Rail lines across Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast will close for up to five weeks over the holiday season to allow for track work.
Inner Brisbane lines will close from Saturday, December 20, to Sunday, December 28, while extra services will run on New Year’s Eve with no track closures for January 1-2, 2026.
Click here to visit the Translink site with the full list of affected services.
Qld Rail says that closing areas of the network from December 20, 2025, to January 26, 2026, will allow Cross River Rail project to continue.
Work will include installing new signals, new tracks and drainage works between Albion and Bowen Hills in Brisbane City as well as cable relocation/testing, overhead and communications wiring installation, and under-track crossing installation between Salisbury and Boggo Road station.
Track maintenance will also be carried out between Bowen Hills, Wooloowin and Ferny Grove, and on the Cleveland line in January.
Cross River Rail Delivery Authority CEO Graeme Newton says they are responsible for more than tunnels.
“Our crews are surface works that will support the transformation of South East Queensland’s rail network,” he says.
“While trains aren’t running, crews will be busy in the rail corridor building new stabling yards to increase the number of trains that can be accommodated on the network, track works, installing signalling infrastructure, testing signalling and communications systems, and undertake upgrade works at Dutton Park, Salisbury and Moorooka stations.”
Acting Head of Translink Dean Helm says the work is to prepare the city for the 2032 Olympic Games.
“If you are travelling during this period, please consider your transport options, plan ahead and allow plenty of travel time,” he says.
“We will have plenty of services available to help get you where you need to go, including connections to regular bus routes and rail replacement buses.
“All rail replacement bus timetables will be in the journey planner, so please check the Translink website closer to the closure date.”
MAJOR RAIL SERVICE CHANGES
From December 20-28, all lines will be affected by track closures; buses will replace trains on all lines between Roma Street and Northgate/Eagle Junction and on the Ferny Grove line.
On December 20-21, Beenleigh and Gold Coast trains will run as a combined all-stops service between Varsity Lakes and Banoon stations while buses will replace trains between Yeerongpilly and Banoon.
From December 22-24, stations from Roma Street to Northgate/Eagle Junction station and the Ferny Grove line will be closed as buses replace trains.
From December 29, 2025, to January 1, 2026, all train lines will operate on a special timetable with extra New Year’s Eve bus and train services.
All train lines will run to a regular timetable on January 2.
From January 3-26, Beenleigh and Gold Coast line trains will run as a combined all-stops service between Varsity Lakes and Banoon stations. Buses will replace trains between Yeerongpilly and Banoon stations from January 3-11 and from January 12-26 between Boggo Road and Banoon stations.
Buses will replace trains between Cleveland and Manly stations from January 24-26 (long weekend) to allow a three-day track recondition of the Birkdale Road overbridge.
All services will return to a regular timetable on Tuesday, January 27, for the start of the new school year.
To plan your journey, use the Translink app, visit translink.com.au, or call 13 12 30.
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