Central railway station, Brisbane
Encyclopedia
Central railway station is, as the name suggests, the central railway station for the Queensland Rail
City network in the Brisbane central business district
, the state capital of Queensland
, Australia
. A major interchange for train services on the City network, Central is located in Zone 1 of the TransLink
integrated public transport system.
, and opened on 18 August 1889 as a terminus of the line after Roma Street railway station
. In 1891 the tunnel to Brunswick Street railway station (now Fortitude Valley railway station) was opened so trains could run directly from Central to northern destinations.
An elegant new station was constructed and opened in 1899 with arches of corrugated galvanised iron over the platforms and a portico
on Ann Street
.
In 1904, Central had the only electro-pneumatic system in Australia for changing points and signals.
A new entrance with its distinctive row of clocks was constructed in 1901 in sandstone from nearby quarries.
Anne Street was widened in 1954 for the construction of government offices which required the portico to be demolished.
The vaulted roof was removed in 1966 and replaced by awnings over each platform.
Redevelopment of the station began in 1968 and 1970 with office towers built over the platforms at the Edward Street end, involving the demolition of the 1901 entrance buildings and the construction of a modern pedestrian retail concourse behind the old station buildings.
Further redevelopment in the 1980s saw the Sheraton Hotel
towers (now Sofitel
Brisbane) built over the remaining platforms.
In 1996, four new tunnels were constructed between Central and Brunswick Street (now Fortitude Valley) and Roma Street stations, with two new platforms added to Central to increase capacity, especially with new services commencing on the rebuilt Gold Coast line.
on Ann Street
, directly opposite ANZAC Square
. Pedestrian access is available from the main entrance at the corner of Ann and Edward
Streets, the pedestrian subway connecting ANZAC Square
with Upper Edward Street and from the corner of Ann Street and Creek Street
. Lesser used access points are located off Wickham Terrace and from Edward Street via the courtyard of the Railway Centre, the headquarters of QR National
.
There is elevator
access to Central Station from Ann Street opposite the Shrine of Remembrance
, and from Wickham Terrace on the northern corner of the complex. There are also escalators to Central Station from ANZAC Square Arcade, next to ANZAC Square.
The Central Station complex houses a McDonald's
restaurant, newsagents, cafes, a men's hairdresser, and a QR
Travel Centre.
, some services may use different platforms from those listed below:
Queensland Rail
Queensland Rail, also known as QR, is a government-owned railway operator in the state of Queensland. Under the control of the Queensland Government, Queensland Rail operates the inner-city and long-distance passenger services, as well as some freight operations and gives railway access to other...
City network in the Brisbane central business district
Brisbane central business district
The Brisbane central business district , sometimes referred to as the city, is a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and is located on a point on the northern bank of the Brisbane River. The triangular shaped area is bounded by the Brisbane River to the east, south and west...
, the state capital of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. A major interchange for train services on the City network, Central is located in Zone 1 of the TransLink
TransLink (South East Queensland)
The TransLink Transit Authority is the authority introduced by the Queensland Government in June 2003 as a section of Queensland Transport to coordinate and integrate rail, bus and ferry services. TransLink works with Airtrain, Brisbane Transport, Brisbane Ferries, QR Citytrain and 17 other...
integrated public transport system.
History
The first building for Central railway station was a structure of wood and corrugated galvanised ironCorrugated galvanised iron
Corrugated galvanised iron is a building material composed of sheets of hot-dip galvanised mild steel, cold-rolled to produce a linear corrugated pattern in them...
, and opened on 18 August 1889 as a terminus of the line after Roma Street railway station
Roma Street railway station, Brisbane
Roma Street railway station is a major railway station in the Brisbane central business district, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. It was Brisbane's first railway station, opening in 1876...
. In 1891 the tunnel to Brunswick Street railway station (now Fortitude Valley railway station) was opened so trains could run directly from Central to northern destinations.
An elegant new station was constructed and opened in 1899 with arches of corrugated galvanised iron over the platforms and a portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
on Ann Street
Ann Street, Brisbane
Ann Street runs parallel to Adelaide Street and is the northern-most street in the Brisbane CBD in Queensland, Australia. It is a major thoroughfare, running straight through the city and linking the suburb of Fortitude Valley with the Riverside Expressway....
.
In 1904, Central had the only electro-pneumatic system in Australia for changing points and signals.
