Gold Coast Light Rail now runs all the way to Burleigh Heads

Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 opened to passengers on Sunday 9 August 2026, so trams now run the full line from Helensvale to Burleigh Heads. Testing on the new tracks had begun in November 2025.

The southern Gold Coast bus network was reworked around the extension from 7 September 2026, adding 167 weekday and 112 weekend services and a new frequent Route 701 linking The Pines, Elanora, Burleigh Heads, Varsity Lakes and Robina. Surplus plant from the build has gone to auction too: more than 600 lots of civil construction and industrial equipment from the project were listed by Lloyds Auctions in August.

Stage Three extends the G:link network 6.7 kilometres from Broadbeach South to Burleigh Heads along the centre of the Gold Coast Highway, adding eight new stations and five additional trams and taking the network to 27 kilometres.

Its committed budget has more than doubled since the original estimate, to $1.549 billion, as recorded in successive editions of the Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program (QTRIP).

The cost trajectory

The most recent $330 million increase was reported to Parliament by Transport and Main Roads Minister Brent Mickelberg in December 2024.

The 2025-26 program allocated $360 million to the project in 2025-26, after $1.081 billion spent to 30 June 2025, with a further $107.7 million programmed beyond June 2026.

What was built

Scope also included upgraded depot facilities, new light rail and bus interchanges at Burleigh Heads and Miami, new signalised pedestrian crossings, and improved walking and cycling connections along the corridor.

Who built it

John Holland was GoldLinQ's design and construction contractor. It was selected in October 2020, and the signing of its major works contract was announced on 1 April 2022, alongside financial close.

The unsuccessful shortlisted bidders were:

• Burleigh Link JV — Fulton Hogan and UGL Engineering
• CPBSW JV — CPB Contractors and Seymour Whyte

Procurement was run by GoldLinQ Pty Ltd, the operator franchisee for the network, on behalf of the Queensland Government — an unusual arrangement in which the incumbent operator procures the extension to the network it operates.

Why an operator-led procurement matters

GoldLinQ conducting the Stage Three procurement rather than Transport and Main Roads is worth understanding.

The operator carries the integration risk. An extension to a running network has to interface with existing signalling, vehicles, depot capacity and timetables. Putting the operator in charge of procurement aligns responsibility for that integration with the party that will live with it.

The specification is largely set in advance. Bidders are contracting into a network that already has its own vehicles, systems and standards, so much of the specification is fixed before the tender opens.

For subcontractors, the practical consequence is that the specification is effectively set by the operator, and deviation is harder than on a greenfield project.

Funding

The City of Gold Coast figure includes $18.6 million for ancillary works delivered alongside the project. The 2025-26 program notes that funding splits are under negotiation with the Australian Government.

The council contribution is notable. Local government rarely appears as a funding partner on projects of this scale, and a $110 million commitment from a single city council is substantial.

What to watch

1. The final cost. The committed budget is $1.549 billion, and Transport and Main Roads notes some finishing works may follow the start of passenger services.
2. The southern Gold Coast beyond Burleigh. Planning for a Stage Four light rail extension to Coolangatta was stopped on 1 September 2025. The Queensland Government is instead focusing on bus service enhancements with minor infrastructure upgrades before Brisbane 2032, and a broader regional transport study.
3. The Gold Coast pipeline generally. Coomera Connector Stage One, whose northern section opened in December 2025 and whose central and southern packages are under construction, draws on the same labour market ahead of Brisbane 2032.

Published 1 September 2026 · Updated 4 October 2026