springfield central

in december the richlands line was extended by a further 2 stations, springfield and springfield central, which both opened on december 2 2013 forming the springfield line. while i wasnt on the very first train to depart springfield central, i was able to catch a springfield train on the opening day so i could visit the station in all its glory and be amongst the first to get to see and use the new station

springfield central is the terminating station on the springfield line, the next station inbound is springfield. there is a suggestion the line may some day be extended to redbank plains, though if this does happen, it will be many years away since the line has just been completed and the 2 new stations opened. the car park at springfield central is still under construction, so i presume that the car park would be more of a priority than extending the line at this stage.

the day the new line opened, like most, began at dinmore station, where i rode an inbound train as far as darra before changing trains for the springfield line. my friend who lives fairly close to darra was keen to join me on the journey, so i waited for him at darra before we took the springfield train together. we had been on a journey together before to richlands station as he swore richlands was one of the most amazing stations ever built and promised it looked even better at night (something i am actually inclined to agree with, and when i visit again with my camera i will gather pictorial evidence to support this claim)

we had decided that we would visit the new springfield central station before walking to the nearby orion shopping center to have lunch. he had been telling me how amazing springfield was as a suburb since he had done his placement in springfield and had nothing but positive things to say about the area. as someone who doesnt get out much, other than for work or to catch the train, i was keen to see this new suburb, since i am always hearing that is is going to be a boom housing area with so many new families forecast to be settling there in the future. the station at springfield central certainly caters for the future, and i hope my photos support that statement. i kept thinking the station itself was like an airport terminal. 

after my poor friend had to endure a marathon of my rabid photography of the station and the train, we walked to the orion and spent some time there before walking back to the springfield central station to catch an inbound train to darra. it was a wonderful day filled with laughter and food since he and his family were travelling to vietnam in the next few days and wouldnt be home again until after the new year. it was our last official catch up of 2013 and we spent it well.

this photo very nearly missed the cut, but made it on two grounds: 1 it is my first photo i took of springfield central station, and 2: it shows i wasnt the only one who was at the station to get photos, since there is actually another person on the platform photographing the train! (i have deliberately tried to avoid including photos with humans in them, which has been difficult, so if this is you, i apologize, but since you are like me and obviously enjoyed the station as much as i did, i hope your photos turned out brilliantly!) i got this shot as we disembarked the train, and excitedly clicked before looking fully along the platform. this is looking from about halfway along the platform towards the springfield end. we were both very impressed with the station, and commend queensland rail, it looks amazing!

the springfield central station sign. station signs are a must include for each blog. this one surprised me in that it was affixed instead of a free standing one like the others i have included so far, but this is a futuristic station, and i am not going to complain! it looks great in a bold font that occupies the area so much more nicely than the sign at dinmore, which is very much a let down when compared to this gem at springfield central. i would love to see the station at night, since there appears to be an abundance of lighting, and if it is anything like richlands at night, it will look spectacular.

my fellow trainspotting human has moved on by the time i got this photo of the platform looking towards springfield station. everything is so new and clean, you can tell it has been built for the future to cater for a large number of commuters each day. having the two new stations at springfield and springfield central will hopefully take the strain off richlands and darra. of a morning when our inbound train headed for caboolture arrives at darra, there is always a huge influx of passengers who board the train since it runs express from darra to indooropilly then express from indooropilly to milton then all stations from milton. my friend was saying that if he arrives at richlands too late of a morning its car park is essentially full, and it has a massive car park. he had said that people from springfield and surrounding suburbs were using richlands, so it is hoped that these new stations ease the burden on richlands a bit.

these steps lead down from the platform. there are also elevators and escalators. this station seriously has everything! the highway is visible in the background with a truck cruising along, oblivious that i have captured them in my blog.

i didnt want any traffic to photo bomb my shot of orion, since this is the view from the springfield central station. we walked the short distance to the shopping complex and had a lovely lunch together. well, it was an amusing lunch, since my friend ordered an asian dish complete with vegetables he proceeded to remove from his meal venting his disgust for vegetables ruining his dish.

