The new rail facility will cater for the expanding passenger train fleet. The 65 six-car QTMP trains will be maintained and stabled at the Ormeau rail facility.

The Prairie Road temporary construction access is open is being used by all vehicles as the primary site access. Goldmine Road may be used for some deliveries.

Rail facility concept design

We invited community feedback on the Ormeau rail facility concept design between 4 December 2023 and 2 March 2024.

Design

Artist impression aerial view rail facility site, including connections to Gold Coast main line, train wash facility, QR staff facilities, maintenance facility main building, administration office, Goldmine Road access and train stabling yard.

Aerial view of the rail facility site from the southern end.*

* Concept only – not final design.

Artist impression north view rail facility site, including internal access road, staff car parking area, acoustic-proofed workshops and maintenance facility main building, which has a floor plan size of twenty-three thousand metres squared.

Maintenance and administration building as viewed from site access road (looking north).*

* Concept only – not final design.

Image shows site layout plan of Ormeau rail facility, including Goldmine Road permanent rail facility access, maintenance facility including administration office, two carparking areas, train wash, staff facilities and stabling yard.

Image shows the site layout plan of the Ormeau rail facility, which is located 44 kilometres south of Brisbane and 35 kilometres north of the Gold Coast. The site's western border extends down the existing rail line from Prairie Road in the north and Goldmine Road to the south. The Gold Coast Line for train operations runs along the western border of the site. Further east along Goldmine Road is the Ormeau Woods State School. The south-west border of the site is the Lewani Palms Resort, which is accessed from Lahrs Road/Goldmine Road.

The permanent rail facility access is off Goldmine Road, with internal roads connecting the access point to the facilities. The layout plan calls out to the maintenance facility including the administration office, 2 car parking areas, a train wash facility, staff facilities, and a stabling yard. The rail facility site connects to the Gold Coast Line with future rail line tracks at the northern and southern ends of the site.

The site layout plan design is concept only and is not to scale.

Managing operational impacts

Rail facility operations

The rail facility at Ormeau will operate 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, to support the maintenance and stabling of 65 new six-car QTMP trains.

Site access during operation

When operational, the facility will have up to 140 staff working daily across varying shift times.

The permanent access to the Ormeau rail facility will be via Goldmine Road. The rail facility will connect to Goldmine Road via a new private access road – this will be the permanent and only access to the rail facility site once the facility is operational. The design of the access is underway and will include measures to minimise the impact on Goldmine Road traffic. There will not be an access off Prairie Road during operations.

The majority of vehicles accessing the site during operations will be light vehicles. Heavy vehicles will access the site for deliveries on an as required basis. Deliveries would be done at a time that minimises the impact on Goldmine Road traffic.

Train movements

Trains will arrive and depart from the facility all day, with increased movements during standard AM and PM peak periods.

The train peaks align with the Queensland Rail passenger timetable, with the morning peak being 3am to 9am and the afternoon peak being between 2.30pm to 5pm.

During nights and weekends, workers and support staff at the rail facility will be required to ensure that noise does not exceed the approved operational limits.

Operational noise

Noise from the rail facility is anticipated to be minimal, due to its location and use of an acoustic shed. Most maintenance works will be undertaken in the shed. However, noise may be generated during some activities, including:

  • grinding and welding
  • reverse squawkers while plant is moving around site
  • trains entering and exiting the maintenance facility and stabling yard
  • vehicles entering and leaving the facility via Goldmine Road, primarily during the peak hours of shift starts and finishes
  • some wheel squeal when trains move over curved section of the track
  • trains sounding their horns as they move around the site - this is a safety requirement.

The project is required to undertake pre and post construction noise modelling, to ensure that the project is adhering to the Environmental Protection Act 1994. As part of this commitment, the project will undertake additional noise monitoring, once the site is operational, to ensure impacts to the local community are minimised.

Lighting

Lighting will be required around the clock to ensure worker safety and site security.

It is anticipated that lighting will be no brighter than what would be expected in a local park or community space at night. Lighting will be directed away from residential properties and shrouding will be provided, where appropriate.

Sustainability

The project is committed to ensuring the facility operates in an environmentally sustainable manner and includes initiatives such as solar panels, on-site water treatment, and rainwater re-use to reduce the project’s carbon footprint.

Feedback

The community was invited to view the concept design and provide feedback on:

  • on-site landscaping
  • urban design opportunities such as fencing and facade treatments
  • managing and minimising community impacts.

The facility location, rail track design, and the site access point are out of scope for feedback, as they relate to site safety, security and productivity.

Key feedback themes we heard:

  • to minimise the impact of rail facility traffic on Goldmine Road
  • request for measures in place to minimise the impact of 24/7 operations (noise and light) on nearby houses
  • request for vegetation planted to improve the outlook for nearby residents
  • request for measures in place to protect local fauna and flora
  • to not worsen flooding in the local area.

TMR would like to thank those community members who participated in the consultation process.

Design next steps

This feedback is being used to inform the design. More information about the design will be provided in 2025.

Subscribe for project updates open in new window

Go back to the Queensland Train Manufacturing Program consultation homepage.