Signalling work & system testing - November 2024

A world-class railway signalling system is being introduced in South East Queensland as part of the Cross River Rail Project. The system has been installed and is currently being tested along the Shorncliffe line.

 

Overview

Testing of the new European Train Control System (ETCS) is taking place along the Shorncliffe line and will continue throughout 2024 and into 2025.

Testing ETCS to confirm the system meets safety regulations and operational requirements is an important step before testing in the Cross River Rail tunnels can commence.
 

Details of work

There will be temporary changes to some evening services on the Shorncliffe line to facilitate ongoing testing.

Buses will replace trains between Northgate and Shorncliffe stations while testing takes place.

Please note that the testing schedule varies from week to week. See more details below for the month of November.

Near Palm Avenue Crossing Shorncliffe and Nudgee station, and from 7:45pm to 4:30am on Thursday 31 October, the following works will occur:

  • Removing and moving on-track and trackside signalling equipment.

Between Northgate and Shorncliffe stations, and from 7:45pm to 4:30am betweenTuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 November*, and Monday 25 and Thursday 28 November*, the following works will occur:

  • System testing with no passenger trains operating.
  • During the closure, a test train will operate between Bindha and Shorncliffe stations.
  • When test trains are in operation, traffic control will be in place at Adams Street, Kennerley Street, Curlew Street and Palm Avenue level crossings and at the Nudgee Pedestrian Crossing (city side of Nudgee station). Horns will sound as per normal operations.

*Work finishes the next morning before the first train.

Queensland Rail will be completing maintenance after-hours on Monday 18 November.
 

What to expect if you’re a rail customer

Cross River Rail won’t just transform Brisbane, it will transform the way we travel across South East Queensland. But building Cross River Rail means changes to travel and transport services during construction and testing.

When testing and maintenance is scheduled, the below transport arrangements will be in place:

  • Buses will replace trains between Northgate and Shorncliffe stations most weeknights during August from approximately 7.45pm until the last service.
  • Shorncliffe line trains will continue to run between Northgate station and the city, in both directions.
  • Railbus R348 will stop at all stations between Northgate and Shorncliffe stations, in both directions, departing approximately every 30 minutes.

This will also be the case for Monday 4 to Wednesday 6 November even though testing will no longer be completed due to the availability of a test train.

During testing, you may see trains travelling on the Shorncliffe line and stopping at some stations although these trains are not in service.

We encourage you to plan your journey ahead of time by using the links below:

 

What to expect if you live alongside the rail corridor

Residents along the rail corridor may hear noise associated with testing and construction work (e.g. traffic control set-up and pack down, train movements, horns, light vehicles, hand tools and work personnel) and additional vehicle movements including railbus operations.

All staff will be fully briefed about their community responsibilities in relation to minimising noise and disruption after hours.

If you want to know more, all of this information is available in PDF form: