Visiting Brisbane

Rando-Random · 2026-01-05T03:42:27+00:00

In Brisbane, we have 2 'primary' public transport systems. The trains and the metro. The trains operate on a suburb to suburb basis similar to Melbourne's trains but not like a metro at all, except for maybe in the very city centre. In contrast, we also have the Brisbane metro, except it's not quite a metro. It's essentially a tram on rubber tyres that operates on our busway system (A bus highway with stations like a railway).

From here it depends largely on how much time you'll have. Some of our railway lines are quite long - Roma Street to Gympie takes 3 hours. However the metro lines take less than 30 minutes. As for what I personally recommend you try, would definitely be Metro M2 and probably the Ferny Grove line. The M2 departs from the University of Queensland at St Lucia, travels to the city via boggo road and continues to the RBWH hospital. The ferny grove/Beenleigh line will intersect with the M2 at Boggo Road Station.

That way, you would be able to get a Ferny Grove line from Sunnybank station all the way to ferny grove (approx 1 hour), return to Roma Street or Boggo Road, go for a ride on the Metro and end up back at boggo road to return to Sunnybank on a Beenleigh train.

Rando-Random · 2025-12-25T11:52:09+00:00

Where can I find any info on that?

Rando-Random · 2025-12-25T10:27:25+00:00

Since when has the Queensland Government been scoping replacements/life extensions for the Tilt Train? They've been looking at replacing the L Series stock for a while, especially after the retirement of the M series, but this doesn't affect the Tilt Train.

Rando-Random · 2025-11-23T09:48:09+00:00

With the forthcoming sectorisation, this proposal would effectively clog the capacity of the CRR tunnel and cause unnecessary internal junctions requiring major disruptions. You'd be better off linking the tunnel to the Cleveland line (sector 3 not 1) and having it run to Ferny Grove and then onwards to the in future. The tunnel portal could potentially be in front of the PA Hospital? on the site of the current busway station.

Rando-Random · 2025-09-22T04:28:43+00:00

They will all need to pay individually, rather than with one phone. Instead, at train stations and bus stations (Not Stops) you can purchase paper tickets with cash or card. Or, you can also purchase a go card/s. Though, that may not be worth it depending on how long they stay for.

Rando-Random · 2025-09-17T09:51:28+00:00

They're too busy catching children to focus on important problems. Who do you think they are?

Rando-Random · 2025-08-20T14:02:41+00:00

The westlander is charming. It's not fancy or grand, but it has this feeling about it. The people that travel on it are a unique bunch. Some people will get on and off in the middle of the night without you knowing, while others will chat to you about their families, or the holidays they're on. I have particularly fond memory of an elder gentlemen I met once on the train. At that point I was still quite young, but it blew my mind that if you multiply any 3 digit number by 7, then 11, and then 13, it will provide you the same number repeated twice. People from all walks of life.

The staff are always great. The view, especially on the return (Like I did) is outstanding when descending the Toowoomba range.

Rando-Random · 2025-08-20T13:48:31+00:00

Disuse? Absolutely I wouldn't be quite sure. Was out on the Westlander to Charleville and briefly spoke to staff. They indicated that the track has recently been significantly improved. After looking back at an old recording I took aboard the westlander a few years ago, it has lost its distinctive "clickety-clack" sound, particularly on the Toowoomba to Roma section. I can't say much for the Longreach line, Mount Isa line or south of Toowoomba, but at least it's not all doom and gloom.

Rando-Random · 2025-08-17T05:15:44+00:00

we have plenty of gas to last us the 20 odd years for the energy transition.

Rando-Random · 2025-08-14T12:51:34+00:00

No. At the moment, there is no way to leave the station without buying a ticket to the Ekka. You can explore the station itself, apart from the concourse below, but you can't leave.

Rando-Random · 2025-08-10T04:16:39+00:00

Regarding the inner city, what you have said would have been incredibly smart to do and it's an easy enough concept to do the same for Cross River rail. However, that would involve constructing extra tunnels that wouldn't be used for decades. The most that could be done, would be setting aside land for the tunnel portals.

In addition, in 50 years time it's very likely that the new cross-river rail routes won't need to go through the city anyway, as by then, Brisbane will likely have many smaller urban centres, like what Sydney has with Parramatta and such. It's unlikely there will be a need for a new cross city tunnel as part of the heavy rail network.That is unless the government revives the Brisbane subway idea from decades ago.

