Shorncliffe station to close for upgrade

Image: An artist's impression of the station once work has been completed.

The historic Shorncliffe train station will temporarily close on November 29 for a “once-in-a-generation” renovation.

The work follows a seven-year process to preserve its history.

The landmark, built in 1897, was first a resort station for turn-of-the-century holiday makers, and is one of the few surviving examples of works by famed Queensland Railways Architect Henrik Hansen.

The major upgrade will incorporate preservation works including restoring the old station buildings back to their original 1914 footprint and the preservation of the existing World War II era air raid shelter.

Accessibility improvements will also be made, such as 90m of high-level platform raising including at the accessible boarding points, hearing augmentation loops, tactile ground surfaces, an accessible ramp to the station and accessible toilets, as well as additional features for customers like new CCTV, customer information screens and lighting.

This major stage of the upgrade follows the meticulous and painstaking excavation of the ticket office subfloor, where a treasure trove of more than 400 historical items from the past century were discovered in 2019.

A third-party heritage specialist has carefully catalogued each item.

The dig revealed 100-year-old train tickets, newspaper clippings, bottles, and clothing including a 1940s sailor’s cap, which was returned to its owner’s family seven decades later.

Queensland Rail says while the archaeological process impacted timeframes for the Shorncliffe upgrade, subsequent reviews of the project scope have ensured it will deliver meaningful benefit to the community with responsible use of taxpayer funds.

With that process now finalised and necessary bracing works for the ticket office completed, Shorncliffe station will close for main construction on 29 November 2025, with customers to be connected to nearby Sandgate station, which is a three-minute drive away, via a frequent shuttle bus loop service.

St Patrick’s College at Shorncliffe will also be serviced by a separate, dedicated bus for students, which will run to and from Sandgate station direct to the school.

Queensland Rail CEO Kat Stapleton says Shorncliffe’s main construction milestone has been a long time in the making.

“Preserving and celebrating historic Shorncliffe station is a key focus for Queensland Rail, and this upgrade will enhance our rich rail history while delivering safer, modern and more accessible public transport for all customers,” Ms Stapleton said.

“We have taken the time to review the project for value for money and now we’re delivering a station upgrade with benefits for the community, while taking care with taxpayer funds and we’re excited to start on the major works.

“Our frequent shuttle bus services will keep our customers moving as we get on with the job of upgrading and restoring Shorncliffe station.

“We want to reassure the community and our customers that works will be undertaken as efficiently and safely as possible with careful consideration of the historic and heritage elements of Shorncliffe station.

“We know how important access to public transport is and we recognise customers on the Shorncliffe line have experienced some travel disruptions during track closures for major project works. We thank them for their ongoing patience as we transform our rail network.”

Shorncliffe station carpark will partially close on 16 October 2025 for site establishment works ahead of the full closure from 29 November 2025 for main construction. It is not clear how long the station will be closed.