Brisbane’s Albert Street train station will not open to passengers until 2029 – but 40 train enthusiasts will get the chance to take a sneak peek next month.
This is what they will see.
The Albert Street station, in the heart of the CBD, is one of four new underground stations being built for Cross River Rail, and while the fitout is nudging towards completion, with escalators running and seats and artwork installed, there are still several years of testing ahead before it can open to the public.
However, as part of Brisbane Open House, winners of a random ballot will get to explore the station before it opens, in a tour led by senior engineers and representatives from architecture firm Hassell.
The Albert Street station, 31 metres below the surface, will be the first train station to open in Brisbane’s CBD in more than 20 years.
Its 220-metre-long platform, with safety screens that remain shut until the train arrives, is designed with the future in mind.
It can accommodate trains up to nine carriages long, even though Brisbane’s trains currently have up to six.
Despite being so far underground, mobile phone services will continue, while flood mitigation is being subtly cemented into new steps, and a hidden barrier in the roof of the shade structure over the “green spine” area outside can be lowered during flooding events.
There are 29 escalators, including Queensland’s longest, at 37.5 metres.
Cross River Rail Delivery Authority chief executive Graeme Newton said excavation for the station went down about 50 metres.
“A passenger will come down four banks of escalators, then down onto the platform, so it’s different, and it [a large underground station] hasn’t been done before in Queensland,” he said.
“But people who have travelled overseas, or even in Sydney, they’ll know what to expect.
“The open space is really designed to make people feel comfortable in that below-ground environment.”
Newton said the architectural finishes were a nod to the Queenslander look, “as if you were walking out onto a verandah on a Queenslander, with the panelling”.
Brisbane Open House co-chair Malcolm Middleton said Cross River Rail was one of the big projects happening in the city.
“It’s not finished yet, but we have a chance for a sneak preview of the Albert Street station for a small number of people because it’s a highly controlled work site,” he said.
“We will be able to offer access for 40 people … we have a random selection process.”
Ballot entries open from 9am on Thursday, July 2 and close at 9am on Thursday, July 9, ahead of the tour on Sunday, July 19.
Last year, Brisbane Open House ran a similar event for the Roma Street station, with more than 3000 people applying for two tours of just 12 people each.
Cross River Rail, which was first mooted in 2010, was slated to open in 2024 when work began in 2017. Services are now expected to begin in 2029.
Brisbane Open House will be held on July 18 and 19, with 93 buildings included in 2026.
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