Stations and stops

Stations and stops considers the design features included at train, tram, and bus stations, bus stops, busways, and ferry terminals. It includes things like station design, park ‘n’ ride, kiss ‘n’ ride, wayfinding, lifts, ramps, tactile indicators, braille signage, audio announcements, platform height, seating, accessible toilets and comfort areas.

What you have told us

"Passenger transport causes sensory overwhelm. In particular, too many noises including beeping doors, long passenger announcements and repeated long messages about everything from not smoking to paying for journeys." 

Accessibility upgrades at stations and stops can make travel significantly safer and easier for people with disability.

Upgrading infrastructure is essential to ensure people can access the services they need. For example, step gaps between the platform and vehicle, broken lifts, unsafe footpaths, and poorly designed ramps can prevent wheelchair users and those with mobility challenges from boarding or disembarking safely.

It’s important to have multiple ways to access platforms, to avoid issues such as when a lift is out of service. Tactile wayfinding, audio announcements, and braille should be widely available and well-maintained.

When new infrastructure is co-designed with people with disability, common challenges and design issues can be addressed at the start, so we don’t need to make accessibility upgrades later.

Hailing buses (particularly at busy stops and busway stations) can cause anxiety, and people may miss their bus if the driver can’t see them. Finding the right bus at busy stations can be difficult, especially for people in wheelchairs and people with low vision. Drivers may not always notice people with accessibility needs waiting at lead stops, so sometimes people miss their bus.

People with neurological conditions such as Autism may be overstimulated by crowded stations and stops. Things like noise, smells, and lighting can lead to a range of physical, emotional, and cognitive difficulties. Busy bus and rail stations, and busway designs should consider technologies that help minimise sensory overwhelm.

Waiting at bus stops can sometimes mean exposure to extreme weather conditions. Providing appropriate shade and seating helps people who can’t stand for long periods or struggle with the effects of extreme weather.

What we are doing

Addressing infrastructure barriers

Upgrading infrastructure is critical for people to access services. We are investing in new and upgraded infrastructure that will meet or exceed requirements under the Transport Standards and deliver fit for purpose outcomes.

Bus stops

We continue to provide grant funding to local councils to deliver accessibility upgrades to priority bus stops and stations. Since 2017, we have provided more than $33 million in grant funding to support 22 local governments upgrade over 2,300 bus stops.

We have also provided over $1 million in grant funding to support 26 local governments upgrade 37 long distance coach stops.

We are planning more bus stop accessibility upgrades. This includes assessing accessibility at bus stops across the state using innovative technology, LiDAR and Artificial Intelligence.

Ferry terminals

In partnership with Redland City Council, we delivered the Southern Moreton Bay Islands ferry upgrade program at four islands – Russel, MacLeay, Lamb and Karragarra.

Key features included:

• larger, accessible, sheltered pontoons
• wider gangways and enhanced circulation spaces
• new amenities blocks and landside shelters at Russell and Macleay islands
• security cameras, smart lighting and remote lighting control systems to improve passenger safety.

We will incorporate learnings and insights from this process into future ferry terminal and other similar infrastructure upgrades.

New and upgraded train stations

When designing new Queensland passenger train stations, we will consider a range of accessibility features including:

• lift-accessible footbridges
• fully raised full-length platforms
• extended platform shelters
• upgraded customer facilities such as accessible toilets
• disability-compliant ticket windows and gates
• improved seating
• hearing augmentation loops
• tactile floor indicators
• new wayfinding signage
• information screens
• better security through security camera and lighting upgrades.

A range of train station projects delivering new and upgraded accessibility features are outlined below.

Cross River Rail will deliver new accessible stations at Roma Street, Boggo Road, Albert Street and Woolloongabba. It will also deliver several station upgrades from Dutton Park to Salisbury. These upgrades will incorporate accessibility features such as accessible parking bays, new overpasses, passenger lifts, and platform improvements. New stations at Pimpama, Hope Island and Merrimac will provide more customers with easy access to accessible public transport.

