Queensland Celebrates Full Opening of $1.2 Billion Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 Connecting Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads

A Landmark Milestone for Southeast Queensland Rapid Transit

GOLD COAST, Queensland — Delivering a generational transformation for Australia’s premier coastal metropolis, the Queensland Government, the Australian Federal Government, and the City of Gold Coast have officially commenced full passenger revenue operations on the landmark $1.2 billion Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 (G:link). Expanding the award-winning rapid transit network by 6.7 kilometres of dual-track rail, Stage 3 pushes the light rail corridor south from Broadbeach South to the world-renowned surf and village hub of Burleigh Heads.

Delivered by delivery partner John Holland in conjunction with operator GoldLinQ and the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), the project extends the total G:link network to 27 contiguous kilometres. Commuters, students, and holidaymakers can now travel seamlessly from Helensvale heavy rail interchange in the north—directly connecting with trains to Brisbane—all the way down through Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads on a single, high-frequency coastal line.

Eight Accessible Stations Revitalizing the Coastal Highway Corridor

Stage 3 introduces eight brand-new, architecturally designed stations: Mermaid Beach, Mermaid Beach South, Nobby Beach, Miami North, Miami, Christine Avenue, Second Avenue, and the southern terminus at Burleigh Heads. Every stop features full disability accessibility, tactile ground surface indicators, high-resolution audio-visual passenger arrival displays, wide canopies providing shade and subtropical rain shelter, and intuitive contactless Translink Smart Ticketing gates.

At Burleigh Heads and Miami, modern multi-modal transport interchanges provide protected connections between trams and local feeder buses servicing the Southern Gold Coast and Gold Coast Airport. In parallel, the civil works delivered over 6.7 kilometres of upgraded active transport corridors, including separated pedestrian walking paths and dedicated cycleways along the Gold Coast Highway, encouraging healthy, car-free mobility.

High-Performance Alstom Flexity Fleet and Smart Urban Integration

To service the extended route with turn-up-and-go convenience, the G:link network expanded its rolling stock fleet with additional 43-metre Alstom (Bombardier) Flexity 2 light rail vehicles. Featuring air-conditioning tailored to Queensland’s sub-tropical climate, spacious walk-through passenger carriages, surfboard storage racks, and regenerative electrical braking, the trams glide quietly through newly landscaped medians featuring native drought-tolerant coastal flora.

The light rail operates seven days a week with frequencies as tight as every 7.5 minutes during peak weekday hours and 10 minutes throughout weekends and evenings. Integrated into Queensland’s regional 50-cent public transit fares initiative, the light rail makes urban travel across the Gold Coast exceptionally affordable for residents and millions of annual visitors.

Paving the Path for Stage 4 and Long-Term Sustainable Growth

Queensland transport ministers and Gold Coast civic leaders highlighted that Stage 3 provides the critical middle link in the vision for a city-wide rapid transit spine. By removing thousands of daily vehicle trips from the heavily congested Gold Coast Highway, the project substantially decreases tailpipe emissions, reduces localized traffic gridlock, and supports vibrant pedestrian dining and retail precincts throughout Nobby Beach and Burleigh Heads.

With preliminary planning, community consultation, and environmental assessments already advancing for Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 4—which aims to extend the tracks a further 13 kilometres from Burleigh Heads to Tugun, Currumbin, and Gold Coast Airport at Coolangatta—Stage 3 solidifies Southeast Queensland’s readiness to host the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games with world-class, clean transit infrastructure.