Rail transport in Queensland

The rail network in Queensland, Australia, was the first in the world to adopt 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow gauge for a main line, and, in 2013, was claimed to the second largest narrow gauge network in the world, consists of:

• the North Coast Line (NCL) extending 1,680 kilometres (1,040 mi) from Brisbane to Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns
• Four east–west lines (and associated branch lines) connecting to the NCL:
  • the Western line (including the Main Line) from Brisbane to Toowoomba and Charleville
  • the Central Western line from Rockhampton to Longreach and Winton
  • the Great Northern Railway from Townsville to Mount Isa
  • the Tablelands line from Cairns to Atherton and Forsayth
• Four export coal networks:
  • Moura to Gladstone
  • Blackwater to Gladstone utilising the Central Western and NCL lines
  • Goonyella to Hay Point
  • Newlands to Abbot Point
• the original narrow-gauge Southern line that provided a rail connection to Sydney, extending from Toowoomba to the New South Wales border at Wallangarra, plus the South Western line west from Warwick to Thallon;
• Two lines extending south of Brisbane, a 140 km/h (87 mph) narrow gauge passenger line from Brisbane to the Gold Coast, and a 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) line to the New South Wales border connecting to the line to Sydney
• the isolated Normanton to Croydon line, now operated as a tourist service as The Gulflander
• There was also an isolated section running from Cooktown to Laura with proposed destination of Maytown on the Palmer River goldfields. (Has since been removed)
• An isolated 19 kilometres (12 mi) 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) private freight line at Weipa hauling bauxite from a mine to the export terminal; and
• Over 3,000 km of 2 ft (610 mm) gauge sugar cane lines servicing 19 sugar mills (see Tramways section below).

Passenger services are provided by:

• Long distance trains from:
  • Brisbane to Cairns
  • Townsville to Mount Isa
  • Brisbane to Rockhampton and Longreach
  • Brisbane to Charleville
  • Brisbane to Sydney by the standard gauge XPT
• the Brisbane-centric Translink network providing services:
  • south to Beenleigh and Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast
  • north to Ferny Grove, Shorncliffe, Kippa-Ring, Caboolture and Gympie;
  • east to the Brisbane Airport and Doomben on the north side of the Brisbane River and to Cleveland on the south side of the river; and
  • west to Ipswich, Springfield and Rosewood.

The Translink network consists of approximately 300 route km and 151 stations.