Central railway station is located on the North Coast line in Queensland, Australia. It is the principal station on the City network and is located in the north of the Brisbane central business district. Central station is one of four inner city stations that form a core corridor through the centre of Brisbane.^[1]

Quick Facts General information, Location ...

Central
Ann Street entrance in June 2020
General information
Location	Corner Ann & Edward Streets, Brisbane
Coordinates	27.4659°S 153.0261°E / -27.4659; 153.0261
Owned by	Queensland Rail
Operated by	Queensland Rail
Line(s)	North Coast
Platforms	6 (3 islands)
Construction
Structure type	Underground (Partly Sub-Terrain)
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Status	Staffed
Station code	600018 (platform 1) 600017 (platform 2) 600016 (platform 3) 600020 (platform 4) 600019 (platform 5) 600024 (platform 6)
Fare zone	go card 1
Website	Queensland Rail
History
Opened	18 August 1889; 134 years ago (1889-08-18)
Electrified	Yes
Services
Preceding station Queensland Rail Following station Roma Street Continues as the Gold Coast line towards Varsity Lakes Airport Line Fortitude Valley towards Domestic Airport Fortitude Valley towards Bowen Hills Beenleigh Line Roma Street towards Beenleigh Roma Street Terminus Caboolture Line Fortitude Valley towards Caboolture Fortitude Valley towards Bowen Hills Cleveland Line Roma Street towards Cleveland Roma Street Terminus Doomben Line Fortitude Valley towards Doomben Roma Street Exhibition Line Bi-directional loop Fortitude Valley Roma Street Terminus Ferny Grove Line Fortitude Valley towards Ferny Grove Fortitude Valley Continues as the Airport line towards Domestic Terminal Gold Coast Line Roma Street towards Varsity Lakes Fortitude Valley towards Bowen Hills Ipswich & Rosewood Line Roma Street towards Ipswich or Rosewood Roma Street Terminus Redcliffe Peninsula Line Fortitude Valley towards Kippa-Ring Shorncliffe Line Fortitude Valley towards Shorncliffe Fortitude Valley towards Bowen Hills Springfield Line Roma Street towards Springfield Central Roma Street Terminus Sunshine Coast Line Fortitude Valley towards Nambour or Gympie North

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The first building for Central railway station was a structure of wood and corrugated galvanised iron, and opened on 18 August 1889 as the terminus of the line when it was extended from Roma Street railway station.^[2] In 1891, the tunnel to Brunswick Street station (now Fortitude Valley) was opened so trains could run directly from Central to northern destinations.^[3]

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.^[3] A new entrance with its distinctive row of clocks was constructed in 1901 in sandstone from nearby quarries. In 1904, Central had the only electro-pneumatic system in Australia for changing points and signals.^[4]

The station had two through and two bay platforms. In 1909, the bay platforms were converted to through platforms.^[2]

In the 1940s, an American soldier was arrested after stabbing a Brisbane woman and a group of Australian soldiers. ^[5]

Ann 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.^[4]

Between 1968 and 1970, the station was redeveloped 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 saw the Sheraton Hotel Towers (now Sofitel Brisbane) constructed in 1984 over the remaining platforms.^[6]

As part of the quadruplication of the line from Roma Street station to Bowen Hills, Platforms 5 and 6 opened on 11 June 1996.^{[7][8][9][10]}

In early 2017, a major upgrade to the station commenced.^[11][12]

Central railway station is located at the northern end of the Brisbane central business district 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.

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.

Central station is served by all suburban and interurban City network lines.^{[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]} Also see Inner City timetable.^[22]