park spaces were built at Helensvale, in addition to
3737-630: The 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April 2018. Construction finished early, ahead of schedule with passenger services commencing in December 2017. The Queensland Government , in conjunction with the Gold Coast City Council and the Federal Government , announced the plan to extend the light rail line 6.4 km (4.0 mi) south, from the existing Broadbeach South station to Burleigh Heads back in 2018 with
3838-542: The Cádiz TramBahia , where trams share track with commuter and long-distance trains from the main terminus in the city and curve off to serve cities without a railway connection. Some of the issues involved in such schemes are: There is a history of what would now be considered light rail vehicles operating on heavy rail rapid transit tracks in the US, especially in the case of interurban streetcars . Notable examples are Lehigh Valley Transit trains running on
3939-747: The Funtime amusement park. The next stop, Cavill Avenue serves the heart of Surfers Paradise including the Cavill Avenue pedestrian mall and Paradise Centre shopping centre. The following station services the Q1 residential tower as well as the SkyPoint observation deck. The next stops are Northcliffe , Florida Gardens and Broadbeach North , the latter serving the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre , The Star Gold Coast ,
4040-479: The Gold Coast Airport . The new extension will begin from the current southern terminus, Broadbeach South travelling on the median strip of the Gold Coast Highway for the whole way south to Burleigh Heads. The 6.7 km (4.2 mi) extension will pass through Mermaid Beach , Nobby's Beach, Miami and Burleigh Heads with the hopes of creating better connectivity, reducing congestion and improving travel times. The Gold Coast City Transport Strategy 2031 supports
4141-698: The Gold Coast railway line until it meets the Smith Street Motorway , which it then follows, stopping at Parkwood and Parkwood East . The next two stops serve the Gold Coast University Hospital and the Gold Coast campus of Griffith University . The line runs south, passing over the Smith Street Motorway and the depot before reaching Queen Street station and Nerang Street station that services
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4242-758: The London Underground and the New York City Subway . Conventional rail technologies including high-speed , freight, commuter , and rapid transit urban transit systems are considered "heavy rail". The main difference between light rail and heavy rail rapid transit is the ability for a light rail vehicle to operate in mixed traffic if the routing requires it. The world's first electric tram operated in Sestroretsk near Saint Petersburg , Russia , invented and operated on an experimental basis by Fyodor Pirotsky in 1880. The first tramway
4343-526: The Mermaid in 1823 when he discovered the nearby Tweed and Brisbane rivers. Mermaid Beach was used during World War II by US servicemen and was named Los Angeles Beach as well as Miami Beach to the south. Circa 1924, 70 allotments were advertised as "Mermaid Beach Estate" located at Mermaid Beach and Broadbeach to be auctioned by R. G. Oates Estates. The estate map has 3 estates for sale at Mermaid Beach and Broadbeach. The estates were divided in two by
4444-660: The Miami State High School . Miami station will be on the corner of Hythe Street and the Gold Coast Highway, serving Miami Beach and a number of holiday resorts. Christine Avenue station will be located on the corner of Christine Avenue and the Gold Coast Highway, on the southern side of Miami. Christine Avenue will serve a number of retail and dining venues, as well as the North Burleigh Surf Beach. Second Avenue Burleigh station will be on
4545-637: The Netherlands , this concept was first applied on the RijnGouweLijn . This allows commuters to ride directly into the city center, rather than taking a mainline train only as far as a central station and then having to change to a tram. In France, similar tram-trains are planned for Paris, Mulhouse , and Strasbourg ; further projects exist. In some cases, tram trains use previously abandoned or lightly used heavy rail lines in addition to or instead of still in use mainline tracks. In 2022, Spain opened
4646-874: The O-Train Trillium Line in Ottawa, Ontario , Canada, the River Line in New Jersey , United States, and the Sprinter in California , United States, which use diesel multiple unit (DMU) cars. Light rail is different from the British English term light railway , long-used to distinguish railway operations carried out under a less rigorous set of regulations using lighter equipment at lower speeds from mainline railways. Light rail
4747-758: The Oasis Shopping Centre and the Oracle Shopping Centre . The line terminates at Broadbeach South which serves Pacific Fair Shopping Centre and provides bus connections to southern suburbs as well as the Gold Coast Airport . It takes around 44 minutes to travel from one end of the line to the other. There are nineteen stations on the line. One station is located in Helensvale , two are in Parkwood , seven are in Southport , one
