Brisbane's Central Station faces mounting pressure to upgrade its ageing infrastructure before the 2032 Olympics descends on the city. The station accommodates up to 140,000 passengers per day and has not seen any major works program since the 1990s, creating a bottleneck that will only worsen when thousands of athletes and visitors arrive for the Games.
A UK-based architecture firm has now proposed a fresh redesign focused on easing capacity problems. The plan centres on new escalators and open-sky ceilings that would flood the concourse with natural light, modernising a space that has grown increasingly tired under the weight of daily use. The concept mirrors elements of a previous renovation, where a new roof and glass façade was designed to provide light and improved ventilation to the Edward Street end of the concourse.
Transport infrastructure will be critical to Brisbane's Olympic success. Cross River Rail involves building a new 5.9-kilometre tunnel under the Brisbane River and CBD, creating five new inner city station precincts, with the alignment extending from Dutton Park through four new underground stations at Boggo Road, Woolloongabba, Albert Street and Roma Street. The project is expected to open in 2029, which would give the system two years of testing before the Games begin.
The case for upgrading Central Station sits at the intersection of practical necessity and fiscal pragmatism. Platforms one to four will be raised to allow level-entry boarding, which will help passengers in wheelchairs and those travelling with luggage. Such improvements benefit not just Olympic visitors, but the commuters who use the station daily long after the Games have finished.
Yet investment decisions will ultimately require Queensland and federal governments to weigh the cost against competing priorities. The project includes a $7.1 billion investment in new and upgraded sports facilities and infrastructure, along with a $250 million investment in upgrading sports clubs across Brisbane and Queensland. With the Olympic infrastructure budget already substantial, questions about whether another major station upgrade can be justified on fiscal grounds will dominate any decision.
The window for action is narrowing. Most venues need to be finished in 2031 so they can be tested beforehand, meaning major construction will be happening in 2031, 2030, 2029 and projects will be coming out of the ground from 2028. If Central Station is to be improved before the Games, planning and procurement must begin soon.