South Brisbane railway station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids South Brisbane
The station building in August 2017
Location	Grey Street, South Brisbane
Coordinates	27°28′30″S 153°01′07″E / 27.4750°S 153.0186°E / -27.4750; 153.0186
Elevation	9 metres
Owned by	Queensland Rail
Operated by	City network
Line(s)	Beenleigh, Cleveland, Gold Coast
Distance	2.63 kilometres from Central
Platforms	3 (1 side, 1 island)
Tracks	4
Connections	Cultural Centre busway station
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	600012 (platform 1) 600186 (platform 2) 600187 (platform 3)
Fare zone	go card 1
Website	Queensland Rail
History
Opened	1884
Rebuilt	1891, 1978
Electrified	Yes
Previous names	Melbourne Street
Services
Preceding station Queensland Rail Following station Roma Street towards Bowen Hills Beenleigh Line South Bank towards Beenleigh Cleveland Line South Bank towards Cleveland Gold Coast Line South Bank towards Varsity Lakes

The South Brisbane railway station is an old and important train station in South Brisbane, Australia. It is located on Grey Street. This station is one of two train stations that serve the South Brisbane area. The other one is South Bank station.

The station was built between 1891 and 1918. This makes it the second oldest train station in central Brisbane. It is also known by other names like Cultural Centre Station and Melbourne Street Station. The station is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because of its historical importance.

Train Services at South Brisbane

South Brisbane station is a busy hub for train travel. It serves three main train lines. These lines connect many parts of Queensland.

The lines are:

• Beenleigh line
• Cleveland line
• Gold Coast line

Train Destinations from Each Platform

South Brisbane station has three platforms. Each platform serves different train lines and destinations.

Getting Around: Transport Links

Right next to South Brisbane station is the Cultural Centre busway station. This bus station offers many bus services. It makes it easy to connect from trains to buses.

Nearby Attractions

South Brisbane station is in a great spot. It is close to many popular places.

Some of these places include:

• The Queensland Cultural Centre, which has the Queensland Museum.
• The Queensland Performing Arts Centre.
• The State Library.

The station is also very close to the Queensland Conservatorium. This is a music school. You can also easily reach Suncorp Piazza. Both are inside the beautiful South Bank Parklands.

History of South Brisbane Station

The first train station in this area was built in 1884. It was called Melbourne Street railway station. It was located at the corner of Melbourne and Grey Streets.

Building the Current Station

The station we see today was built in 1891. It was placed on higher ground. This new station was the end point for a new train line. This line went around the Woolloongabba train yards.

Building the new station cost a lot of money. It was the second brick station in Brisbane. The first was Roma Street railway station (opened in 1875). South Brisbane station opened before Central station, which opened in 1901.

Train services started on December 21, 1891. The station building was not fully finished yet. When it opened, it had a refreshment room. It served people traveling on the South Coast, Cleveland, and Beaudesert lines.

Changes Over Time

South Brisbane station was meant to be a temporary end point. The plan was to extend the line across the river. But in 1893, a big flood washed away the Albert Bridge. This bridge was over the Brisbane River. For two and a half years, South Brisbane station became the main station for all southern and western train services.

Between 1914 and 1918, the station was expanded. It was planned to have six platforms. This was because more people were using the southern train network. A large turntable was built in 1916. It was used to turn train engines around. This turntable was removed in 1968 when diesel engines were introduced.

In 1930, the Southern Brisbane Interstate station opened nearby. It was for trains traveling between states. This station was later removed to make space for the World Expo 88 site. Interstate train services then moved to Roma Street station in 1986.

In 1978, the train line was extended across the Merivale Bridge to Roma Street station. Because of this, two of South Brisbane's platforms were removed. The station went back to having two platforms.

However, in 1995, a third platform was reopened. This was part of building the Gold Coast line. The old interstate line was changed to allow both narrow and standard gauge trains.

In 2011, the station closed for seven weeks. This was for big repairs and to make the platforms higher. Trains still passed through but did not stop.

Station Design and Features

The South Brisbane station building is long and has two floors. It is made of brick and has a hipped corrugated-iron roof. The front of the building on Grey Street has a central entrance. This entrance has a triangular top, called a pediment.

The station platforms in 2017

On both sides of the entrance, there are sloping roofs. These roofs are supported by cast-iron columns. These columns have fancy tops called Corinthian capitals. The building also has Romanesque style windows on the top floor.

The area in front of the Grey Street entrance used to be a garden. Now, it is a car park and loading area.

Behind the main building are the train platforms. These platforms are on the same level as the upper floor of the building. This was planned for when the train line would cross the river. Platform 1 has an old-style roof with a steel frame. Platform 2 has a different type of roof that sticks out.

On both platforms, you can see many old cast-iron seats. They have the QR logo on them. Many of these seats were brought from other stations for the Expo '88 event. They have stayed there since.

Before Expo '88, the outside brickwork and cast iron were fixed. The roof was replaced. Most of the outside brickwork was painted a pink or peach color. Inside, new ceilings were put in, and new stairs were added for office staff. The inside was also repainted.

Even with these changes, the main South Brisbane Railway Station building is still mostly original. However, the turntable, two island platforms, and the front garden are no longer there.

Why South Brisbane Station is Important

South Brisbane Railway Station is a special place. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992. This means it is protected for its historical and cultural value.

Historical Importance

The station shows how important South Brisbane was for business in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It was a major train hub in southeast Queensland until 1986.

Unique Features

It is one of only three brick train stations built in Brisbane by 1901. It still has many of its original features, like the old platform seats. This makes it a great example of its type.

Architectural Beauty

The station also adds to the look of the South Brisbane area. Its design is considered beautiful and important to the town's appearance.