Queensland Rail Accessibility Upgrade

The reopening of Buranda Station marks the completion of Queensland Rail’s largest station accessibility upgrade program across South East Queensland, which has seen 18 stations upgraded since 2017. The $500 million program has created a safer, more equitable passenger experience for people of all ages and abilities.

For Queensland Rail, the need for these upgrades reflects the age of its network. The revamp brings stations up to modern standards, with improvements including lift-accessible footbridges, raised platforms to reduce the gap, overpasses and upgraded customer facilities.

“Most of our stations were built a hundred years ago, so they were built to different standards compared to the universal standards Australia has embraced over the past 20 years,” says Sohan Navaratne, SEQ Accessibility Manager at Queensland Rail. “So we are playing catch up.”

The upgrades also come at an important time for the network. With Brisbane preparing for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Queensland Rail is anticipating a significant increase in passengers with accessibility requirements.

Accessible seating that is future proofed

At Buranda, Banyo, Lindum and Morningside stations, the upgrades extended to one of the most frequently used elements on any platform: seating.

Queensland Rail previously used custom-made, heavy stainless-steel seats. As the equipment required to manufacture them became obsolete, the team set out to find an off-the-shelf solution that could meet its accessibility requirements.

Concourse Seat has been installed across all four stations in two, three and four-seat configurations. Each seat has an armrest on both sides, giving every passenger dedicated support when sitting down and standing up.

“People love it compared to the seat we had,” Sohan says. “The old seat had only three armrests for a four-seater. If you were sitting in one, it was difficult for somebody with a disability to use both armrests because the seat was wider.”

Open heel space beneath the front of the frame allows users to draw their feet back when rising, while the upright seating position provides a more supportive posture. The lightweight aluminium construction also makes individual components easier to replace if damaged, without replacing the entire seat.

Designing for visual accessibility

Accessibility extends beyond the form of the seat. Upgraded station seating must achieve a 30 per cent luminance contrast with its surrounding environment, something the previous stainless-steel seats could not easily accommodate.

Concourse Seat’s colour customisation gave Queensland Rail greater flexibility, allowing them to change the furniture colour rather than the surrounding station finishes. Luminent silver frames create a consistent look across all four stations.

This flexibility proved particularly useful when a newly installed seat blended too closely with the wall behind it in Banyo Station. Rather than repainting the building or altering the concrete, Queensland Rail simply swapped the seat frame for a darker grey finish to achieve the required contrast.

Moving beyond utilitarian infrastructure

While Queensland Rail sought a standardised product, the option of colour customisation opens new possibilities for the seating to respond to the character of each station, without compromising physical consistency across the network.

“We’re making our stations a lot nicer than the past, when the station was essentially a concrete platform with some seats and a shelter. Now we create stations that have local identity.”