The long-awaited Ipswich to Springfield rail line, a major infrastructure goal for South East Queensland (SEQ), received a key planning update last weekend.
On July 15, the Australian and Queensland Governments, together with the Council of Mayors SEQ, published a so-called “Implementation Plan” for their SEQ City Deal.
The City Deal is a strategy for fast-tracking a suite of physical and digital infrastructure projects across the Greater Brisbane area.
One of the 15 pillar projects in the partnership agreement, the Ipswich to Springfield Central Public Transport Corridor – known simply as the ‘I2S Corridor’ – saw a renewed commitment to government funding in the Implementation Plan.
“[The plan] includes a preliminary evaluation of the I2S public transport corridor, with an options analysis to be completed by late 2024,” Blair MP Shayne Neumann said.
The I2S Corridor will connect Springfield Central and Ipswich Central train stations via Ripley in a 25-kilometre line that services a fast-expanding region with the potential construction of nine new stations.
“This funding will allow the business case and further planning to be completed, so we can get this critical project moving and shovel-ready,” Mr Neumann added.
Investment
The I2S Corridor addresses public transport underinvestment throughout Ipswich.
Closing the Springfield and Ipswich rail loop will have positive economic outcomes for local residents and businesses, particularly in the lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
“A new train line connecting the west and the east would help take the pressure off the local road network and keep our region moving as it continues to grow rapidly,” Mr Neumann said.
“The project would deliver significant economic and social benefits to Ipswich residents, especially young families in growing suburbs like Redbank Plains and Ripley Valley, as well as people from culturally diverse and lower socio-economic communities with limited access to public transport.”
Top image: Blair MP Shayne Neumann has welcomed a renewed funding commitment to the Ipswich to Springfield rail line in the SEQ City Deal. Image: Shayne Neumann MP.
Below: Map of the major project proposals of the SEQ City Deal – coordinating between the three levels of government in partnership with the private sector. The ‘I2S Corridor’ Options Analysis is marked “F”. Image: Queensland Government.
A – Kangaroo Point Green Bridge
B – Brisbane Metro – Woolloongabba Station
C – Brisbane Metro – South Bank Transport Study
D – Loganlea-Meadowbrook Infrastructure
E – Dunwich Ferry Terminal Upgrade
F – Ipswich to Springfield Public Transport Corridor Options Analysis
G – Southern Gateway Strategic Corridor Planning
H – Brisbane Valley Highway Safety Upgrades
I – Blue Heart Sunshine Coast
J – First Nations Cultural Centre Detailed Business Case
K – Water Initiatives in the Lockyer Valley
L – Bromelton State Development Area Business Case
M – Growth Area Compact
N – Toowoomba Railway Parklands
O – Wellcamp Entertainment Precinct
(Region-wide reform initiatives are not mapped.)
A copy of the Implementation Plan is available at statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/seqcitydeal.
For more information about the Council of Mayors SEQ, visit seqmayors.qld.gov.au.
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