By Eluan Waldron

The Queensland Government has announced a four-week review of the controversial Cross River Rail project.

State Minister for Transport and Main Roads Scott Emerson has announced a report into the affordability and need for the $6 billion project.

The report, due by June 13, will also investigate problems within the current rail system.

Rails Back on Track spokesperson Robert Dow says the project is an important step in dealing with increasing rail congestion.

He says the current system is struggling to meet passenger demands as there is only one central rail line in the inner-city.

“This means that there is a limit to how many trains can run a peak hour,” he says.

“We’re starting to approach that limit and that means we can’t get extra trains out on the lines such as the Cleveland line, the Gold Coast line and particularly the Beenleigh line.”

With the Merivale Bridge set to reach its capacity within four years, Mr Dow says the Cross River Rail scheme would provide much needed relief for commuters.

“As we have seen this year on a couple of occasions when we have a major problem on that core part of the network between Roma Street and Bowen Hills everything stops,” he says.

“A cross river rail will actually give a bypass so if there is a problem we’ve still got the other one going.”

Queensland commuters react

Some Queensland Rail customers have welcomed the proposed Cross River Rail project.

Cleveland-line commuter Stefan Saric, who was so fed up with regular delays and unreliable train rides, has posted an open letter on Queensland Rail’s Facebook page.

In the letter, Mr Saric says he found the organisation’s lack of customer service even more disappointing than the delays themselves.

“It got to a point where I was just frustrated with the service at the time and I thought it was appropriate for me to say how I felt.”

He says while he values public transport, it is important for governments to maintain quality and keep up with demand.

“I think public transport is very important and people who have it available to them should use it,” he says.

“In saying that public transport should always be improving, it should always be meeting the demands and needs of the community.”