Cross River Rail

Cross River Rail (CRR) is an underground heavy rail project under construction in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The project will see the development of a new heavy rail line underneath the Brisbane River, together with the construction of four underground stations in Brisbane’s inner suburbs and the redevelopment of existing stations along the Beenleigh and Exhibition railway lines. The business case for the project was released in August 2018, with construction commencing in September 2019. The project replaced the planned 2013 Underground Bus and Train project, later named the BaT Tunnel, which in turn replaced the original 2010 Cross River Rail proposal. It is the largest infrastructure megaproject ever undertaken within Queensland. Cross River Rail consists of a new 10.2 km (6.3 mi) line through the CBD from Dutton Park in the city's south to Bowen Hills in the city's north, connecting existing rail lines. The project includes 5.9 km (3.7 mi) of twin tunnels and will deliver four new underground stations at Boggo Road, Woolloongabba, Albert Street and Roma Street, with Exhibition station also being upgraded. Tunnelling for the project was completed in 2021, with construction planned to be complete by 2025 and the new line operational by early 2026. It also includes seven upgraded stations and three new stations servicing the Gold Coast. The project provides a second rail crossing of the Brisbane river due to concerns that the only inner-city rail river crossing, the Merivale Bridge, would reach capacity. According to the project's business case, without the new tunnel, overcrowding on most lines would be expected by 2026. Cross River Rail is considered to be the highest infrastructure priority by the Queensland Government. Infrastructure Australia evaluated the business case in 2017 and expressed concerns that the rail patronage projections may not be achieved and that the benefits in...