4848-703: The Philadelphia and Western Railroad high-speed third rail line (now the Norristown High-Speed Line ). Such arrangements are almost impossible now, due to the Federal Railroad Administration refusing (for crash safety reasons) to allow non-FRA compliant railcars (i.e., subway and light rail vehicles) to run on the same tracks at the same times as compliant railcars, which includes locomotives and standard railroad passenger and freight equipment. Notable exceptions in
4949-784: The Queensland and Federal Governments each contributed $ 650,000 to fund the Gold Coast Light Rail Feasibility Study. In 2004, the draft summary report was released. In 2009, the Queensland Government committed $ 464 million to the Gold Coast Rapid Transit (GCRT) project, supplementing $ 365 million committed by the Federal Government and $ 120 million provided by Gold Coast City Council. In June 2011,
5050-530: The medians of roads . If run in streets , trains are usually limited by city block lengths to about four 180-passenger vehicles (720 passengers). Operating on two-minute headways using traffic signal progression, a well-designed two-track system can handle up to 30 trains per hour per track, achieving peak rates of over 20,000 passengers per hour in each direction. More advanced systems with separate rights-of-way using moving block signaling can exceed 25,000 passengers per hour per track. Most light rail systems in
5151-600: The "New Coastal Road" running through the Gold Coast. Magic Mountain, Nobby Beach opened up in 1962 On 24 August 1975, the first McDonald's restaurant in Queensland opened in Mermaid Beach. St James' Anglican Church was dedicated on 11 November 1977 by Assistant Bishop Ralph Wicks. Its closure on 15 August 1993 was approved by Assistant Bishop Ron Williams . In the 2011 census , Mermaid Beach had
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#17327935466345252-624: The 1970s was proven to have been a technical failure by the following decade. After World War II, the Germans retained many of their streetcar networks and evolved them into model light rail systems ( Stadtbahnen ). With the exception of Hamburg , all large and most medium-sized German cities maintain light rail networks. The concept of a "limited tramway" was proposed by American transport planner H. Dean Quinby in 1962. Quinby distinguished this new concept in rail transportation from historic streetcar or tram systems as: The term light rail transit
5353-686: The 877 existing spaces there. Services are operated by Keolis Downer , a joint venture between Keolis and Downer. Fares are set by Translink with all stations fitted with go card readers. Translink charges fares that increase as passengers travel through eight concentric zones radiating outward from the Brisbane central business district ; All G:link stations are located within zone 5. Service frequencies (in minutes) from 17 December 2017: † No service between Helensvale station and Gold Coast University Hospital On Monday to Friday mornings (midnight to 5 am), light rail services are replaced on most of
5454-471: The Airport to Coolangatta and will be preserved for possible future expansion. In August 2020, funding was provided to formulate a business case for the extension. Since 2021 community consultation and preliminary works have begun on stage 4. The single 20-kilometre (12 mi) line runs from Helensvale railway station to Broadbeach South . Beginning at Helensvale railway station, the line runs parallel to
5555-495: The French city of Bordeaux , the tramway network is powered by a third rail in the city center, where the tracks are not always segregated from pedestrians and cars. The third rail (actually two closely spaced rails) is placed in the middle of the track and divided into eight-metre sections, each of which is powered only while it is completely covered by a tram. This minimizes the risk of a person or animal coming into contact with
5656-448: The Gold Coast - across buses and trams - increased by 25 per cent. In February 2016 the Queensland Government announced the ten million passenger milestone had been reached and noted that Cavill Avenue was the busiest station with 4,729 boardings a day. The following table lists patronage figures for the network during the corresponding financial year. Australia's financial years start on 1 July and end on 30 June. Major events that affected
5757-683: The GoldLinq consortium comprising Bombardier Transportation , Downer EDI , Keolis , McConnell Dowell and Plenary Group was awarded the contract to build and operate the Gold Coast light rail line for 18 years under a Public Private Partnership . In August 2012, the cost of the initial 13 km (8.1 mi) section was estimated at $ 1.6 billion. Construction began on the Gold Coast University Hospital station shell in July 2010. In late 2010, early roadworks began in Broadbeach and Southport . By November 2013, much of
