Cross River Rail VS COVID-19

Brisbane’s Cross River Rail project is moving forward despite the ongoing repercussions of COVID-19. The Queensland Government-led project has been a major contributor towards maintaining employment during the pandemic and is showing no signs of slowing down. The transit-oriented development continues to inject over four million dollars per day into the economy, 90% of which is being spent here in Queensland. Once completed, the venture will have produced four new Brisbane underground stations, three new Gold Coast stations and upgrades to eight other stations on the fringes of Brisbane City. The stations receiving major works are rapidly progressing to accommodate the forecasted demand for passenger rail services, which is set to triple by 2036. Please read on for a brief overview of each…

Roma Street Station

Unofficially dubbed ‘Brisbane’s Grand Central’, Roma Street Transit Centre is currently being demolished to make way for a bigger and better plaza that will connect commuters with suburban trains, regional trains, buses and the Brisbane Metro. The transformation of the previously under-utilised complex will offer a revival for the district including the Brisbane Live Entertainment Precinct, a recently approved arena for live entertainment and international sporting events.

UPDATE: The Inner Norther Busway that would normally run through Roma Street Station has been closed since the 18^th of May to enable the safe demolition of the Brisbane Transit Centre. Temporary bus stops have been put in place to cater for the unavailable stops and demolition is on track to be completed by late 2020.

Albert Street Station

Albert Street Station will offer the southern end of the CBD a more convenient transport option and will improve access to the Parliamentary precinct, QUT Gardens Point Campus, the Queens Wharf development and Eagle Street. As the first new CBD train station to be built in more than 120 years, it is set to be the busiest station on the network taking an estimated 70,000 passengers a day once in operation.

UPDATE: To enable construction of the station, the section of Albert Street between Mary and Charlotte street is blocked off for traffic. There has been controlled underground blasting underway since early June and this will continue for approximately two months.

Woolloongabba Station

Sports lovers will rejoice as soon you will be able to travel from the CBD to The Gabba in less than five minutes. Positioned off Woolloongabba’s major intersection, the station will incorporate retail, restaurants, residential accommodation, commercial space and a connecting bridge from the transport hub across to the iconic sports stadium. The infrastructure is set to breathe new life into the popular precinct and improve accessibility to the typically hard-to-get-to sporting arena.

UPDATE: Woolloongabba Station is well underway with 24/7 site operation commencing the second week of July. With continued works being carried out including structural steelwork, excavation and survey monitoring, the new ‘Sports Station’ is one of the most advanced of the new builds in the project.

Boggo Road Station

Boggo Road has evolved from a once historic prison to the recognised health, science and education precinct that it is today. This station will connect to the new Inner-City South Secondary school that is currently under construction and will link up with the Brisbane Metro line. The new technology district is set to become South East Queensland’s second busiest transport interchange with 22,000 people estimated to use the new station each week.

UPDATE: The Eastern end of Boggo Road and Joe Baker Street will be closed each day from 6.30pm to 6.30am for the second half of July to install sewer infrastructure, saw cutting and excavating. Signed detours and traffic control will be in place to assist motorists and alternative access for pedestrians has been implemented.

Exhibition Station

Traditionally only operating during the EKKA period, Exhibition Station will also be refurbished to an all-year-round transport platform for the RBWH and RNA Showgrounds. The upgrade to the station has been welcomed by residents, employees and visitors of the rapidly growing suburb and will complement the Victoria Park redevelopment and the new King Street lifestyle precinct.

UPDATE: As of July, the removal of trees and redundant structures that are within the path of the project has began. Some of the disruptions to expect during this construction include traffic management and personnel, use of heavy machinery and pedestrian diversions around wok areas.

The locations of the new stations have been selected based on key-inner city growth areas with a major focus on unlocking commuter bottlenecks. In addition to the four new depots, upgrades are planned for Dutton Park, Salisbury, Rocklea, Moorooka, Yeerongpilly, Yeronga and Fairfield, while the new Gold Coast Stations are scheduled for Pimpima, Helensvale North and Merrimac.