Environmental and safety impact of Brisbane’s Airtrain operations: Impact of passengers using rail rather than cars to reach Brisbane Airport

Airtrain is the private operator of the rail link from Brisbane Airport to the central business district (CBD) and Gold Coast. With over a million passenger trips each year, Airtrain offers a significant alternative to road transport. Brisbane’s Airtrain is a private business which operates two train stations at Brisbane Airport. Trains from the airport travel to five stations in Brisbane CBD and on to the Gold Coast. Connections can be made to all suburban rail stations on the QR suburban network. Trains depart every 15 minutes during the core peak hours and every 30 minutes for the remainder of the day. Airtrain operates 70 services each day between 6.00am and 7.30pm. This report summarises the findings of a study into the impact of Airtrain operations on the likely amount of car trips avoided and hence on likely avoided CO2 emissions and road crashes in South East Queensland (SEQ). Potential benefits from a mode shift from road to rail for passenger trips: (a) For those trips which remain on the road network: Travel time savings; Vehicle operating costs savings; Vehicle crash savings (b) For those trips which are now on Airtrain and which would have been on the road network: Reductions in vehicle emissions – different levels of reduction for each pollutant type; Reductions in noise pollution; Reductions in road maintenance costs from reduced traffic flows (deferred expenditures); Reductions in road capital expenditure from reduced traffic flows (deferred expenditures) (c) Other Impacts ‘Options’ value – this refers to the value placed by individuals on Airtrain irrespective of whether they use the system or not. Even if the system is not used, there is a benefit derived from the fact that the option is available if needed. Such a benefit is associated with the unexpected use of a transit system and it has been measured through the willingness to pay to have the option of using the new system, TAG (2004 and 2004a).