QLD | Railvolution: Modernising the Rail Transport Network in SEQ - Transport & Infrastructure Series

The French-Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry​​​​ in Queensland was pleased to welcome you to its Transport and Infrastructure event dedicated to the modernisation of the rail transport network in South and East Queensland, which took place on Wednesday 13 November at the premises of our Corporate member Holding Redlich​.

This event brought together a panel of experts, including:

• Peter Papantoniou​, Executive Program Director of Queensland Government - Department of Transport & Main Roads
• Genevieve de Michele​, Project Director of the Direct Sunshine Coast Rail at Gluco Consultants
• Mitch Carr​, Senior Manager Stations & Facilities Project Delivery - Rail at Queensland Rail
• Benoit Gay​, Senior Project Manager at ALSTOM Australia

Facilitated by our Transport and Infrastructure Subcommittee Chair Mathilde Booth​ (Associate Digital Enablement at Aurecon), our panellists spent the morning answering a broad range of questions outlining the current state of play in the region's transport infrastructure, particularly with the growing demands of South East Queensland's population and the upcoming Olympics. They discussed how modernising the rail network, including key projects like the Logan to Gold Coast Faster Rail and the Direct Sunshine Coast initiative, will address these challenges by enhancing connectivity, reducing travel times, and supporting long-term economic growth.

🌟 Key Insights from the Panel🌟



Strong Pipeline of Rail Infrastructure: Peter outlined the $14 billion investment over the next few years in support of the Rail Connect strategy, driven by both population growth and increasing demand from major events, such as the upcoming Olympics. He emphasised the need for a public-private partnership (PPP) model to deliver on this extensive infrastructure pipeline effectively.

Key Projects in the Pipeline: During his keynote, Peter highlighted two major projects—the Direct Sunshine Coast (DSC) and Logan to Gold Coast Faster Rail. Genevieve further expanded on the community benefits of the DSC project, pointing out its transformational impact. Beyond improving transport, the railway will enhance mobility and accessibility for Sunshine Coast communities, catalysing broader economic and social benefits.

Integration: Mitch stressed that the customer experience begins at the station level, underlining the critical importance of the station upgrade program. He emphasised that modernising existing infrastructure is essential to meeting the growing demand from passengers while ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for all users.

Innovation: Benoit pointed out the opportunity to apply lessons and capabilities gained from previous national and international rail projects to deliver world-class rail infrastructure for South East Queensland. In light of a resource-constrained market with numerous major projects underway across various states, he stressed that attracting and retaining skilled rail professionals in Queensland will be essential to the success of these initiatives.

Once again, we express our sincere gratitude to our incredible panellists, and to all our guests for making this event a success.

Last but not least, thanks to the generous support and breakfast provided by the wonderful, hard-working team at Holding Redlich​ for helping bring this event to life!