 Due to the popularity of the motor car in the 1950s and political interest in funding road transport, the Tweed Heads stretch of the line was closed in 1961 with the Southport line closing itself in 1964.For over 30 years since closure of the South Coast line in 1964 the closest railway station for the Gold Coast was in Beenleigh.A new railway line following a different alignment adjacent to the Pacific Motorway called the Gold Coast railway line was finally constructed with the first stage completed to Helensvale in 1996, once again giving the growing city of the Gold Coast a rail connection to Brisbane.