Queensland Rail (QR) is a railway operator in Queensland, Australia. Owned by the Queensland Government, it operates local and long-distance passenger services, as well as owning and maintaining rolling stock and approximately 6,600 kilometres (4,101 mi) of track and related infrastructure.
History
Queensland Rail network
2470 class at Corinda in the original diesel livery in February 1998
Early history
Queensland Railways was the first operator in the world to adopt a narrow gauge (in this case 1,067 mm or 3 ft 6 in) for a main line,[1] and this remains the system-wide gauge in Queensland.
The colony of Queensland separated from New South Wales in 1859, and the new government was keen to facilitate development and immigration. Improved transport to the fertile Darling Downs region situated west of Toowoomba was seen as a priority. As adequate river transport was already established between the capital Brisbane and the then separate settlement of Ipswich, the railway commenced from the latter locality and the initial section, built over the relatively flat, easy country opened to Bigge's Camp, at the eastern base of the Little Liverpool Range, on 31 July 1865. Called the Main Line, the only significant engineering work on that section was the bridge over the Bremer River to North Ipswich.
Tunneling excavation through the Little Liverpool Range delayed the opening of the next section to Gatton by 10 months, but the line was opened to Toowoomba in 1867, the ascent of the Main Range being the reason for the adoption of narrow gauge.
Built by the Queensland Government to the unusual (for the time) gauge of 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in), the line largely followed the alignment surveyed by a private company, the Moreton Bay Tramway Company, which had proposed to build a 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge horse-drawn tramway but had been unable to raise funds to do so beyond an initial start on earthworks.
The adoption of a narrow gauge was controversial at the time and was largely predicated by the government's desire for the fastest possible construction timeframe at the least cost.[2] This resulted in the adoption of sharper curves and a lower axle load than was considered possible using the standard gauge, and an assessment at the time put the cost of a narrow gauge line from Ipswich to Toowoomba at 25% of the cost of a standard gauge line. In a colony with a non-indigenous population of 30,000 when the decision was made, it is understandable.
The network evolved as a series of isolated networks. It wasn't until the completion of the North Coast line in December 1924 that all were joined.[3] The exception was the Normanton to Croydon line which always remained isolated. At its peak in 1932, the network totaled 10,500 kilometres (6,524 mi).
Changing transport patterns resulted in the closure of many development branch lines from 1948 onwards, but at the same time the main lines were upgraded to provide contemporary services, and from the 1970s an extensive network of new lines was developed, particularly to service export coal mines.
Commencing in November 1979, the Brisbane suburban network was electrified.
In 1978, discussions were commenced on the possible electrification of the Blackwater and Goonyella coal networks. This was due to an expected increase in coal traffic across the networks, an ageing diesel-electric locomotive fleet and the increase in diesel fuel costs. By early 1983, a decision had been made to electrify the networks and by early 1984, contracts were already starting to be let for the new locomotives and other works for the project. The decision was made to electrify with the 25 kV AC railway electrification system as used on the Brisbane suburban network. This would allow future connection of the Brisbane network with the coal networks via the North Coast line.
The project was to be carried out in four stages:[4]
Stage 1: Electrification of the main line from Gladstone to Rockhampton, including parts of Rockhampton marshalling yard, then west to Blackwater and the coal mines in the area. This was a total of 720 kilometres (447 mi) of the track.
Stage 2: Electrification of the coal lines south of Dalrymple Bay and Hay Point, then west through the Goonyella system, southwest to Blair Athol and south to Gregory – linking the Goonyella system to the Blackwater system. This was a total of 773 kilometres (480 mi) of the track.
Stage 3: Electrification of the main western line from Burngrove to Emerald. This would allow electric freight from Rockhampton to Emerald.
