- Queensland Rail has closed the Kuranda Range to rail traffic up to and including Sunday, 20 September.
- A bridge defect along the railway was discovered during routine inspections that required essential repairs.
- Extra crews are being mobilised from around the state to expedite repairs and additional works so the iconic Kuranda Scenic Railway services can resume as soon as possible.
Queensland Rail is informing customers booked to travel on Kuranda Scenic Railway services between now and Sunday, 20 September that their service has been cancelled due to the need to undertake immediate repairs to a bridge along the Kuranda Range.
A defect was discovered during routine repairs yesterday (Wednesday, 9 September), likely caused by the compounding effect of successive significant wet seasons experienced in Far North Queensland in recent years.
Queensland Rail has arranged a special free road coach to run as loop service for customers with a pre-booked valid ticket to experience the local tourism offerings at Kuranda.
Queensland Rail Head of Regional Scott Cornish acknowledged the impact to customers and reiterated the rail operator’s commitment to safety.
“Safety is Queensland Rail’s number one priority, so the Kuranda Range line will remain closed until the repairs are completed and the bridge is safe for operations,” Mr Cornish said.
“We have mobilised additional maintenance crews, engineers and other specialists from around the state to assist with repairs, many of whom are in transit right now heading north.
“Queensland is no stranger to wet weather, and the successive wet seasons experienced in the Far North in recent years has had a compounding impact on our infrastructure.
“Due to the intensive wet seasons in recent years, we have proactively increased inspections to further strengthen safety and asset management across our network.
“We acknowledge the disruption and disappointment that many visitors and fans of the iconic Kuranda Scenic Railway will be feeling due to the cancellation of their journey, but we will not compromise on safety.
“Those visitors who booked independently will be offered free travel onboard a special road coach so they don’t miss out on the fantastic tourism experiences at Kuranda.”
Details on this service will be made available to eligible customers.
