AUSTRALIA: Gold Coast light rail concessionaire GoldLinQ has ordered a further five Flexity 2 low-floor light rail vehicles from Alstom to operate the Stage 3 extension now in development.
The 43·4 m long seven-module vehicles will be the same as the original 14 ordered in 2010 for the first section of the route and the additional four for Stage 2 which were ordered in 2015. The air-conditioned cars are to be manufactured at the former Bombardier Transportation plant in Wien.
Running for 6·7 km from Broadbeach South to Nobby Beach and Burleigh Heads, the A$1bn Stage 3 extension will add eight more stops to the G:link light rail line, taking the route to a total length of 27 km with 27 stops.
Early site and utility investigations are due to begin in September, and contractor John Holland is expected to start the main construction before the end of 2021 for completion in three years.
The Queensland government is currently consulting on a proposed route for the planned Stage 4 extension from Burleigh Heads to Coolangatta.
On July 12 the concessionaire reported that the line had now carried more than 56 million paying passengers since the first section was opened for revenue service in July 2014.