Stage 4: Electrification of the line from Newlands coal mine to Collinsville and northeast to Abbott Point. This stage never went ahead. In 1986, it was decided to electrify the North Coast line between Brisbane and Gladstone instead and this became known as Stage 4.[5][6]
In September 1999, Queensland Rail was rebranded as QR.[7] In March 2002, Queensland Rail purchased Northern Rivers Railroad and rebranded it Interail, fulfilling a long-held ambition of expanding beyond its state borders.[8][9]
In March 2003, Queensland Rail entered the Hunter Valley coal market when Interail commenced a contract from Duralie Colliery to Stratford Mine. Another coal contract was won in late 2003 for the haulage of coal from Newstan Colliery, Fassifern to Vales Point Power Station. In 2004, Interail began running Brisbane to Melbourne and Sydney to Melbourne intermodal services. In June 2005, Queensland Rail acquired the CRT Group.[10]
QR was responsible for all Queensland freight services, and from 2002 operated interstate services under the Australian Railroad Group, Interail and QR National brands. These were all spun out into a separate entity in July 2010, and later privatised as Aurizon.
In June 2009, the Queensland Government announced the privatisation of Queensland Rail's freight business.[14][15] This resulted in Queensland Rail's freight assets being transferred to QR National (now Aurizon) from 1 July 2010.
In April 2013, the Queensland Parliament passed the Queensland Rail Transit Authority Bill 2013 that restructured Queensland Rail.[16] The explanatory notes published for the bill outlined that the existing Queensland Rail Limited entity would remain although no longer be a government-owned corporation and that entity would become a subsidiary of a new Queensland Rail Transit Authority (QRTA), in effect creating a Queensland Rail group. Under the revised arrangements Queensland Rail Limited retained assets and liabilities and staff were transferred to the QRTA.[17] As a result of transferring the staff to the QRTA, the government moved those employees from the federal industrial relations system to the state-based industrial relations system, giving the state more control over industrial arrangements.[17][18] In November 2013, five labour unions commenced legal proceedings in the High Court of Australia alleging that the QRTA was subject to the federal industrial jurisdiction rather than the state system.[18] In April 2015, the court ruled the QRTA was subject to the Fair Work Act 2009 and the federal industrial relations jurisdiction.[19]
Company Leaders
Commissioners
Abram Fitzgibbon, circa 1863James Walker Davidson, 1918
The Commissioners of the Queensland Railways were:
Note: from 29 July 1889 a Board of three Commissioners was appointed to reduce political influence.[25] This was reduced back to a single Commissioner in September 1895.[26]
29 July 1889 – 30 June 1896: John Mathieson (Chief Commissioner)[22]
29 July 1889 – September 1895: Robert John Gray (1st Assistant Commissioner)[22]
29 July 1889 – 13 December 1894: Andrew Johnston (2nd Assistant Commissioner)[22]
1 July 1896 – 30 September 1902: Robert John Gray[22]
30 March 1911 – 31 May 1911: Thomas Mulhall King[22]
1 June 1911 – 31 October 1918: Barnard Charles Evans[22]
1 November 1918 – 28 February 1938: James Walker Davidson[22][27]
1 March 1938 – 28 February 1941: Curteis Anthony Murton[28]
9 March 1941 – 27 February 1948: Percy Robert Turner Wills[29]
1 March 1948 – 31 August 1952: Timothy Edward Maloney[30]
1 September 1952 – 31 August 1962: Gerald Vincent Moriarty[31]
September 1962 – 4 July 1976: Alva George Lee[32]
5 July 1976 – 17 December 1982: Percy James Goldston[33][34]
13 January 1983 – April 1986: Douglas Vernon Mendoza[35][36]
20 May 1986 – 31 July 1989: Ralph T. Sheehy[37][38]
1 August 1989 – December 1989: Ross William Dunning[39][40]
December 1989 – 7 October 1990: Robin G. Read (Acting Commissioner)[40][41]
8 October 1990 – 30 June 1991: Vincent John O'Rourke[41]
Note: from 1 July 1991 the position of Commissioner for Railways ceased to exist, replaced by a Chief Executive Officer, reporting to a board of Directors.[42]
Annual patronage all travel and tourism servies in 2022-23 was 690,000.[54] In 2007/08, the subsidy for the Brisbane-Cairns route (NCL) was $130 million, or $900 per passenger. In 2001/02 it was $270 million.[55][56]
Tourist trains
Queensland Rail also operate two tourist services:[52]
In 1936, the company owned 750 locomotives, 67 railcars, 998 coaches, 94 mail cars, 177 brake vans and 18.699 goods wagons.[62]
Dieselisation commenced in 1952 with early purchases being imported from GE Transportation and English Electric, before standardising on locally made products from A Goninan & Co, Clyde Engineering, English Electric and Walkers Limited. Electric locomotives were purchased from Clyde Engineering, Walkers Limited and Siemens. Electric multiple units have been purchased from Walkers Limited, Downer Rail and Bombardier Transportation, the latter of two which are still present in Queensland to this day.
