Queensland Rail: Connecting communities since 1865
Queensland Rail has been connecting communities for 160 years. We’ve been the backbone of our state – providing a link to medical services, education and the outside world for many isolated Queenslanders.
Long before our railways weaved across this great state, this land was home to many First Nations peoples and groups. They cared for Country and community and travelled via songlines – complex knowledge systems and navigational expertise that was passed down countless generations - enabling individuals to traverse vast distances to their destination.
Today, our rail network runs alongside these ancient songlines, and First Nations people have joined us as we built our networks and connected communities. We deeply value their contributions, appreciate the opportunity to share this beautiful country, and look forward to our future partnerships.
1864: Construction began on the first section of the railway from Ipswich to Grandchester (Bigges Camp).
Nearly everything the railway needed to operate – staff, locomotives and carriages – was imported from Britain.
1865: Marked the opening of the first railway line, Ipswich–Grandchester (Bigges Camp).
The railway faced challenges such as a small population and great geographical distances. But it was an investment in the social and economic development of our state.
1867: The line was extended to Toowoomba, then Dalby (1868) and Warwick (1871).
1875: Opening of railway line from Ipswich to Brisbane.
The government of the day invested large amounts of loan money to provide the steel link to the wider world and throughout Queensland many towns grew with the arrival of the railway.
The distinctive elements of the Queensland Railways were created – lightweight locomotives and rollingstock, use of local materials, timber trestles, and the narrower gauge than that used in the southern parts of Australia. It was a railway designed, built and promoted for the benefit of the population – a government-owned enterprise.
1879: Opening of railway to Emerald.
1882: Opening of railway to Charters Towers.
1887: First passenger trains from Brisbane via Wallangarra to Sydney.
1888: Opening of railway to Charleville.
1890: Brisbane to Bundaberg opened throughout.
1891: Barron Gorge Railway (Cairns to Kuranda) opened.
1892: Opening of railway to Longreach.
Railway construction was curtailed during the depression of the 1890s, with government finances struggling to cope with the state of the economy for much of the decade. Construction continued although not with the great flourishes of a decade or more previously.
1901: Central station opens in Brisbane.
1908: Opening of railway to Cloncurry.
December 1910: A grand railway plan was presented to Parliament, which approved the construction of a railway link from Rockhampton to Cairns, thus connecting the major towns of Queensland along the coast and those of the Great Western Railway. The North Coast Railway and Great Western Railway Acts were passed by Parliament.
1923: Brisbane to Townsville linked by North Coast Railway.
1924: North Coast line completed, linking Brisbane to Cairns and Queensland’s key coastal towns and ports.
1920s: Most railway construction came to an end in the 1920s as increased use of the motor car started to threaten the dominance of the train.
1928: The Central and Great Northern trunk lines were linked when the extension of the Central Railway from Longreach to Winton was opened in 1928.
1929: The Great Northern Line was extended to the newly emerging mining town of Mt Isa.
1939–45: Second World War. Troops needed huge quantities of ammunition, fuel and food and the railways were used extensively. The railway was rundown by the end of the war, with a huge backlog that took years to repair.
1952: First diesel electric locomotives in service.
1953: First air-conditioned train in service Inlander.
1954: Westlander enters service.
1958: Last steam locomotive put into service.
1960s: The growing coal export market was the catalyst for the expansion of the coal haulage railways in central Queensland—mostly built as government railways. The Mount Isa and Collinsville lines were rebuilt to cope with the growth of mineral and export traffic.
1965: Queensland Railways centenary celebrations at Grandchester.
1969: Steam era ends in Queensland.
1978: Merivale Bridge opening and integrated suburban railway in Brisbane.
1979: First electric trains in Queensland – EMUs.
1989: First electric train service (Spirit of Capricorn) Brisbane to Rockhampton.
1993: Spirit of the Outback introduced Brisbane–Longreach.
1994: First of the SMUs introduced to the South East Queensland (SEQ) network.
1996: First of the IMUs introduced to the SEQ network. Inner city tunnels and new Central station platforms.
1998: Rockhampton Tilt Train introduced.
2003: Cairns Tilt Trains (now Spirit of Queensland) introduced.
2017: New Generation Rollingstock trains introduced to SEQ network.
2025: 50-cent fares are made permanent on the SEQ network.
2025 and beyond: Queensland Rail has an exciting future ahead. With exciting projects underway like Cross River Rail, new and upgraded stations, line duplications and the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon, the future is bright.