Cross River Rail: Albert St underground station becomes PDA

The State has taken control and declared a Cross River Rail Priority Development Area for a key part of Brisbane's CBD which will be the location for a new underground station.

THE State has taken control for planning in a key part of Brisbane’s CBD as it prepares to build a new underground station for Cross River Rail.

Treasurer Jackie Trad revealed this morning the state had declared a Cross River Rail Priority Development Area to deliver the new CRR underground station in Albert Street.

“The $5.4 billion Cross River Rail will unlock the bottleneck at the core of the transport network allowing more trains to run more often by enabling a world-class turn-up-and-go transport network with benefits across the whole of South East Queensland,” Ms Trad said in a statement.

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The Albert St station

“Albert Street will be the first CBD station built in 120 years and will dramatically improve connectivity to the southern part of the CBD, opening new access routes to city attractions and key business precincts.”

Acting Planning Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the PDA covered two land areas on the corner of Albert and Mary Streets in Brisbane’s CBD.

Cross River Rail - Woolloongabba.

He said an interim plan would be in place while a development scheme was prepared.

Minister and McConnel MP Grace Grace said the community would have the chance to have a say on any proposed development scheme next year.

“This new station fundamentally changes how people will move around the city with the project to support council’s plans for a green spine which would run along Albert Street connecting Roma Street Parklands through to the City Botanic Gardens,” Ms Grace said.

“The station will become the main pedestrian feeder point for Queen Street Mall, QUT’s Gardens Point campus, the Parliamentary precinct, the new Queen’s Wharf Brisbane development and an upgraded Eagle Street business district.”

Artist impressions of Cross River rail

Albert Street station Fast Facts

- The 220-metre long station will be constructed 31 metres below Albert Street

- Albert Street is the deepest Cross River Rail station.

- It’s expected that around 67,000 people will use the new station each week day by 2036.

- When Cross River Rail is complete a trip from Albert Street to The Gabba would take around three minutes.

Originally published as Cross River Rail: Albert St underground station becomes PDA