this is a shot of the back of the springfield train on platform 2, the train we had just arrived on at springfield central. this shot is looking towards the next station inbound, springfield. even the train itself looks clean and fresh for the journey from springfield central. the train will then head back inbound as a bowen hills train, stopping at all stations. the site for the new car park at springfield central is behind the green light and 50 sign.

the car park at springfield central is not yet built, but is proposed for this site and will be massive once it is completed. i hope it doesnt take the workers too long and they dont have any delays set them back because that would be frustrating. i wish them well in completing the job that way the station is fully finished and can service the entire area to ease the burden at richlands even further. once the car park is finished, i intend to make another journey out to springfield central to get some photos of it to complete this blog entry. for the mean time, shots of the train and the station itself will have to do. still, i am all up for another trip out to this station, it was spectacular and definitely worth visiting on the opening day!

looking towards springfield from springfield central. the construction is still well underway for the new car parking facility, i am not sure when it is due for completion, but i am sure it wont take too long and will be amazing once finished. the track on the left heads to platform 2 of springfield central, the track on the right, platform 1.

this is the back of the train we caught to springfield central, however it had been sitting at the springfield central station for a few minutes by the time i got this shot, and the train in picture would soon become the front of the bowen hills train as it was due to depart springfield central. the new car park is being constructed to the right of this shot. the orion shopping complex is behind us as i got this photo. the train is on platform 2 of springfield central.

the platforms of springfield central, looking from the springfield end to the terminating end. the train due to depart for bowen hills is on platform 2 on the right, platform 1 is unoccupied. look how clean the platforms are, how modern and new looking. i think this is a great shot of one of the newest stations on the network, complete with a train waiting to depart.

i wanted to get a shot of the train on the platform of springfield central, complete with platform number, and this was the result, as the bowen hills train is waiting on platform 2. i was surprised at how few people were around at the time we were there: the two of us, queensland rail staff, the other die hard trainspotter mentioned earlier and we also saw translink staff handing out timetables. we both took a copy. hopefully in coming weeks more and more people will start to use the train.

the tracks leading from platform 1, away to springfield station. i am yet to visit springfield, but we both saw it as we embarked on our journey to springfield central. the new carpark is going to the left of this shot, and the orion shopping centre is located to the right. my friend actually offered if we should get off the train at springfield to get some photos of that station as well before proceeding to springfield central on the next one, but i didnt want to put the poor guy through all that pain, there will be plenty of time for me to visit springfield station.

looking across from platform 1 at the bowen hills train on platform 2 of springfield central station. after a trip to orion which involved lunch, we walked back to springfield central to catch another bowen hills train back to darra.  

this is a similar shot to one i got earlier of the platforms, looking from the springfield end towards the terminating end of springfield central, but this time i focused more on platform 1, which is vacant. you can still see the bowen hills train on platform 2.

the bowen hills train as it waits on platform 2 of springfield central. i managed to capture the reflection of the station sign in the window of the train.

the new springfield line timetable. the richlands station was the previous terminus for this line, but with the addition of springfield and springfield central, the line was renamed the springfield line, and the colour changed to blue to reflect that the springfield and ipswich lines are indeed different, with darra their last station in common.

further along the platform towards the terminating end of the springfield central station. the bowen hills train is visible on platform 2. virtually the entire station is undercover to protect passengers from the sun or the rain.

the station signs are all attached like this at the springfield central station. i do like this though, even if it is a bit different to what i was use to or what i was expecting. the station is equipped with lifts, stair cases and elevators to transport the commuters from the ground level to the platforms. the green thing pictured is one of the lifts.

the bowen hills train is still waiting on platform 2 of springfield central station. look how clean and new the platform is! we were making out way along the platform towards the terminus of the springfield line a springfield central station.

this is the back of the bowen hills train as it waits on platform 2 for imminent departure from springfield central. i managed to capture the red signal in the shot as well as the train and a portion of the track.