With the closure of many rural branch lines in the 1990s there was excess motive power on the QR and it was chosen to standardise by using Clyde based diesel locomotives. Most, if not all of the English Electric locomotives were withdrawn by 2000.
In June 2021 QR announced that it had shortlisted 3 applicants (Alstom, CAF and Downer Rail) to manufacture 20 (later expanded to 65) new electric multiple units.[63] These will allow for expansion of the fleet and retiring of the remaining EMU and ICE units.
1 This table only includes locomotives owned by Queensland Rail. QR also hires locomotives from Aurizon as required.
On 9 June 1925, 9 people were killed in an Accident near Traveston, atop a timber trestle bridge aboard the Rockhampton Mail service. The train was reported to have derailed, causing 2 cars (1 Passenger Car, and 1 Baggage Car) to fall into the Traveston Creek. The incident overall caused 9 Fatalities and over 50 Injuries.[67]
On 5 May 1947, a crowded charter train de-railed and crashed near Camp Mountain due to excessive speeds down a hill and a bend with 16 deaths.[68]
On 25 February 1960, the East Bound Midlander Derailed and Crashed 1.5 km away from Bogantungan (Located Between Emerald and Barcaldine) on the now called Spirit of the Outback Service. Floodwaters, had washed away a tree which hit some pylons holding the Medway Creek Bridge up. The East bound Train hauled by two C17 locomotives, at the time had 120 passengers on-board. When the service arrived at the bridge at 2:32am, it plunged 7 – 1/2M into the creek bed after the bridge gave way. Floodwater quickly filled carriages. Both locomotives ended up in the water, as well as three passenger cars. Overall, 7 People lost their lives and 43 people injured. The Medway Creek disaster is seen as the worst in QR's History.[69]
On 23 March 1985, two passenger trains collided head-on near Trinder Park station on the Beenleigh line. Two people died (one of whom was the driver of the south-bound train), and 31 people sustained injuries. Affected units EMU11 and EMU27 were both travelling concurrently on the single track section of the line, despite several "fail-safe" measures and the use of RCS (remote control signalling).[70][71]
On 21 September 2001, EMU units 05 and 60 collided with a cattle train near Petrie, causing two carriages of Unit 05 and one carriage of Unit 60 to be scrapped, with the three remaining carriages merged to form EMU 60.[72]
On 14 September 2012, EMU41 collided with a heavy vehicle that became grounded on the level crossing at St Vincent's Road, Banyo, on the Shorncliffe line. The train driver performed all necessary braking measures, however they were not alerted in time and the train collided with the vehicle, causing extensive damage to the vehicle and the train (along with another train that was in the stationary near the crash). Injuries were sustained by both drivers.[74]
On 31 January 2013, IMU173 failed to stop at Cleveland station and collided with the station toilet block resulting in major damage to the train and minor injuries to several commuters and staff.[75]
On 18 June 2021, A Queensland Rail operated Train – at the time being used for Driver Training Collided with a Loaded Aurizon Coal Train, at Westwood, West of Rockhampton. The Incident Occurred at 11:26am on an Aurizon operated trainline, the locomotive was travelling to Bluff. The Queensland Rail Locomotive had 3 Drivers onboard, 2 of which Suffered injuries. There was 1 Fatality. The QR locomotive 2471 sustained severe damage, with the Aurizon Locomotive sustaining less Substantial damage. A report of the incident is due in Q2 2022.[76]
^Kerr J 'Triumph of Narrow Gauge', Boolarong Publications 1990
