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Mellish said the government and Airtrain were still “miles apart” in terms of how much it might cost to bring the contract to a premature end.
Still, Treasurer Cameron Dick said the government still hoped to negotiate a way out of the contract.
“It’s a dud deal done by a dud LNP government that’s dudded Queenslanders – that’s the reality about this deal,” he said.
“It’s not a public sector line. It’s not a public rail line. It’s a private rail line, which means it’s so hard for the government to provide benefits to Queenslanders using this line.”
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Airtrain chief executive Chris Basche said they had worked closely with TMR to participate in the six-month trial.
“Passenger volumes have been growing very strongly and this initiative will encourage even more people to use Airtrain,” he said.
Asked whether an LNP government would be able to break the contract with Airtrain, Crisafulli was not definitive.
“If we have the attitude and discipline to sit down with the Airtrain provider, the airport and the Department of Transport and Main Roads, we can deliver long-term structural reform, which will benefit commuters,” he said.
The 8.5-kilometre train line was completed in 2001 for about $200 million and, in return for building the infrastructure, Airtrain was promised 35 years’ worth of fares.
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Patronage never lived up to expectations, and UK pension fund Universities Superannuation Scheme bought Airtrain for $109 million in 2012.
But network changes due to the introduction of Cross River Rail would result in the loss of one of Airtrain’s selling points – a direct connection to the Gold Coast.
That link not only formed a major part of Airtrain’s business case, but was also, it was understood, part of its contract with the Queensland government.