On Sunday 20 July 2014 more than 80,000 passengers were welcomed aboard the G:link for the first day of operation for Gold Coast’s first light rail system.
The service was officially opened at a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson, Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate, GoldLinQ Chairman John Witheriff and other dignitaries.
With the three year design, construction, testing and commissioning phase complete, commencement of the operation marks a significant achievement for contractors McConnell Dowell and their partner Bombardier.
The works consisted of trenchless techniques which included horizontal directional drilling (HDD) and microtunnelling, chosen because they represented the best engineering solutions in order to upgrade the services.
The team delivered Queensland’s first modern light rail system and the one of the largest upgrades to underground services undertaken within the State.
Design and Construction Joint Venture Project Director Simon Bradbury congratulated the project team on the successful and punctual delivery of the Gold Coast Light Rail system.
“The calibre of this team is reflected by the number of challenges faced on a daily basis and how every challenge has been met head on and solved through creative thinking, cooperation and determination,” Mr Bradbury said.
The G:link project achievements included 27 km of laid track, 30,000 km of underground services relocated or upgraded and the percentage of local goods, services and employees on-site was 95 per cent.