^"PARLIAMENT". The Brisbane Courier. 18 May 1864. p. 2. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
^Queensland Rail (February 1986). "Fact Sheet No. 9 Main Line Electrification Project Special Edition" (1): 1. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^"Queensland Rail Becomes QR and Looks Beyond its Borders" Railway Digest November 1999 page 9
^"QR moves into NSW with Northern Rivers Railroad buy". Rail Express. 12 March 2002. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
^"QR National push". WorldCargo News. March 2002. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
^Queensland Rail sorts logistics for acquisition Archived 24 March 2014 at the Wayback MachineThe Age 25 June 2005
^Sale of Australian Railroad Group Archived 5 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Wesfarmers 14 February 2006
^ARG on board Queensland Rail Archived 26 October 2012 at the Wayback MachineThe Age 31 March 2006
^QR closes national rail freight deal QR National 2 June 2006
^Queensland asset sales to reap $15 billion Archived 19 October 2009 at the Wayback MachineBrisbane Times 2 June 2009
^Premier announces QR Privatisation Plan Archived 15 January 2016 at the Wayback MachineRailway Gazette International 4 June 2009
^"Bills 54th Parliament". Queensland Parliament. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
^ a b"Queensland Rail Transit Authority Bill 2013 Explanatory Notes" (PDF). Queensland Parliament. 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
^ a b"Queensland Rail subject to Fair Work Act". Hall Payne Lawyers. 8 April 2015. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
^"COMMUNICATIONS, ELECTRICAL, ELECTRONIC, ENERGY, INFORMATION, POSTAL, PLUMBING AND ALLIED SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA & ORS v QUEENSLAND RAIL & ANOR [2015] HCA 11" (PDF). High Court of Australia. 8 April 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 April 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
^"THE GAZETTE". The Courier (Brisbane). Vol. XVIII, no. 1825. Queensland, Australia. 30 December 1863. p. 2. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
^"SUPREME COURT". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. XIX, no. 2, 122. 17 November 1864. p. 5. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k"RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS". The Brisbane Courier. 28 July 1924. p. 37 Supplement: Queensland's Centenary. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
^ a b"Queensland Government Gazette". 10 (39). 1 May 1869: 547. Archived from the original on 18 August 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^ a b"Queensland Government Gazette". 11 (66). 16 July 1870: 846. Archived from the original on 18 August 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^Kerr, John (1998). Triumph of Narrow Gauge. Brisbane: Boolarong Publications. p. 90. ISBN 0-86439-204-4.
^"Parliament". Darling Downs Gazette. 23 September 1895. p. 5. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
^Weekly Notice No.8/38. Queensland Railways. 24 February 1938. p. 1.
^Weekly Notice No.9/41. Queensland Railways. 27 February 1941. p. 1.
^Weekly Notice No.7/48. Queensland Railways. 22 April 1948. p. 1.
^Weekly Notice No.34/52. Queensland Railways. 21 August 1952. p. 1.
^Weekly Notice No.35/62. Queensland Railways. 30 August 1962. p. 1.
^Weekly Notice No.26/76. Queensland Railways. 1 July 1976. p. 1.
^Weekly Notice No.27/76. Queensland Railways. 8 July 1976. p. 1.
^Weekly Notice No.48/82. Queensland Railways. 16 December 1982. p. 2.
^Weekly Notice No.3/83. Queensland Railways. 20 January 1983. p. 1.
^Weekly Notice No.17/86. Queensland Railways. 24 April 1986. p. 1.
^Weekly Notice No.22/86. Queensland Railways. 29 May 1986. p. 1.