Learn more about the Dutton Park to Salisbury station upgrades on the Cross River Rail website.

Learn more about the new Gold Coast stations is also available on the Cross River Rail website.

The Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail will address growing demand between Brisbane and Gold Coast by improving rail reliability and accessibility. Rail stations will be upgraded to be more accessible between Beenleigh and Kuraby, including:

• level crossing removals
• station upgrades and relocations
• improvements to walking and bike riding access
• improvements to parking.

Learn more about the Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail.

The Wave project will provide a direct rail connection between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane. This includes access to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital and major housing developments in the Southern Sunshine Coast. This project will deliver four new accessible stations on the Sunshine Coast and deliver accessibility upgrades at Beerwah Station.

Learn more about the Wave.

Albion Station is being upgraded to provide a modern and accessible interchange. Beyond the opening of Cross River Rail, Albion will play an important role for customers to easily and safely transfer between train services.

Learn more about the New Albion Station project.

We also partner with Queensland Rail to deliver station upgrades across the broader network ensuring all customers can access the station and boarding points. Other upgrades may include improvements to accessible parking, accessible toilets and platform raising.

Learn more about SEQ train station accessibility upgrades on the Queensland Rail Website.

Learn more about regional station upgrades on the Queensland Rail website.

Improving ways to hail and board a bus

We are working with partners to identify accessible options for people to hail a bus and know when a service is arriving.

Help phones

Help phones are used for many reasons, including for people to let a bus driver know they are waiting at a busy lead stop. This can ensure the bus driver looks for a person who may need help hailing and boarding.

These phones are monitored 24/7 and available at busways, train stations, tram stations and inside all trains.

We understand how important it is for help phones to be fully accessible for people with diverse needs. That’s why we’re upgrading their design using a rigorous co-design and testing processes.

The innovative design prioritises audio when the emergency or assistance button is pressed. It temporarily mutes the public announcements of buses arriving at the platform to help customers hear the conversation with control centre staff.

As technology improves, voice-to-text functionality and text-to-speech may be included. This will help customers with visual impairments, cognitive disabilities, and dyslexia.

New phones have been installed at South Bank Busway Station, Cultural Bus Station and UQ Lakes.

E-Paper digital bus stop displays

E-Paper digital bus stop displays are a transformative technology, with nearly 300 units installed at prioritised bus stop locations across Queensland.

The display looks like ink on paper. It offers high visibility in all lighting conditions—including direct sunlight and nighttime—without emitting light like traditional displays. It gives real-time bus departure information and disruption alerts, replacing static printed timetables with dynamic, up-to-date information.

Accessibility is a core feature of the E-Paper bus stop displays. Each unit includes an integrated audio button and loudspeaker that reads aloud the next arriving buses, so customers with low vision and those without smartphones can access essential travel information. The screens also use larger fonts and high-contrast layouts to support readability for all users.

Feedback from customers has been overwhelmingly positive, praising the ease of use, clarity of information, and inclusive design that supports independent travel.

Learn more about Translink projects and initiatives on the Translink website.

Consider sensory challenges in design stages

There are opportunities to further investigate how we embed design features to support people who experience sensory sensitivity and who may be overwhelmed.

These include:

• hearing areas for amplification and magnification
• desensitising requirements
• noise calming cones
• considerations of light sensitivity
• considerations of hypersensitive hearing.

To consider the design outcomes we will include people who experience these challenges in our accessibility reference groups, consultation and user testing activities.

What we will do next

1. Assess accessibility at bus stops across the state to help inform both scale and priority for bus stop accessibility upgrades.
2. Continue to work with local councils to assist with upgrading passenger transport infrastructure to meet the requirements of the Transport Standards.
3. Continue to undertake accessibility upgrades on State owned bus, rail and ferry infrastructure to meet or exceed compliance with minimum design standards and achieve fit for purpose outcomes (including through provision of shade where possible).
4. Starting with Central Queensland, progressively review bus stop networks across Queensland to identify and prioritise bus stop improvements that will enhance customer access to services.