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Questions have been raised about transport accessibility during construction of the Cross River Rail as another platform is closed for the works.
Key points:
- Dutton Park station's outbound platform will close from Monday
- The change is part of construction of the Cross River Rail
- Yeronga station is also being upgraded and does not currently have lifts or toilets
Dutton Park station's outbound platform will close from Monday as part of Cross River Rail works.
The whole station will close from last service on Friday until Sunday for track maintenance on the Beenleigh line.
Rocklea station was closed in September and will reopen in late 2023 while Fairfield closed in February and should reopen in coming weeks.
Yeronga station, which is also on the Beenleigh line, is open but lifts and toilets are yet to be built.
Cross River Rail stakeholder engagement project manager Sally Brough said the temporary closures and changes were part of a wider plan to rebuild the stations between Salisbury and Dutton Park.
She said Dutton Park station would "fully close" from Easter next year to allow for a complete reconstruction of the station about 200 metres south of the current one on Annerley Road.
"These stations we're rebuilding are some of the oldest on the network, and we're making them fully accessible, with new lifts, new overpasses, closing that gap between the platform and the train to make a better experience for all users on the network," Ms Brough said.
"Every station is a little bit different and if we take Dutton Park, for example, we're doing it in a staged approach.
"It is the most complex station we have to build."
Major construction is scheduled to start at Salisbury station in 2023, and consultation is being finalised on the revamp of Moorooka station.
Ms Brough said StationLink bus services were replacing trains at affected stations.
She said all station upgrade works were on schedule and would reopen before the first Cross River Rail services began in 2025.
She said Yeronga station's lifts would come online early next year.
Train accessibility difficult
Brisbane transport and disability advocate Elisha Matthews said it was difficult to travel by train in a wheelchair.
"The work they are doing now gives me hope I won't need to check [station accessibility] one day, they'll all just be accessible," she said.
"I absolutely appreciate the effort this government has gone to in improving rail transport for people with a disability.
She said that didn't take away from the fact it was a major inconvenience.
"It's going to be a long 12 months," she said.
"For people like myself, sometimes we find a different way to travel altogether because trying to navigate so many changes to our trip is difficult."