Gold Coast train commuters are in for further major disruptions with services to shut down again for two weeks over the school holiday period.
The Gold Coast and Beenleigh lines will be out of action from Saturday to allow for works related to Cross River Rail and Gold Coast-Logan Fast Rail.
It means commuters will be forced onto replacement buses, blowing out travel times even further.
Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg defended the move and warned of more closures to come.
“The reason those closures need to occur, and they typically occur across the lower demand periods like school holidays, is because in order for workers to be able to get in there and do the work that’s required, the electricity needs to be switched off,” Mickelberg said.
“And obviously rail services can’t run while we have workers in that corridor, and it’s not a simple process to be able to just turn off the electricity.
“So, there will continue to be disruptions, closure periods over the school holiday periods, for the foreseeable future as we build the rail network required.”
Mr Mickelberg says he understands the frustrations of those who rely on the rail network.
“What we’ll seek to do is minimise those impacts wherever possible, but this is really important work.”
