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Queensland Rail and seven unions reached in-principle deals on the remaining enterprise agreements on Friday, September 18, 2026, Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg said in a ministerial statement, opening a dated path off the reduced southeast Queensland timetable. Brisbane Times reported the last of the seven agreements was struck just after lunch at Central Station.
Travelers should plan around two calendars, not one. Mickelberg said 91 percent of services return on October 12 and a full timetable is the target by the end of November, while Gold Coast and Beenleigh passengers still face three weeks of rail replacement buses from Saturday, September 19, for separate track work. Anyone building an Australia itinerary around Brisbane or the Gold Coast should treat those dates as booking constraints and check the month-by-month best time to visit Australia guide before locking hotel nights or airport transfers.
- Deal: Friday, September 18, 2026, in-principle on remaining Queensland Rail agreements.
- 91 percent service: October 12, 2026, per Mickelberg.
- Full timetable: end of November 2026, subject to the maintenance backlog.
- Gold Coast and Beenleigh: rail replacement buses for three weeks from September 19.
- Still required: employee votes on the agreements.
October 12 Restores 91 Percent of Weekly Services
Mickelberg told ABC News the network can restore 91 percent of services from October 12 and will aim to restore all services by the end of November. That is a staged return, not an overnight switch back to the pre-dispute timetable.
Queensland Rail head of corporate affairs Nev Conway told ABC the October 12 step adds 417 weekly services, or about 83 extra trains a day. Brisbane Times quoted him putting that week at 7,725 services, rising later to 8,503. Treat 7,725 as the 91 percent operating week and 8,503 as the full-network target.
The Fair Work Commission has hosted bargaining since May. Deputy president Nicholas Lake recommended an employee vote as soon as possible, Brisbane Times reported. Until that vote is counted, the restore dates are the published plan, not a ratified instrument.
Full Timetable Waits on the Maintenance Backlog
The pay deals do not put every train back on the tracks. Conway told Brisbane Times a rollingstock maintenance backlog will delay a full timetable because, for more than four months, little maintenance was done during protected industrial action.
October 12 is the dated 91 percent restore. November is the full-timetable aim, and it moves only as fast as the backlog clears. Do not assume November frequencies exist in mid-October for a peak airport train or a same-day Gold Coast connection.
Queensland Rail has also been changing how trains are controlled on parts of the City network. The operator has already begun ETCS Level 2 on the Shorncliffe line, a signaling project separate from the pay dispute. Do not conflate that rollout with the October 12 frequency restore. One is how the railway is driven. The other is how many services actually run.
Beenleigh and Gold Coast Lines Shift to Buses for Three Weeks
Mickelberg made the pay-deal announcement a day before major track closures on the Beenleigh and Gold Coast lines. Brisbane Times reported those closures are timed to school holidays and cover a pedestrian overpass at Moorooka, work on the new Loganlea station, and a section of the Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail project.
Gold Coast and Beenleigh passengers will be on rail replacement buses for three weeks from Saturday, September 19. A visitor moving on September 20 still needs the coach, even though the pay dispute now has a published October restore. Build extra time at both ends. Do not count on a train for a cruise, park, or airport connection during that window.
Brisbane Times also flagged timetable changes on the Airport, Cleveland, Doomben, and Ferny Grove lines. Check Translink for the station you use. A named line in a roundup is not a full cancellation map.
Employee Votes Still Sit Between the Deal and the Timetable
The agreements include a guaranteed 8.5 percent wage increase over three years, Brisbane Times reported. ABC said the package also includes a further inflation-linked uplift, and that employees will now vote. Mickelberg said some agreements backdate to June and those reached this month backdate to September 1.
Rail, Tram and Bus Union branch secretary Peter Allen told ABC the government now needs to get full services running. That is a union position, not an operating notice. Keep October 12 and November as the Mickelberg and Conway dates.
ABC reported Queensland Rail signed a deal covering around half of its almost 6,000-strong workforce in June and reached an agreement last month with almost 300 train controllers. Friday’s announcement is the remaining agreements. Earlier deals did not restore a full weekday timetable, which is why October 12 and November are the booking facts.
Airport and Suburban Lines Still Need a Same-Day Check
Airport-line passengers should not read 91 percent as a matching train for every flight on October 12. Conway’s 83 extra trains a day are network-wide, not an Airport-line timetable. If you land in October, confirm Airtrain and City network times against the flight and keep a road fallback for the first restore week.
A commuter who can shift to October 13 or later is on the 91 percent calendar. A visitor who must move on September 21 is on the bus calendar. Those are different tickets on the same railway.
Mickelberg did not publish the full cost of the agreements, ABC noted. Employee vote dates were not in the ministerial statement or the two news reports. Until Queensland Rail posts the October 12 timetable, plan with the percentage and the November aim, then refresh the week you travel.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Commute on the southeast Queensland City network from October 12 | Expect about 91 percent of weekly services, including roughly 83 extra trains a day, and recheck your specific peak train that week. |
| Need a full pre-dispute timetable | Wait for the end of November target. Do not book a tight connection against October frequencies. |
| Travel the Gold Coast or Beenleigh line from September 19 | Budget three weeks of rail replacement buses for school-holiday track work, separate from the pay deal. |
| Use the Airport, Cleveland, Doomben, or Ferny Grove lines this holiday window | Confirm the station-level Translink notice. The roundup lists changes, not a full cancellation map. |
Saturday, September 19, is the Gold Coast and Beenleigh bus gate. From that morning, plan rail replacement coaches for three weeks of track work, including Moorooka, Loganlea, and Faster Rail sites.
Monday, October 12, is the 91 percent restore. Use that date for commuting and most visitor trips, then verify the actual train against Queensland Rail before you leave.
The end of November is the full-timetable aim. Hold peak-capacity plans until the maintenance backlog is cleared, and watch the employee vote because the deals are still in-principle.
When do southeast Queensland trains return to normal?
Mickelberg said 91 percent of services return on October 12, 2026, with a full timetable targeted by the end of November. Conway tied the first step to 7,725 weekly services and about 83 extra trains a day.
Is the Queensland Rail dispute finished?
The government and Queensland Rail announced in-principle deals on the remaining seven agreements on September 18, 2026. Employees still vote, so treat the restore dates as the published plan rather than a closed industrial file.
Are Gold Coast trains running during the September school holidays?
Gold Coast and Beenleigh passengers are on rail replacement buses for three weeks from September 19 for track work. That shutdown is separate from the pay deal and sits before the October 12 restore.
Does the Airport line get a full timetable on October 12?
No station-level Airport-line timetable was published with the announcement. The 91 percent figure is network-wide. Confirm Airtrain and City network times against your flight.
