Tram arrival puts light rail back on track

LUCINDA KENT

The first trams for the Gold Coast light rail network are scheduled to arrive in the next week.

Shipping company McConnell Dowell and Bombardier Transportation says the 61-tonne trams left Germany on June 30 and will arrive at the Port of Brisbane by the end of August.

The trams were originally due to be delivered in June but the CEO of GoldLinQ Phil Mumford pushed back the delivery after construction delayed the opening of the network from late 2013 to early 2014.

Mr Mumford says the $1.3 billion network is still on track to open on time and the first tests of the trams will take place by the end of the year.

“All of the trams need to be fully tested and assembled in Germany, then it’s shipped to Brisbane then we can test them here at the Gold Coast,” he said.

Councillor Lex Bell who represents Surfers Paradise says the delays in construction have harmed local businesses.

“I’ve already seen businesses close because of construction and the longer it goes on, the worse it gets,” he said.

“Residents keep telling me they simply won’t use the light rail.”