Brisbane Airport Rail Link (Airtrain) Buy Back Amendment Bill 2026*


Queensland Crest

An Act to amend the Transport Operations (Passenger Transport) Act 1994 for particular purposes

The Parliament of Queensland enacts—

1Short title

This Act may be cited as the Brisbane Airport Rail Link (Airtrain) Buy Back Amendment Act 2026.

2Act amended

This Act amends the Transport Operations (Passenger Transport) Act 1994.

3Insertion of new ch 7A

After chapter 7
insert—

Chapter 7A Brisbane Airport Rail Link buy back

92Definition for chapter

In this chapter—
Brisbane Airport Rail Link means the railway known as the Brisbane Airport Rail Link, linking Brisbane Airport with the railway network operated by a rail government entity.

93Implementing Brisbane Airport Rail Link buy back

(1)The Minister must, within 3 months after the relevant date, introduce a Bill in the Legislative Assembly that achieves the objectives mentioned in sections 94 and 95.
(2)In this section—
relevant date means the date of assent of the Brisbane Airport Rail Link (Airtrain) Buy Back Amendment Act 2026.

94Objective—termination of Brisbane Airport Rail Link Deed

(1)The Brisbane Airport Rail Link Deed is to be terminated.
(2)Without limiting subsection (1)—
(a)compensation payable to USS Axle, in relation to the termination of the Brisbane Airport Rail Link Deed, is not to exceed the amount that is the more recent of the following—
(i) the 2026 service concession intangible asset stated in note 13 of the document called ‘USS Axle Pty Limited ABN: 63 161 716 543 Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2026’;
(ii) an equivalent asset, however described, stated in an equivalent document for a later financial year; and
(b)any rights or obligations accrued by any party to the Brisbane Airport Rail Link Deed end on termination of the deed.
(3)In this section—
Brisbane Airport Rail Link Deed means the deed, as amended from time to time, mentioned in the document called ‘Joint Release with Joan Sheldon MLA, Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for The Arts and Vaughan Johnson MLA, Minister for Transport and Main Roads’, published on 21 April 1998.
USS Axle means USS Axle Pty Limited ACN 161 716 543.

95Objective—transfer operation of Brisbane Airport Rail Link to Queensland Rail Transit Authority

(1)The Queensland Rail Transit Authority is to operate the Brisbane Airport Rail Link.
(2)Without limiting subsection (1), in any integrated mass transit service contract for the Brisbane Airport Rail Link, a fare charged for use of the Brisbane Airport Rail Link must not exceed 50c.
(3)In this section—
Queensland Rail Transit Authority means the Queensland Rail Transit Authority established under the Queensland Rail Transit Authority Act 2013, section 6.

4Amendment of sch 3 (Dictionary)

Schedule 3
insert—
Brisbane Airport Rail Link see section 92.