5858-830: The Southport medical precinct. The next two stops serve the Australia Fair Shopping Centre , and the following stop serves the Broadwater Parklands . The line passes over the Nerang River before reaching the only stop in Main Beach , which serves the Sea World theme park. The next stops are Surfers Paradise North and Cypress Avenue , the latter serving the Chevron Renaissance Shopping Centre and
5959-662: The US are the NJ Transit River Line from Camden to Trenton and Austin's Capital MetroRail , which have received exemptions to the provision that light rail operations occur only during daytime hours and Conrail freight service only at night, with several hours separating one operation from the other. The O-Train Trillium Line in Ottawa also has freight service at certain hours. With its mix of right-of-way types and train control technologies, LRT offers
6060-455: The US as a whole, excluding Seattle, new light rail construction costs average about $ 35 million per mile. By comparison, a freeway lane expansion typically costs $ 1.0 million to $ 8.5 million per lane mile for two directions, with an average of $ 2.3 million. However, freeways are frequently built in suburbs or rural areas, whereas light rail tends to be concentrated in urban areas, where right of way and property acquisition
6161-666: The United States and in North America . In Britain, modern light rail systems began to appear in the 1980s, starting with the Tyne and Wear Metro from 1980 and followed by the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) in London in 1987, continuing into the 1990s including the establishment of the Manchester Metrolink in 1992 and the Sheffield Supertram from 1994. Due to varying definitions, it
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#17327935466346262-590: The United States are limited by demand rather than capacity (by and large, most American LRT systems carry fewer than 4,000 persons per hour per direction), but Boston's and San Francisco's light rail lines carry 9,600 and 13,100 passengers per hour per track during rush hour. Elsewhere in North America, the Calgary C-Train and Monterrey Metro have higher light rail ridership than Boston or San Francisco. Systems outside North America often have much higher passenger volumes. The Manila Light Rail Transit System
6363-472: The United States, "light rail" has become a catch-all term to describe a wide variety of passenger rail systems. Light rail corridors may constitute a fully segregated corridor, a dedicated right-of-way on a street, an on-street corridor shared with other traffic, a corridor shared with other public transport, or a corridor shared with pedestrians. The most difficult distinction to draw is that between low-floor light rail and streetcar or tram systems. There
6464-415: The ability of buses to travel closer to each other than rail vehicles and their ability to overtake each other at designated locations allowing express services to bypass those that have stopped at stations. However, to achieve capacities this high, BRT station footprints need to be significantly larger than a typical LRT station. In terms of cost of operation, each bus vehicle requires a single driver, whereas
6565-813: The case of the Disney amusement parks , even a land train . (The usual British term for an aerial tramway is cable car , which in the US usually refers to a ground-level car pulled along by subterranean cables .) The word trolley is often used as a synonym for streetcar in the United States but is usually taken to mean a cart, particularly a shopping cart, in the UK and elsewhere. Many North American transportation planners reserve streetcar for traditional vehicles that operate exclusively in mixed traffic on city streets, while they use light rail to refer to more modern vehicles operating mostly in exclusive rights of way, since they may operate both side-by-side targeted at different passenger groups. The difference between British English and American English terminology arose in
6666-409: The city with Brisbane , the state capital of Queensland. Financial commitment from the state and federal governments needed to progress with the extension was finalised in late 2016. The new extension includes 7.3 km (4.5 mi) tracks and 3 new light rail stations, with Helensvale being the new northern terminus for the line. Construction commenced in 2016 with plans to be completed in time for
6767-421: The closure of Glasgow Corporation Tramways (one of the largest in Europe) in 1962. Although some traditional trolley or tram systems continued to exist in San Francisco and elsewhere, the term "light rail" has come to mean a different type of rail system as modern light rail technology has primarily post-WWII West German origins. An attempt by Boeing Vertol to introduce a new American light rail vehicle in
6868-566: The corner of Second Avenue and the Gold Coast Highway, just north of Burleigh Heads . A number of holidays resorts are a short walk away, as well as Burleigh Heads State School. The southern terminus of Burleigh Heads will be located at the junction of Goodwin Terrace and the Gold Coast Highway. It will serve the James Street retail and dining precinct, as well as Memorial Park, Justins Park, Burleigh Head National Park and Burleigh Heads Surf Beach. The station will offer bus connections to Varsity Lakes railway station and southern suburbs, including
