Central railway station, Brisbane

Central
Ann Street entrance in July 2012
Location	Corner Ann & Edward Streets, Brisbane
Coordinates	27°27′57″S 153°01′34″E / 27.4659°S 153.0261°E / -27.4659; 153.0261Coordinates: 27°27′57″S 153°01′34″E / 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)
Disabled access	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
Electrified	Yes
Services
Preceding station   Queensland Rail   Following station Roma Street Terminus Airport Line Fortitude Valley toward Domestic Terminal Fortitude Valley toward Bowen Hills Beenleigh Line Roma Street toward Beenleigh Roma Street Terminus Caboolture Line Fortitude Valley toward Caboolture Fortitude Valley toward Bowen Hills Cleveland Line Roma Street toward Cleveland Roma Street Terminus Doomben Line Fortitude Valley toward Doomben Roma Street One-way operation Exhibition Line Fortitude Valley One-way operation Roma Street Terminus Ferny Grove Line Fortitude Valley toward Ferny Grove Fortitude Valley toward Bowen Hills Gold Coast Line Roma Street toward Varsity Lakes Fortitude Valley toward Bowen Hills Ipswich and Rosewood Line Roma Street toward Rosewood Roma Street Terminus Redcliffe Peninsula Line Fortitude Valley toward Kippa-Ring Roma Street Terminus Shorncliffe Line Fortitude Valley toward Shorncliffe Fortitude Valley toward Bowen Hills Springfield Line Roma Street toward Springfield Central Roma Street Terminus Sunshine Coast Line Fortitude Valley toward Nambour or Gympie North

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 Brisbane central business district.

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. In 1891, the tunnel to Brunswick Street station (now Fortitude Valley) 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. 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.

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

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.

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 in the 1980s saw the Sheraton Hotel towers (now Sofitel Brisbane) built over the remaining platforms.

As part of the quadruplication of the line from Roma Street station to Bowen Hills, Platforms 5 and 6 opened on 11 June 1996.