AUSTRALIA: Queensland’s new Gold Coast metro-style bus services will link Nerang with Broadbeach and Robina with Miami every 15 minutes as the city reshapes transport after cancelling Light Rail Stage 4.

Gold Coast metro-style bus services will add 15-minute links between rail hubs, sporting venues, Bond University and Broadbeach.
Photo: Queensland Government

The two east-west links form the latest part of the state government’s Gold Coast Transport Plan. They will connect major event venues, retail destinations and education sites without recreating the cancelled tram corridor to Coolangatta.

Two 15-minute services connect major destinations

The central Gold Coast Surfer service will run between Nerang and Broadbeach, serving People First Stadium, the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre and the Gold Coast Convention Centre. A second service between Robina and Miami will connect Robina Town Centre and Bond University.

According to the Queensland Government’s announcement, the services are intended to fill missing east-west links in the city’s public transport network. The update did not specify opening dates or project costs.

Infrastructure works will support the Nerang–Broadbeach route. Nerang–Broadbeach Road will be widened from four to six lanes between Nielsens Road and Gooding Drive, while a new transport station and pedestrian overpass are planned at People First Stadium.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads also lists the widening of Dunlops Canal Bridge and new traffic signals at Cocos Crescent among the works for the corridor.

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Gold Coast plan combines buses, light rail and heavy rail

The east-west routes join the previously announced GC Surfer service from Robina to Coolangatta via Burleigh Heads and Gold Coast Airport. That southern service is planned to operate every 10 minutes, supported by intersection upgrades and a new airport interchange.

The government is also planning a 3.2-kilometre light rail extension from Gold Coast University Hospital to Biggera Waters. The line would add stations at Musgrave Avenue, Labrador and Biggera Waters, alongside extra light rail vehicles and depot upgrades.

A rail corridor between Varsity Lakes and Gold Coast Airport will be preserved for a possible future heavy rail connection. This keeps a longer-term rail option open while buses become the government’s immediate public transport response for the southern Gold Coast.

Light Rail Stage 4 was cancelled in September 2025 after the government cited strong community opposition. The proposed 13-kilometre, 14-station extension from Burleigh Heads to Coolangatta via the airport would have completed a 40-kilometre light rail corridor from Helensvale.

The Australasian Railway Association criticised that decision, warning that replacing the extension with buses would increase congestion, car dependence and emissions. The Queensland Government, however, says local communities favour buses as a more flexible and cost-effective option.

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