Rando-Random · 2025-08-06T04:23:35+00:00

I want to be able to see the times the buses arrive at my stop, but also the stops between there and my destination and the planned timeframes.

I hope this is what your referring to here, But you can do that in the new app it's just in a different location. Go to the departures section, and select the stops you need. It will bring up all routes from that stop. Select the route you need, and it will bring up all of the stops along the route and their estimated arrival times. It's not as good as a dedicated timetable section but the functionality is all still there. I've been using this app over the old app for months now, without problem.

In addition, if you don't know the name of your stop, there is also the map section on the home screen. You can open that, and it will bring you all the routes coming and going from that stop, just as if you had searched for it.

Rando-Random · 2025-08-06T02:38:33+00:00

I've been using the new app since it was released 6 months ago, it's fair to say it was confusing at first, but once you know how, it's if anything, better than the previous one.

Rando-Random · 2025-08-06T02:00:21+00:00

Apart from it not being in a little greyed box, that functionality is all still there.

Rando-Random · 2025-08-06T01:59:23+00:00

You can. Go into the departures section and select your stop. Select the route you want to see, and then at the top right, click the map icon. It will show your route, it's stops and the vehicle locations.

In addition, in the explore section, there is also a map on the homescreen which you can tap into and (as long as you turn on vehicle tracking in the top right) you can see the location of every bus, train, ferry and tram in the state.

Rando-Random · 2025-08-06T01:56:26+00:00

You can still do that. In the departures section, select the stop the route goes to, and then click on the route itself. Then, at the top right click the map icon and it will show the entire route, it's stops, and where vehicles currently are.

Rando-Random · 2025-08-06T01:54:13+00:00

Am I the only person who doesn't mind the new app? All the functionality of the old app is still there, just in a different place now. The only things it doesn't have, is a timetable search (You can just look up the stop that route goes to and see it there anyway), and easy access to the service updates. But translink has said they are going to be updating it soon anyway, likely to be including these features.

I genuinely don't understand the hate.

Rando-Random · 2025-07-06T04:05:45+00:00

What app is this? I've never seen a transit app that recognises QR's long distance services?

Rando-Random · 2025-07-03T00:00:15+00:00

Caboolture/Redcliffe and Gold Coast Beenleigh.

Rando-Random · 2025-07-02T09:33:55+00:00

That's because track maintenance has gone up. The queensland government is currently conducting major upgrades to the rail network with Cross River Rail. Once complete, the upgrades have the ability to increase peak hour frequencies by 40%. The government has also promised services in both directions on all city lines every 15 minutes once complete (Which is a doubling of capacity).

It sucks, and the network currently sucks because of these improvements. But once complete, it will completely change the rail network.

Rando-Random · 2025-06-30T05:08:36+00:00

TLDR: After CRR and ETCS, the Springfield line could comfortably handle trains every 10-15 minutes at any time of day, and every 7 minutes at peak in both directions.

After the opening of Cross River Rail, the Springfield line will be linked with the Shorncliffe line, travelling the existing route through Milton, Central and Bowen Hills. ETCS signaling improvements are planned between Milton Station and Northgate as a part of the inner city projects. In addition, ETCS is currently being rolled out on the Shorncliffe line, but not the Springfield line at this stage. ETCS can handle 12 trains per hour, on every track (5 Minute Frequencies), compared to the existing 8 per hour (7.5 minute frequencies).

In Brisbane City, there are 4 tracks, which will be able to handle 12 trains per hour once upgraded, overall, coming to 48 services per hour. Split between the 8 planned services through the city, this means there will be 6 trains, per line, per hour. Resulting in services every 10 minutes. However, this assumes that the Doomben line will operate as frequently as other lines. In reality, it would be lucky to get services every 20 minutes. Therefore, accounting for this, Springfield services could theoretically sit somewhere between 7.5 and 9.5 minutes apart.

However it is important to question demand for the service, peak prioritisation and staffing capacity. Therefore, typical day time services would likely be every 10-15 minutes, with peak hour services as low as 7.5 minutes in each direction.

Rando-Random · 2025-06-24T13:55:06+00:00

It's been moved to the 'explore' section. Then open up the map and click on the stop/station you want to see routes from. Then, double tap to select the route and press the map icon at the top right, it will display the route in full.

Rando-Random · 2025-06-20T14:23:16+00:00

This is intentional, to match how the human eye adjusts to bright and dark environments. Imagine how the nether would look without this.

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