Cleveland line trains were delayed for up to 10 minutes in both directions this morning due to a track fault at Birkdale station.
Queensland Rail technicians were on site after 8.15am trying to fix the problem believed to be a signal no working.
The track failure also affected stations further down the line to Brisbane with commuters left stranded at Thorneside station, where trains were delayed and cancelled.
The state Transport Department apologised to train passengers for the delays and the failure to get buses in to compensate.
Queensland Rail said alternative transport was not considered appropriate as the time required to arrange buses, transfer passengers to the service and transport them to their destination would have far exceeded the time services were delayed.
More than 10 early morning services were affected with most delays between 10 to 15 minutes.
Two services were cancelled from Thorneside to Cleveland and one train was delayed for about 30minutes.
Trains on the line were back on track and on time by 11am.
Irate Thorneside commuter Grahame Wells said the rail operations centre refused to put on buses or make alternative arrangements such as taxis.
He said commuters were also given poor information as the journey planner website only mentioned delays to one train.
"I want the minister (Scott Emerson) to explain why the service on the Cleveland line beyond Manly is second class?" Mr Wells said.
"Passengers on the Cleveland line have had to endure years of signal failures and a train service that with each so-called timetable or service upgrade results in longer travel times to the city.
"The single line between Cleveland and Manly often results in trains being held at Thorneside while waiting for the track to clear."
The Transport Department said the performance of the Cleveland line had improved since 2012.
The spokesman said the on-time running result for line increased from 91.81 per cent in the 2011/12 financial year, to 96.18 per cent last financial year.
In the last financial year, the majority of the Cleveland line was shut for three days after a passenger train ploughed over some bollards and into the station master's building, crushing the toilet block.
