New Gold Coast light rail line explained after Stage 4 cancellation

A new line and a metro-style bus service has been unveiled by the Queensland government.

The Queensland Liberal National government has announced a new spur line for the G:link light rail system on the Gold Coast, as well as a metro-style bus service that seeks to replace the cancelled Stage 4 light rail extension.

The new light rail line will have three stations, running from the existing Gold Coast University Hospital station to Musgrave Avenue in Southport, then making its way to Labrador before terminating at Harbour Town in Biggera Waters. Right now, the line runs from Helensvale railway station to Broadbeach South, although the Stage 3 extension from Broadbeach South to Burleigh Heads is set to open sometime this year.

LNP MP Sam O'Connor, whose electorate of Bonney will be served by the new stations, told 6 News says the new line will "help manage the growth that the precinct is seeing".

"We have the Olympic hockey that will be played in Labrador, just about 400 metres from the Musgrave Avenue station at Southport Sharks, obviously a pretty major VFL club and we recently hosted the Laneway Festival there...we had 35,000 people at Laneway, it was a sold out event there and we're hopeful that they'll come back and this will really make access easier".

"Getting it done ahead of [the 2032 Olympics] is absolutely our priority and 'ahead of' is the key word...as soon as we possibly can get this built is our priority".

More light rail vehicles will be required, with O'Connor telling 6 News that he's "not sure" on the location of the second tram depot announced by the government for the new line, adding that "it could be an expansion of the current one in Southport".

"The intention will be to run it directly from Labrador and Biggera Waters and the areas on this new line all the way through without having to change trams at the hospital, unless of course you're going backwards and going up to the heavy rail at Helensville. But that'll absolutely be the intention to have one seamless journey all the way through from Harbour Town through to the main part of the Gold Coast".

"Of course, the new line will be part of our permanent 50 cents fares, which we have just legislated last week as part of our budget process".

To replace the Stage 4 light rail extension from Burleigh Heads to Coolangatta via the Gold Coast Airport – which the government cancelled last year – the government announced the "GC Surfer", modelled after the Brisbane Metro bus service.

Following reports that no bus lanes would be built for the GC Surfer, O'Connor told 6 News says that "hasn't been confirmed by the government" and "there is still a lot of design work", adding that "we haven't ruled out those dedicated lanes and it will look different depending on where it's going through".

Watch the full interview with Sam O'Connor here.