6969-415: The day. This combination of factors limits roads carrying only automobile commuters to a maximum observed capacity of about 3,000 passengers per hour per lane. The problem can be mitigated by introducing high-occupancy vehicle ( HOV ) lanes and ride-sharing programs, but in most cases, policymakers have chosen to add more lanes to the roads, despite a small risk that in unfavorable situations an extension of
7070-698: The direct translation, which is city rail (the Norwegian term, by bane , means the same). However, UMTA finally adopted the term light rail instead. Light in this context is used in the sense of "intended for light loads and fast movement", rather than referring to physical weight. The infrastructure investment is also usually lighter than would be found for a heavy rail system. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA), in its Glossary of Transit Terminology, defines light rail as: ...a mode of transit service (also called streetcar, tramway, or trolley) operating passenger rail cars singly (or in short, usually two-car or three-car, trains) on fixed rails in
7171-401: The late 19th century when Americans adopted the term "street railway", rather than "tramway", with the vehicles being called "streetcars" rather than "trams". Some have suggested that the Americans' preference for the term "street railway" at that time was influenced by German emigrants to the United States (who were more numerous than British immigrants in the industrialized Northeast), as it is
7272-524: The latter is described as light rail. In those places, trams running on mixed rights-of-way are not regarded as a light rail but considered distinctly as streetcars or trams. However, the requirement for saying that a rail line is "separated" can be quite low—sometimes just with concrete "buttons" to discourage automobile drivers from getting onto the tracks. Some systems such as Seattle's Link had on-road mixed sections but were closed to regular road traffic, with light rail vehicles and buses both operating along
7373-475: The light industrial areas of West Burleigh before terminating at Varsity Lakes railway station , providing a heavy rail connection. On 19 February 2019, Tweed Heads MP Geoff Provest announced $ 1 million of funding towards strategic planning to extend the Gold Coast light rail system from the Gold Coast Airport to over the New South Wales border into Tweed Heads . In 2020, a feasibility study
7474-462: The light rail concept was the "Shaker Heights Rapid Transit" which started in the 1920s, was renovated in 1980-81 and is now part of RTA Rapid Transit . Many original tram and streetcar systems in the United Kingdom , United States , and elsewhere were decommissioned starting in the 1950s as subsidies for the car increased. Britain abandoned its tram systems, except for Blackpool , with
7575-491: The number of journeys made or how patronage is measured are included as notes. Besides Stages 3 and 4, the Gold Coast City Council envisions an extensive light rail network that would potentially consist of 68 km (42 mi) of track and 4 light rail lines as outlined in the City Transport Strategy 2031 . Future extensions however are not expected to take place until after Stage 4 to Gold Coast Airport
7676-465: The old and new systems. Since the 1980s, Portland, Oregon , has built all three types of system: a high-capacity light rail system in dedicated lanes and rights-of-way, a low-capacity streetcar system integrated with street traffic, and an aerial tram system . The opposite phrase heavy rail , used for higher-capacity, higher-speed systems, also avoids some incompatibilities in terminology between British and American English, for instance in comparing
7777-512: The original completion date to be in 2024. Due to funding disputes among the three levels of government, the COVID-19 pandemic along with rising construction costs in recent years, the project kept getting delayed. In February 2020, three parties were short-listed to build the extension: It was announced in October 2020 that John Holland had won the contract, with the state government releasing
7878-399: The owner of Surfers Paradise shop Condom Kingdom, who feared construction would impact sales, and Surfers Paradise Meter Maids , who vowed to chain themselves to trees to prevent the project going ahead. One group operated by a Paradise Waters resident, alleged light rail was "a proven killer" that slaughtered at "a rate 2.5 times that of cars". Following the success of the project, in 2017,
7979-509: The peak direction during rush hour. Mermaid Beach, Queensland Mermaid Beach is a coastal suburb of the City of Gold Coast in Queensland , Australia. In the 2021 census , Mermaid Beach had a population of 7,329 people. Nobby Beach is a neighbourhood in the south of the suburb ( 28°03′32″S 153°26′29″E / 28.0589°S 153.4414°E / -28.0589; 153.4414 ( Nobby Beach ) ). The suburb
