Transport in Townsville, Queensland facts for kids
Have you ever wondered how people and goods move around a big city? In Townsville, Queensland, there are many ways to get from one place to another! This city, located right by the coast, uses roads, trains, boats, planes, and public buses to keep everything moving smoothly. Let's explore how transport works in Townsville!
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Roads in Townsville
Townsville has a great network of roads that help people travel around the city and to other places. The main highway, called the Bruce Highway (also known as A1), goes around the city's western side. Another important road, the Flinders Highway (A6), connects Townsville to places further west, like Mount Isa. This highway even goes all the way to the Northern Territory!
The Bruce Highway is super important because it links Townsville to many other big cities along the eastern coast of Queensland. These include Cairns, Mackay, Rockhampton, and even the state capital, Brisbane.
Townsville Ring Road
Townsville also has its own special highway that goes around the city, like a big loop. It's called the Townsville Ring Road. This road is actually a newer part of the Bruce Highway. It helps traffic bypass the city center, making travel faster. The first part of this ring road, called Douglas Arterial Road, opened in 2005. The second part was finished in 2009.
Local Roads
Besides the big highways, Townsville has many smaller roads. These are managed by the state and local governments. They help people get to all the different suburbs and areas within the city. These local roads are really important, especially when there's heavy rain or other natural events. They make sure everyone can still get around safely.
Train Travel in Townsville
Trains play a big role in Townsville, both for people and for moving goods.
Passenger Trains
The main train line for passengers, called the North Coast railway line, runs right through Townsville. Another line from the west joins it in the southern part of the city. You can catch a train from Brisbane that goes through Townsville and continues all the way up to Cairns.
Since October 2013, a modern train called the Spirit of Queensland has been running services to and from Brisbane and Cairns. Imagine taking a comfortable train ride along the coast! In 2019, there was an idea to use the existing train tracks within Townsville for local passenger services. This could help people in suburbs that don't have many public transport options. However, the Queensland State Government decided not to do this for now, mainly because of money issues.
Freight Trains
Townsville is a very important place for moving goods by train. Big companies like Aurizon and Pacific National handle huge containers of goods. For example, minerals like nickel and copper from local factories, and other minerals from places like Mount Isa, are brought to the port by train. From there, they are loaded onto ships and sent to other parts of the world.
Public Transport Options
Townsville has a good public transport system to help people get around without a car.
Bus Services
The main way to get around by public transport is by bus. Sunbus operates regular bus services to many parts of the city. They even have express routes that get you to places faster. For example, certain bus routes connect the city center to the Townsville Hospital and the Townsville Shopping Centre. There's also a bus route that goes from the city center all the way to Bushland Beach, run by Hermit Park Bus Service.
Taxis
If you need to get somewhere quickly or at any time of day or night, taxis are available 24 hours a day. They can take you to any part of the Townsville area.
Sea Transport
Townsville has a very important port located at the mouth of Ross Creek. The Port of Townsville is a busy place! It mainly handles things like cement and nickel ore. The nickel ore is sent to the Yabulu Nickel Refinery, which is about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) north of the port, for processing.
The port is also a major place for exporting sugar and other products from mines in northern Queensland. It has three huge sheds just for storing sugar. The newest one is the biggest indoor storage area in all of Australia!
Ferry Services
If you want to visit nearby islands, regular ferry services run from Townsville. You can catch a ferry to Magnetic Island or Palm Island. The ferries to Magnetic Island are operated by Sunferries.
Air Travel
Townsville Airport in Garbutt is a very important airport. It was made much bigger by the United States Armed Forces during World War II. For a while, it was even the largest airfield in the southern hemisphere! The airport has been rebuilt and updated many times since then.
Townsville Airport is a hub for Alliance Airlines, a regional airline that flies charter services to big mines in outback Queensland. The airport also shares its land with RAAF Base Townsville, which is a base for the Australian Air Force.
In 2003, the airport got a big upgrade with new areas for people arriving and departing, and new aerobridges to make boarding planes easier. Townsville Airport has direct flights to major Australian cities like Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. You can also fly directly to many regional centers in Queensland, including Cairns, Mackay, and Mount Isa.
International flights started again on December 3, 2010, with Strategic Airlines flying to Bali (Denpasar) twice a week. In 2015, Jetstar also began regular international flights from Townsville to Denpasar, Bali.
All three major Australian domestic airlines – Qantas, Jetstar, and Virgin Australia – fly from Townsville Airport. Plus, regional airlines like QantasLink, Rex Airlines, Alliance Airlines, and Skytrans Airlines also use the airport.
