The South Coast railway line (also known as the Tweed railway line) was a railway from Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland, Australia. The route via the South Coast (now known as the Gold Coast) to Tweed Heads on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. The line operated from 1889 to 1964. Between 1903 and 1961 steam trains ran from Beenleigh to the NSW border.[1] The Gold Coast railway line re-opened in 1996 along a modified alignment in the north and a new route south but does not extend as far south yet as the South Coast line.
A branch line running 22 miles (35 km) from Southport Junction (later renamed Ernest Junction) to Tweed Heads opened on 10 August 1903.[5]
It had been hoped that the New South Wales Government would extend its Casino to Murwillumbah line a further 30 kilometres from Murwillumbah to Tweed Heads, but this did not occur due to cost of resuming the land and the expenses associated with the tunnel and bridge that would be required.[6]
Due to the increasing popularity of the motor car, and political interests in road transport, the Tweed Heads branch closed on 1 July 1961, followed by the Beenleigh to Southport line on 30 June 1964, despite fierce local outcry in the case of the line to Southport.
Stations
The initial South Coast line officially opened on 24 January 1889[7] and included stops at:
It included a number of cuts, river crossings, long grades and a tunnel[17] at Ernest Junction that remains in situ (and is now heritage-listed).[18] The second branch of the South Coast line, known as the Nerang-Tweed Heads extension,[19] opened 14 September 1903[20][21] and stretched from Ernest Junction to the Queensland-New South Wales border. Stops included:
From Beenleigh, coast-bound trains crossed the Old Pacific Highway three times between there and Yatala. In between these was the impressive Albert River crossing, made of three steel lattice girder spans. After passing Stapylton, the alignment was straight and of good standard, before reaching Ormeau. The alignment began to curve here, eventually reaching the Pimpama River and Pimpama Station. Coomera station was next, and a short distance later, the line crossed the Coomera River on a large bridge, similar to the Albert River bridge but with four spans instead of three. The southern floodplain of the river was crossed on timber trestles, leading to Oxenford. Passing Saltwater Creek, the line went through Helensvale, which had a small halt with little else but a nameboard signalling the station. After climbing nearly two miles, the railway passed through the curved Ernest Junction Tunnel. The station was just past here. The Southport branch continued on to Southport, but the Tweed Heads line continued onwards. Passing the small station of Molendinar, the line passed under the Southport-Nerang Road. The Nerang River bridge was next. Then came Nerang and Mudgeeraba stations, today covered by the busy Pacific Motorway. A tunnel was reached at West Burleigh, before arriving at the station of that name. After crossing Tallebudgera Creek bridge (now also demolished and replaced by the Pacific Motorway) travellers reached Elanora, then came the still extant Currumbin Creek bridge. From here, the route followed today's Stewart Street between Currumbin and Tugun, the Gold Coast Highway between Tugun and Kirra, Coolangatta Road between Kirra and Coolangatta, and Griffith Street over the border to Tweed Heads.
Services
Passenger trains ran from South Brisbane to Southport with connecting trains from Ernest Junction or Southport to Tweed Heads. Picnic and excursion trains ran through from South Brisbane to Tweed Heads on Sundays.[29][30][31]
From opening until around 1910, A12 and B13 class locos were the main motive power. From there until the 1950s, services were operated exclusively by PB15 class locomotives, the largest locomotive permitted to cross the Logan River. Diesel rail cars of the 1800 and 2000 classes operated some passenger services from the 1950s until closure in the 1960s.[32][33]
Remains
A preserved piece of railway, where the route crossed Bay Street at Tweed Heads
The track bed between Ernest Junction and Southport, and between Tugun and Coolangatta, is still visible.
The original Nerang station still exists at the Gold Coast Hinterland Heritage Museum at Mudgeeraba.
The railway bridge over Currumbin Creek was converted to a footbridge. This footbridge was rebuilt in 2016 to renew and widen the deck.[34] Post-rebuild, the pylons are the only part of the original bridge.
Prior to 1995 the Tallebudgera bridge carried water pipes across the creek. That bridge has since been demolished to make way for widening of the Pacific Motorway.
Short sections of the route at Currumbin, Coolangatta and Southport have been reused as a pedestrian/bicycle paths.
The Southport tunnel still exists, but the West Burleigh tunnel doesn't, it was demolished to make way for the Pacific Motorway.
The Coolangatta station area is now located between Chalk St and Griffith Street.
The site of Southport railway station is now a local club.
^"Southport Railway". South Coast Bulletin. Vol. 8, no. 430. Queensland, Australia. 21 August 1936. p. 6. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
^
Great Britain. War Office. General Staff. Australian Section, cartographer. (1926). Tambourine Queensland (Map). Scale 1:63,360. Australia 1:63,360. [Melbourne]: [Australian Section Imperial General Staff]. § 1 map : colour ; 44 x 78 cm, on sheet 56 x 83 cm. nla.obj-337985011. Retrieved 28 January 2024 – via Trove.
"Tambourine" (Map). Queensland Government. 1926. Archived from the original on 5 April 2020. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
^"Southport Timetable". The Week. Vol. XXVII, no. 682. Brisbane. 12 January 1889. p. 26. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^Nine Special Trains Booked for 4BH Picnic to Southport (21 October 1939). The Telegraph (Brisbane), p. 4 (Late Week End Final All the News). Retrieved 18 January 2018, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article188037010
^"Tweed Heads-Brisbane Railway". Northern Star. Vol. 28. New South Wales, Australia. 24 October 1903. p. 8. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Locomotives". The Telegraph. No. 16, 575 (5 O'clock City ed.). Brisbane. 15 January 1926. p. 12. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"1st Diesel run". The Courier-Mail. No. 4980. Brisbane. 13 November 1952. p. 3. Retrieved 18 January 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
Alan Arundell (2011). The South Coast Railway: A history of Growth and Transport on the Gold Coast. Water Street Productions. ISBN978-0646555287.
Kerr, John; Armstrong, John (1978). Destination Sth Brisbane: an illustrated history of the southside railways of Brisbane. Australian Railway Historical Society.