8080-556: The required clearance height can be reduced significantly compared to conventional light rail vehicles. Reference speed from major light rail systems, including station stop time, is shown below. However, low top speed is not always a differentiating characteristic between light rail and other systems. For example, the Siemens S70 LRVs used in the Houston METRORail and other North American LRT systems have
8181-432: The right-of-way that is often separated from other traffic for part or much of the way. Light rail vehicles are typically driven electrically with power being drawn from an overhead electric line via a trolley [pole] or a pantograph ; driven by an operator onboard the vehicle; and may have either high platform loading or low-level boarding using steps." However, some diesel-powered transit is designated light rail, such as
8282-415: The road network might lead to increased travel times ( Downs–Thomson paradox , Braess's paradox ). By contrast, light rail vehicles can travel in multi-car trains carrying a theoretical ridership up to 20,000 passengers per hour in much narrower rights-of-way , not much more than two car lanes wide for a double track system. They can often be run through existing city streets and parks , or placed in
8383-401: The roads. Typically roadways have 1,900 passenger cars per lane per hour (pcplph). If only cars are allowed, the capacity will be less and will not increase when the traffic volume increases. When there is a bus driving on this route, the capacity of the lane will be higher and will increase when the traffic level increases. And because the capacity of a light rail system is higher than that of
8484-500: The routes by Kinetic Group route 700. These buses do not service the section between Helensvale station and Gold Coast University Hospital. Over 1.74 million passengers used the Gold Coast Light Rail in its first 100 days after opening. More than five million paid trips were made in the first nine months of operation. 6.6 million passengers were carried on the line in its first year, and total public transport users on
8585-671: The same as the German term for the mode, Straßenbahn (meaning "street railway"). A further difference arose because, while Britain abandoned all of its trams after World War II except in Blackpool , eight major North American cities ( Toronto , Boston , Philadelphia , San Francisco , Pittsburgh , Newark , Cleveland , and New Orleans ) continued to operate large streetcar systems. When these cities upgraded to new technology, they called it light rail to differentiate it from their existing streetcars since some continued to operate both
8686-408: The standard gauge is that standard railway maintenance equipment can be used on it, rather than custom-built machinery. Using standard gauges also allows light rail vehicles to be conveniently moved around using the same tracks as freight railways. Additionally, wider gauges (e.g. standard gauge) provide more floor clearance on low-floor trams that have constricted pedestrian areas at the wheels, which
8787-606: The stations have free park-and-ride lots with a total of 1,400 new parking spaces. The most heavily trafficked station is Cavill Avenue, with an average of 4,729 daily passengers in February 2016. The system uses standard gauge tracks with 750 V DC overhead catenary . It primarily operates in a centre-running configuration. The Gold Coast Rapid Transit fleet consists of 23 Bombardier Flexity 2 trams built in Germany. The trams feature low floors and have dedicated spaces for wheelchairs, prams and surfboards. They have
8888-588: The suburb of Bundall. Stations may include Chevron Island , HOTA , Bundall Business District and Gold Coast Turf Club . The Gold Coast's council 2031 Transport plan published outlines a possible extension to the Nerang . The proposed line would spur off from Broadbeach, travelling west along Hooker Boulevard and north along Nerang–Broadbeach Road before terminating at the Nerang railway station . Stations would include Mermaid Waters , Carrara Markets and Carrara Stadium . A 9 km (5.6 mi) Robina extension
8989-551: The system was a success with the public, gaining up to 190,000 passengers per day. Automatic train operation is employed on light rail networks, tracking the position and speed of a train and hence adjusting its movement for safety and efficiency. One line of light rail (requires 7.6 m, 25' right of way) has a theoretical capacity of up to 8 times more than one 3.7 m (12 foot) lane on a freeway, excluding busses, during peak times. Roads have ultimate capacity limits that can be determined by traffic engineering , and usually experience
9090-556: The tracks will commence in 2023 with the project expected to be operational by 2026. There will be 8 new stations, all built with the same design as the first two stages, however, there are no park'n'ride facilities like there were in stage 2. All stations on the extension configured as a central platform station, meaning that both north and southbound platforms are located in the middle, with tracks on either side. With signalised pedestrian crossing and all exits are wheelchair accessible. As of late 2022, construction has started on stage 3 and