A new entrance with its distinctive row of clocks was constructed in 1901 in sandstone from nearby quarries.
Anne Street was widened in 1954 for the construction of government offices which required the portico to be demolished.
The vaulted roof was removed in 1966 and replaced by awnings over each platform.
Redevelopment of the station began in 1968 and 1970 with office towers built over the platforms at the Edward Street end, involving the demolition of the 1901 entrance buildings and the construction of a modern pedestrian retail concourse behind the old station buildings.
Further redevelopment in the 1980s saw the Sheraton Hotel
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts is Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's largest and second oldest brand . Starwood's headquarters are in White Plains, New York.-Sheraton history:...
towers (now Sofitel
Sofitel
Sofitel is a luxury hotel chain managed by Accor, which opened its first property in Strasbourg in 1964. Its first overseas opening in Minneapolis, USA was in 1974. In 1995 Sofitel had 100 hotels in 40 countries and employed 12500 people....
Brisbane) built over the remaining platforms.
In 1996, four new tunnels were constructed between Central and Brunswick Street (now Fortitude Valley) and Roma Street stations, with two new platforms added to Central to increase capacity, especially with new services commencing on the rebuilt Gold Coast line.
Station configuration
Central railway station is located at the northern end of the Brisbane central business districtBrisbane central business district
The Brisbane central business district , sometimes referred to as the city, is a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and is located on a point on the northern bank of the Brisbane River. The triangular shaped area is bounded by the Brisbane River to the east, south and west...
on Ann Street
Ann Street, Brisbane
Ann Street runs parallel to Adelaide Street and is the northern-most street in the Brisbane CBD in Queensland, Australia. It is a major thoroughfare, running straight through the city and linking the suburb of Fortitude Valley with the Riverside Expressway....
, directly opposite ANZAC Square
Anzac Square, Brisbane
ANZAC Square, named in honour of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, is a Queensland state memorial to men and women who participated in overseas armed service. It is located between Ann Street and Adelaide Street , in Brisbane, Australia. ANZAC Square is adjacent to ANZAC Square Arcade...
. Pedestrian access is available from the main entrance at the corner of Ann and Edward
Edward Street, Brisbane
Edward Street is a busy thoroughfare in the Brisbane central business district, Queensland, Australia. It is a one way street located between Albert Street and Creek Street, and runs from Upper Edward Street to Alice Street....
Streets, the pedestrian subway connecting ANZAC Square
Anzac Square, Brisbane
ANZAC Square, named in honour of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, is a Queensland state memorial to men and women who participated in overseas armed service. It is located between Ann Street and Adelaide Street , in Brisbane, Australia. ANZAC Square is adjacent to ANZAC Square Arcade...
with Upper Edward Street and from the corner of Ann Street and Creek Street
Creek Street, Brisbane
Creek Street is a major street in the central business district of Brisbane. Although the street is immediately within the Brisbane CBD, it has not been named accordingly, similar to that of other streets in the CBD...
. Lesser used access points are located off Wickham Terrace and from Edward Street via the courtyard of the Railway Centre, the headquarters of QR National
QR National
QR National Limited is the largest rail freight company in Australia and was formerly owned by the Queensland Government. It was created as an independent company on 1 July 2010 when transport and logistics company QR Limited was split into two companies...
.
There is elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
access to Central Station from Ann Street opposite the Shrine of Remembrance
Shrine of Remembrance, Brisbane
The Shrine of Remembrance is located in ANZAC Square, between Ann Street and Adelaide Street, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. With its 'Eternal Flame', the Shrine is a war memorial dedicated to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps ....
, and from Wickham Terrace on the northern corner of the complex. There are also escalators to Central Station from ANZAC Square Arcade, next to ANZAC Square.
The Central Station complex houses a McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
restaurant, newsagents, cafes, a men's hairdresser, and a QR
Queensland Rail
Queensland Rail, also known as QR, is a government-owned railway operator in the state of Queensland. Under the control of the Queensland Government, Queensland Rail operates the inner-city and long-distance passenger services, as well as some freight operations and gives railway access to other...
Travel Centre.
Services by platform
Central railway station serves all suburban and interurban lines. The platforms at Central are numbered from 1 to 6, with 1 being the easternmost platform and 6 the westernmost. Services typically use platforms in a predictable fashion, however during peak periodsRush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
, some services may use different platforms from those listed below: