On a Tuesday in early November, Brisbane's council gave its blessing to the contracting plan for a $105 million rebuild of the Lindum level crossing, a junction where two people have died since 2019 and that residents have pleaded to fix for decades. The vote, 22 in favour with one abstention, marks a turn from long talk toward the slower labour of construction, to begin in mid-2027. Yet the story also sits beside an unfinished one a few suburbs away, where a promised overpass at Coopers Plains waits without any date, reminding us that a community's safety often depends less on the wisdom of a
Lindum Level Crossing Upgrade Moves Ahead as Coopers Plains Project Stalls
Two people have died at the Lindum crossing since 2019, including a pedestrian struck by a train and a 32-year-old South Korean woman whose car was hit by a train.
Waiting up to half a century for a crossing to be fixed
Mark
Why does a council vote on a contracting plan matter if construction isn't until mid-2027?
Mimi
Because it clears the way for the January tender. After decades of competing promises, that's the first firm sequence of dates: tender, build from mid-2027, finish by the end of 2028.
Luke
Worth noting those dates are plans, not guarantees. The contracting plan itself flags high risks: rising fuel costs, fewer tender responses, and coordination with Queensland Rail.
Mark
And the money? $105 million sounds settled.
Mimi
It's split $85 million federal, $10 million state, $10 million council. Councillor Ryan Murphy also says there's about a 30 per cent contingency.
Luke
That contingency figure is his statement. Also his expectation of about 10 bidders is a forecast, not something confirmed.
Mark
Why not build an overpass at Lindum?
Mimi
Murphy says a flyover would have topped $200 million, and the council's earlier $40 million pledge wasn't enough without much more from the state.
Luke
And the claim that Lindum wouldn't rank in the top 10 for a flyover is attributed to advice he cited. We haven't seen that advice here.
Mark
What about Coopers Plains?
Mimi
Design, land and demolition are done, but there's no start date. Julie-Ann Campbell is pressing the state, which says planning is well advanced.
Luke
Right, and that's a political dispute. The department says it's committed to "future delivery", but no timeline has been given.
Il Polso
- Brisbane City Council passed the Lindum crossing contracting plan 22-0 with one abstention, moving a long-stalled $105 million rebuild one step closer to the road.
- Two deaths since 2019 and a top-10 ranking for near-misses keep the danger at this junction vivid and immediate.
- Tenders go out in January, with about 10 bids expected and a shortlist of three, while a 30 per cent contingency is built into the budget.
- Rising fuel costs, global uncertainty and thin contractor interest threaten the timeline, and the work must be threaded through Queensland Rail's live network.
- A few suburbs away, the Coopers Plains overpass has all its paperwork complete yet no construction date, leaving residents still waiting with no firm horizon.
On a Tuesday in early November, Brisbane's council gave its blessing to the contracting plan for a $105 million rebuild of the Lindum level crossing, a junction where two people have died since 2019 and that residents have pleaded to fix for decades. The vote, 22 in favour with one abstention, marks a turn from long talk toward the slower labour of construction, to begin in mid-2027. Yet the story also sits beside an unfinished one a few suburbs away, where a promised overpass at Coopers Plains waits without any date, reminding us that a community's safety often depends less on the wisdom of a plan than on the stubborn patience of those who must keep asking.
On Tuesday, Brisbane City Council voted to approve the contracting plan for a $105 million upgrade of the Lindum level crossing. The motion carried 22 to nil, with one councillor abstaining. For residents who have wanted this junction fixed for decades, it is the clearest sign yet that the work is moving from promise to construction.
The crossing has a grim record. In 2019 a pedestrian, Genevieve Payne, was struck and killed by a train there. In 2021 a 32-year-old South Korean woman died when a train hit her car. Queensland Rail says Lindum ranked among the top ten sites for near-misses in the last financial year.
The project is funded three ways: $85 million from the federal government, $10 million each from the state and the council. The crossing will be shifted west and set square to the tracks, with traffic lights controlling every movement. The right turn from Sibley Road onto Kianawah Road will go, and new shared paths and bike lanes will be added. Council infrastructure chair Ryan Murphy argues the current misalignment distracts drivers, who too often end up on the rail line while looking for oncoming traffic.
The timeline is firming up. Tenders go out in January, construction is set for mid-2027, and completion by the end of 2028. Utilities beneath the junction have been mapped to reduce risk for the contractor, though high fuel costs, fewer bids and the need to coordinate with Queensland Rail remain real concerns. Murphy expects around ten bids and a contingency of about 30 per cent.
The path here was not simple. An earlier $40 million promise toward an overpass gave way when a flyover was judged to cost over $200 million, out of reach without a far larger state contribution. Politicians across levels and parties have offered competing fixes since the early 2000s, and the debate was shadowed by the LNP and Labor each claiming credit.
A few suburbs away, the Coopers Plains crossing at Boundary Road is stalled with no start date, despite promised funding from all three levels of government. Federal MP Julie-Ann Campbell notes that consultation, design, land acquisition and demolition are complete, yet residents still wait. She first stood at that roadside with a sign as a young woman in her twenties, and is now in her forties; some residents have waited half a century. A public town hall is planned at Coopers Plains State School.
For now, Lindum's next marker is the January tender, while Coopers Plains still waits for any date at all.
On Tuesday, Brisbane City Council voted to pass the contracting plan for a $105 million upgrade of the Lindum level crossing. The motion carried with 22 votes in favour and one councillor abstaining. It moves a crossing that residents have wanted fixed for decades a step closer to construction.
Lindum has a grim record. In 2019, a pedestrian, Genevieve Payne, was killed after being hit by a train at the crossing. In 2021, a 32-year-old South Korean woman died when a train struck her car. A Queensland Rail spokeswoman said Lindum ranked in the top 10 locations for level crossing near-misses in the last financial year.
The money is split three ways. The federal government is contributing $85 million, while the state government and the council are each putting in $10 million. The council is leading the work. The crossing will be moved to the west and made perpendicular to the tracks, and traffic lights will control every movement through the junction. The right turn from Sibley Road onto Kianawah Road will be removed, and new shared paths and bike lanes will be added.
Brisbane City Council infrastructure chair Ryan Murphy said the current misalignment of the crossing creates dangerous distractions for drivers. After the upgrade, he said, cars would no longer end up accidentally on the rail line while their drivers tried to look for traffic coming the other way. "There were too many things the driver needed to do," he said.
The timeline is now firming up. The contract goes to tender in January, once the design is finalised, with construction to begin in mid-2027 and finish by the end of 2028. Underground powerlines were relocated earlier this year, and council officers have mapped the services beneath the junction, including high-pressure gas, data, rail signalling, water mains and sewerage, to reduce risk for the eventual contractor. The contracting plan still lists high risks: global and economic uncertainty and rising fuel costs pushing up prices, fewer competitive tender responses, and the need to interface works with Queensland Rail. Cr Murphy said that despite pressure on contractors he expects about 10 bids, from which the council would shortlist up to three, and that the budget carries a contingency of about 30 per cent. Queensland Rail said it supports the upgrade.
Not everyone wanted this design. Cr Murphy said the council had earlier promised $40 million toward an overpass, but a flyover would have cost more than $200 million, and even with federal money that was out of reach without a much larger state contribution. He said the advice was that Lindum would not rank in the top 10 sites for a flyover because of its traffic volumes. Politicians from local, state and federal levels, and from both government and opposition, have promised various upgrades with different proposals and costs since the early 2000s. That history dominated the council debate, with the LNP and Labor each claiming credit and accusing the other of ignoring the problem.
A few suburbs away, the picture is different. The Coopers Plains level crossing at Boundary Road is stalled indefinitely. All three levels of government have promised funding for an overpass there, led by the state government, and construction was meant to start in 2025. Federal Labor MP for Moreton Julie-Ann Campbell told 612 ABC Brisbane's Steve Austin that consultation, design, land acquisition and demolition are all done, yet there is no construction date. She recalled first standing at the roadside with a sign campaigning for the fix in her 20s; she is now in her 40s, and she said some residents have waited up to half a century.
Ms Campbell said state Labor MP for Toohey Peter Russo and Labor councillor for Moorooka Steve Griffiths are working with the community to press the state government for a start timeline. The Department of Transport and Main Roads said in a statement that it is committed to the project for "future delivery" and that planning is well advanced. Ms Campbell is convening a public town hall at Coopers Plains State School from 5:30pm, on a Monday the source dates as October 9.
For now, Lindum's next marker is the January tender, while Coopers Plains still waits for any date at all.
Citazioni salienti
A flyover would have exceeded $200 million, and all the advice was that Lindum would not even rank in the top 10 to receive a flyover, due to traffic volumes.— Ryan Murphy, Brisbane City Council infrastructure chair
When I first held up a sign to fight for this crossing to be fixed I was in my 20s and now I'm in my 40s.— Julie-Ann Campbell, federal Labor MP for Moreton
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