Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 Commences Full Passenger Operations Connecting Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads

$1.2 Billion Rail Extension Opens Revenue Service Along Southern Coastal Corridor

GOLD COAST, Australia — The Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), in operational partnership with the GoldLinQ consortium and operator Keolis Downer, has officially commenced full commercial passenger services on Stage 3 of the Gold Coast Light Rail (G:link). Following the successful completion of dynamic vehicle testing and multi-agency safety trials, the $1.2 billion capital infrastructure project expands the coastal rail line by 6.7 kilometres, extending south from Broadbeach South directly into the seaside urban village of Burleigh Heads.

The opening marks the third major expansion of Queensland's premier light rail network, bringing the full system length to 27 route kilometres and 27 stations. Civic planners project the extended line will attract millions of additional passenger trips annually, providing high-frequency, reliable public transport alternatives along the heavily traveled Gold Coast Highway.

Eight New Accessible Stations and Expanded Flexity Tram Fleet

Stage 3 features eight brand-new, architecturally distinctive passenger stations situated at key community hubs: Mermaid Beach, Mermaid Beach South, Nobby Beach, Miami North, Miami, Christine Avenue, Second Avenue (Burleigh), and the Burleigh Heads terminus. Built to universal accessibility specifications, each station incorporates step-free level boarding platforms, tactile directional ground tiles, hearing loops, and real-time electronic passenger departure displays.

To service the southern extension, five additional modern Bombardier/Alstom Flexity 2 light rail vehicles have been commissioned into the existing fleet. The 43-metre low-floor trams offer spacious air-conditioned cabins, onboard surfboard and bicycle storage racks, and dedicated wheelchair bays. Operating with high-frequency headways of 7.5 minutes during weekday peak hours and 10 to 15 minutes off-peak, the service guarantees effortless, turn-up-and-go reliability for local commuters, students, and beachgoers.

Multimodal Transit Interchanges and Protected Active Mobility Paths

Significant multimodal connectivity enhancements anchor the Stage 3 corridor. Brand-new integrated bus-and-tram interchanges have been established at Burleigh Heads and Miami North, enabling smooth, timed connections to regional feeder buses serving Palm Beach, Elanora, and the southern Gold Coast hinterland. Commuters enjoy frictionless fare integration through Translink’s contactless Smart Ticketing system, utilizing credit cards, debit cards, or smart devices.

Complementing the rail corridor, civil engineering crews delivered extensive active-transport improvements, including upgraded pedestrian crossings with signal priority, landscaped median bio-retention swales, and newly paved off-road cycle tracks connecting coastal neighborhoods directly to local surf clubs, cafes, and business precincts.

Transformative Transport Ahead of Brisbane 2032 Olympic Preparations

State and municipal leaders highlighted that the operational launch of Stage 3 is a vital milestone in Queensland’s long-term transport decarbonization agenda, taking thousands of private motor vehicles off arterial roads each weekday and curbing regional transport emissions.

With Stage 3 now in full daily operation, transportation authorities have intensified preliminary engineering investigations for Stage 4, which is slated to continue the light rail alignment another 13 kilometres south through Tugun directly into Gold Coast Airport at Coolangatta, completing the premier coastal transit spine ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.