9191-503: The trams, making it safe on city streets. Several systems in Europe and a few recently opened systems in North America use diesel -powered trains. When electric streetcars were introduced in the late 19th century, conduit current collection was one of the first ways of supplying power, but it proved to be much more expensive, complicated, and trouble-prone than overhead wires . When electric street railways became ubiquitous, conduit power
9292-460: The vast majority of light rail systems. This avoids the danger potentially presented by an electrified third rail . The Docklands Light Railway uses an inverted third rail for its electrical power, which allows the electrified rail to be covered and the power drawn from the underside. Trams in Bordeaux , France, use a special third-rail configuration where the power is only switched on beneath
9393-434: The widest range of latitude of any rail system in the design, engineering, and operating practices. The challenge in designing light rail systems is to realize the potential of LRT to provide fast, comfortable service while avoiding the tendency to overdesign that results in excessive capital costs beyond what is necessary to meet the public's needs. The BART railcar in the following chart is not generally considered to be
9494-405: The work was complete with the southern section at Broadbeach being the only section of trackwork to be completed. Testing commenced on the northern section of the line in October 2013. The line opened on 20 July 2014, with a free travel day, before normal operations began on 21 July. The system had a significant impact on property both directly and indirectly in the corridor. A total of $ 170 million
9595-543: Was allocated for property resumptions. The Queens Park Tennis Club and Southport Croquet Club were both relocated. After the successful opening and operations of Stage 1, the Queensland Government announced in February 2016 plans to extend the light rail line from the University Hospital to the Helensvale railway station, providing a connection with the Gold Coast railway line that connects
9696-543: Was coined in 1972 by the U.S. Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA; the precursor to the Federal Transit Administration ) to describe new streetcar transformations that were taking place in Europe and the United States. In Germany, the term Stadtbahn (to be distinguished from S-Bahn , which stands for Stadtschnellbahn ) was used to describe the concept, and many in UMTA wanted to adopt
9797-502: Was coined in 1972 in the United States as an English equivalent for the German word Stadtbahn , meaning "city railway". Different definitions exist in some countries, but in the United States, light rail operates primarily along exclusive rights-of-way and uses either individual tramcars or multiple units coupled together, with a lower capacity and speed than a long heavy rail passenger train or rapid transit system. Narrowly defined, light rail transit uses rolling stock that
9898-677: Was introduced in North America in 1972 to describe this new concept of rail transportation. Prior to that time the abbreviation "LRT" was used for " Light Rapid Transit " and " Light Rail Rapid Transit ". The first of the new light rail systems in North America began operation in 1978 when the Canadian city of Edmonton, Alberta , adopted the German Siemens-Duewag U2 system, followed three years later by Calgary, Alberta , and San Diego, California . The concept proved popular, with there now being numerous light rail systems in
9999-451: Was proposed by the NSW state government for a light rail corridor between Gold Coast Airport and Tweed Heads. The Gold Coast light rail project was subject to protest campaigns from some local residents and politicians. Those who attempted to stop Stage One included Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clarke , former mayor and candidate Lex Bell (who proposed the use of native title to stop the project), and
10100-632: Was the Gross-Lichterfelde tramway in Lichterfelde near Berlin in Germany, which opened in 1881. It was built by Werner von Siemens who contacted Pirotsky. It initially drew current from the rails, with overhead wire being installed in 1883. The first interurban to emerge in the United States was the Newark and Granville Street Railway in Ohio, which opened in 1889. An early example of
10201-469: Was used in those cities that did not permit overhead wires. In Europe, it was used in London, Paris, Berlin, Marseille, Budapest, and Prague. In the United States, it was used in parts of New York City and Washington, D.C. Third rail technology was investigated for use on the Gold Coast of Australia for the G:link light rail, though power from overhead lines was ultimately utilized for that system. In
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