^Weekly Notice No.30/89. Queensland Railways. 27 July 1989. p. 1.
^Weekly Notice No.31/89. Queensland Railways. 3 August 1989. p. 6.
^ a bWeekly Notice No.51/89. Queensland Railways. 21 December 1989. p. 1.
^ a bWeekly Notice No.37/90. Queensland Railways. 13 September 1990. p. 1.
^Kerr, John (1998). Triumph of Narrow Gauge. Brisbane: Boolarong Publications. p. 225. ISBN 0-86439-204-4.
^ a b"QR Limited Annual Report" (PDF). Queensland Rail. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
^"QR chief resigns to join QR National – Rail Express". www.railexpress.com.au. 29 November 2011. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
^"Glen Dawe appointed CEO of Queensland Rail". Queensland Government Media Statements. 1 August 2013. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
^Vogler, Sarah (10 January 2014). "Queensland Rail CEO Glen Dawe stands down, replaced by Helen Gluer". The Courier Mail. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
^"Helen Gluer: Executive Profile & Biography - Bloomberg". www.bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
^"Nick Easy appointed to run Queensland Rail". Queensland Government Media Statements. 8 March 2017. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
^"Queensland Rail farewells CEO Nick Easy". Queensland Rail Media Centre. 9 December 2021. Archived from the original on 31 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
^"Queensland Rail welcomes a new CEO onboard". Queensland Government Media Statements. 14 April 2022. Archived from the original on 14 April 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
^Citytrain fleet Archived 9 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine Queensland Rail
^ a bNetwork Map Archived 4 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine Queensland Rail Travel
^Connections Archived 27 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine Queensland Rail Travel
^"Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^Wardill, Steven (26 December 2008). "$130m subsidy for Brisbane-Cairns Traveltrain". The Courier-Mail. Archived from the original on 29 December 2008.
^Patrick Lion (28 December 2008). "$900-a-ticket subsidy for tilt train to remain, says Anna Bligh". The Courier Mail. Archived from the original on 30 December 2008.
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^Savannahlander Archived 27 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine Department of Transport & Main Roads
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^Armstrong, John (1985). Locomotives in the Tropics Volume 1. Brisbane: Australian Railway Historical Society. pp. 32, 97. ISBN 0-909937-13-3.
^World Survey of Foreign Railways. Transportation Division, Bureau of foreign and domestic commerce, Washington D.C. 1936. p. 19. Archived from the original on 22 October 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
^"Rollingstock Expansion Program". sc-tmrwcmgr-cd.azurewebsites.net. Retrieved 29 October 2021.[permanent dead link]
^"First NGR set travels to Maryborough for disabled persons' access modifications" (PDF). Railway Digest. p. 20. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
^"The Vice-Regal Car (Special car 445)" (PDF). Queensland Museum. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
^"FRIGHTFUL RAILWAY ACCIDENT | State Library Of Queensland". www.slq.qld.gov.au. 9 June 2015. Archived from the original on 31 March 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
^Gall, Sally (26 February 2020). "Medway train crash remembered". Queensland Country Life. Archived from the original on 3 April 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
^"Electric Train Collision, Beenleigh Line" (PDF). 10 April 1985. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
^"Two dead in head-on Brisbane train smash". Canberra Times (ACT: 1926–1995). 24 March 1985. p. 3. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
^"Walkers/Adtranz Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) « qrig.org – queensland railway's interest group". Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
^"Investigation: 2004007 – Derailment of Cairns Tilt Train VCQ5, Berajondo, Qld, 15 November 2004". Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Archived from the original on 23 May 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
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^"Investigation: RO-2013-005 – Collision of passenger train T842 with station platform Cleveland, Qld, 31 January 2013". Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Archived from the original on 23 May 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
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External links
Media related to Queensland Rail at Wikimedia Commons
Works by Queensland Railways at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
Strachan Commission of Inquiry Report on Queensland Rail train crewing practices
Media related to Queensland Rail at Wikimedia Commons