Who does what on the network
At 9 November 2026, Queensland Rail’s South East Queensland (SEQ) network map displayed the railway’s train lines, and TransLink described trains in South East Queensland as one of the modes it brings together with buses and ferries. For questions, at 9 November 2026, TransLink lists 13 12 30, which it says is staffed 24 hours a day.
This guide covers how the lines are laid out and named. It gives no fares and no departure times, because those change.
Lines and labels
How Queensland Rail groups the lines
At 9 November 2026, Queensland Rail’s text version of its network map described six groupings. The Ferny Grove line starts in the northwest and runs through Brisbane city, southeast to the Beenleigh line. The Nambour/Gympie North/Caboolture line starts in the north and runs through the city, southwest to the Ipswich/Rosewood line. The Kippa-Ring line starts in the northeast and runs through the city to the Springfield Central line.
The remaining three are the Shorncliffe line, which runs through the city southeast to the Cleveland line, the Brisbane Airport line, which runs from the east through the city to the Varsity Lakes line, and the Doomben line, which runs from the east into the city.
How TransLink labels the same services
Timetables use a different system. At 9 November 2026, TransLink’s train timetable page asked you to select a train line to see its timetable. At 9 November 2026 the list opened with T1 Caboolture and T1 Ipswich / Rosewood, followed by T1 Nambour / Gympie North and T2 Kippa-Ring. It continued with T2 Springfield Central, T3 Doomben and T4 Cleveland, then T4 Shorncliffe, T5 Brisbane Airport and T5 Varsity Lakes. The last entry was T6 Beenleigh, which made 11 entries in all, and none was labelled Ferny Grove.
Stations along the lines
Queensland Rail’s text map names every station in sequence. The detail below is a sample, and the map itself is the place to confirm any particular stop.
North-west and south-east. The Ferny Grove line runs through Mitchelton, Enoggera, Windsor, Bowen Hills and Fortitude Valley to Brisbane Central, where it continues along the Beenleigh line. That line goes on to Roma Street, South Brisbane, South Bank, Boggo Road and Dutton Park, then through Yeronga, Moorooka and Rocklea to Salisbury and beyond.
North and south-west. The Sunshine Coast line runs from Gympie North through Nambour, Landsborough and Beerwah to Caboolture. From Caboolture the line calls at Petrie, Northgate, Eagle Junction, Bowen Hills and Fortitude Valley before reaching Brisbane Central. On the other side of the city, the Ipswich/Rosewood line serves Roma Street, Milton, Toowong, Indooroopilly, Darra, Goodna and Redbank. The Springfield Central branch is described as passing Darra and Richlands.
North-east. The Redcliffe Peninsula line from Kippa-Ring includes Strathpine, Zillmere and Northgate. The Shorncliffe line takes in Sandgate, Boondall, Banyo, Nundah, Toombul and Eagle Junction before Bowen Hills. Its continuation, the Cleveland line, passes Buranda, Coorparoo, Morningside, Cannon Hill and Wynnum.
East. The Airport line runs from the Domestic Airport to the International Airport, then to Eagle Junction and into the city. South of Brisbane the Gold Coast line includes Beenleigh, Ormeau, Pimpama, Coomera, Hope Island, Helensvale, Nerang, Robina and Varsity Lakes. The Doomben line calls at Ascot, Hendra, Clayfield and Eagle Junction on its way to Roma Street.
Frequency and late-night services
At 9 November 2026, TransLink says Brisbane train services run every 15 minutes or better from 7am to 7pm on weekdays only, between the City and Darra, Ferny Grove, Northgate, Cannon Hill and Coopers Plains. That wording describes those sections only, so it is not a promise for every line. At the same date TransLink also lists Nightlink bus and train services operating between midnight and 5am on Friday and Saturday nights.
Paying and what you can bring
At 9 November 2026, TransLink says go card works on its train services, including Airtrain, and that contactless payment is available on all South East Queensland trains. At that date fares cannot be paid onboard because services are cashless. TransLink also says a default fare may be charged if you do not tap on at the start and tap off at the end. Council’s seniors off-peak scheme does not apply on Queensland Rail trains, per Council at 9 November 2026.
At 9 November 2026, per Queensland Rail, bikes, small non-motorised scooters and personal e-scooters are allowed on all SEQ train services. On six-car trains they travel only in the first and last carriages, and the general rule is that they are not permitted on three-car trains. The exception is between Ipswich and Rosewood, where only three-car services operate: at that date Queensland Rail says bikes and e-scooters may still travel there, in the first carriage only, boarding via the first train door, with no more than two in that carriage at a time. At that date commercial e-scooters and e-bikes, and combustion-powered scooters, are not permitted. Per TransLink at 9 November 2026, pets are not permitted on train services, and only approved assistance animals travel free.
On board, at 9 November 2026, Queensland Rail names the second and fifth carriages as the quiet carriages and asks passengers not to consume food or drinks other than water.
The trains themselves
At 9 November 2026, Queensland Rail says it runs seven types of train. At that date the Interurban Multiple Unit was described as usually used for longer journeys and has a bathroom onboard. The Suburban Multiple Unit was described as similar but has no bathroom. At that date Queensland Rail also says you cannot find out ahead of time which type will run a particular service.
Track closures and Cross River Rail
At 9 November 2026, Queensland Rail said it sometimes needs to close tracks or stations temporarily for upgrades. During those works, per Queensland Rail at that date, buses replace trains and run as close as possible to the train timetable. At 9 November 2026, Queensland Rail says closures for rail improvements are scheduled up to 12 months in advance, although extra works may be added.
At 9 November 2026, Queensland Rail’s text map placed Cross River Rail and the Direct Sunshine Coast line under the heading “Future lines and stations – under construction”. It describes Cross River Rail as a new 10.2 km rail line with twin tunnels under the Brisbane River and city, including four new underground stations at Boggo Road, Woolloongabba, Albert Street and Roma Street. The Direct Sunshine Coast line is described as running from Beerwah to Maroochydore via Caloundra and Birtinya. Project status can change, so check the official project pages before relying on any of it.
Frequently asked questions
Who runs Brisbane’s trains and who do I call for help?
At 9 November 2026, Queensland Rail published the SEQ network map and TransLink provided timetables and ticketing information. At that date TransLink listed 13 12 30 as staffed 24 hours a day.
How are Brisbane train timetables labelled?
At 9 November 2026, TransLink labelled services with a T-code and a destination, such as T1 Caboolture or T4 Cleveland, and asked you to select a line to see its timetable.
Can I take a bike on a Brisbane train?
At 9 November 2026, per Queensland Rail, bikes were allowed on all SEQ train services. On six-car trains they travel only in the first and last carriages, and the general rule is that they are not permitted on three-car trains. The exception is between Ipswich and Rosewood, where only three-car services operate: bikes and e-scooters may travel in the first carriage only, boarding via the first train door, with no more than two at a time.
What happens when a track is closed for works?
At 9 November 2026, Queensland Rail said buses replace trains during closures and run as close as possible to the train timetable.