the bowen hills train on platform 2 of springfield central station. i had hoped to get a shot of the train as it was leaving the station on its way to springfield, from the springfield end of the station, but instead the train decided to depart while we were at the terminus end of the platform. im sure i will make a future visit to this station to get another shot of a train arriving on one of the platforms and a shot of one departing.

the terminus at springfield central. it looks a bit different to the terminus at ferny grove, which i have a few photos of. according to wiki, there is talk that in future this line may be extended to the suburb of redbank plains, which may explain why the terminus appears slightly unfinished compared to the appearance of ferny grove stations terminus.

looking up at the awning of the springfield central station from the terminus end to try to get a shot of the massive station sign that faces orion. the station is insanely modern looking, and i have a photo coming up which shows this perfectly.

the steps are brand new, there wouldnt have been many people to walk up and down these before us, and so i thought i should get a photo to commemorate our journey from the platform of springfield central to the ground entrance.

from the halfway point on the staircase, i turned back around to get a shot of the view from the steps back up to the springfield central platforms. the main reason i got this shot was because the view from the opposite direction is so spectacular, i wanted to make it wait just that little bit longer.

earlier i said springfield central was like an airport terminal. i said it was very new very modern and caters for the future. i presume that by now you believe me. this is the view of the escalators from the staircase. i thought it was just too spectacular to not get a shot of this; and even my friend got a few shots of this as well because he was equally as amazed as i was. springfield central is very swish and new indeed. this is probably one of my favourite photos of the station, and it doesnt even include a train, a platform or a station sign; but it really captures the essence of the station.

still from the staircase, this shot of the escalators is looking more towards the direction of orion. platform 1 is directly above this side of the escalators.

for completeness, i got a shot looking more towards the back of the station, platform 2 is above this side of the station. there are plenty of seats in the waiting area for the buses that service the springfield central station, visible in the shot to the left.

this is one of the exits from the springfield central station, that comes out facing the orion.

i wanted to include the escalators in the shot once more, the springfield central station really does have an airport feel to it.

it this doesnt remind you of an airport terminal, not much will! there is so much space, this futuristic springfield central  station is brilliant, and i am so glad i got to visit it on its opening day with one of my best friends. the platforms and tracks are above this main terminal. the word atmospheric comes to mind when i look at this photo. 

as we made our way towards the exit, i got this shot to include the exit gates and staircases. translink people were distributing timetables for the springfield line and the buses, we grabbed one each. hopefully some day soon i will return to springfield central again and walk to the shops, because i really enjoyed this outing.

my last shot from inside the springfield central station before we exited. i turned back as we approached the gates to get this shot. the elevator to the platforms is in perfect view. i am still afraid of riding in elevators, i have a terrible fear of being trapped inside one.

from outside the station i got this shot of the tracks as they terminate at the springfield central station. having a car in the shot wasnt initially planned, but it is great for perspective to show how elevated the trains are at this station.

i got this shot of the station name from the outside since it is such a massive sign and the architecture looks so modern compared to any station i have seen so far. springfield central is currently one of the newest stations on the network. with stations proposed from petrie to kipparing, it will be interesting to see what they look like once completed. in this shot you can actually see the electrical wires which power the trains.

looking along the new springfield central station from the road as we walked to the orion together. this shot was aimed at showing the sheer size of the station, how large and imposing it is. it is difficult to capture its size in a photo. this station really has to be seen in person to be truly appreciated for its size and beauty.

this shot could have only been improved if a train were visible in the shot. sadly, no luck, as i got this one last shot before we went to do some shopping and have lunch together. in a way this shot captures the vertical size of the springfield central station, while the previous shot seems to capture its horizontal vastness. springfield central is truly massive.

after a wonderful day of shopping, lunch and laughter, we returned to springfield central to catch the train back to darra. since the new stations opened, the inner city stations colors changed to grey since the springfield line is blue (the richlands line used to be green). for future blogs, any stations which have multiple lines running through them will be represented as grey to avoid confusion. as you can see from the screen, we didnt have long to wait for our inbound train to depart from platform 2. this meant i had very little time for more photos!

i wanted to get a few last shots of the train on the platform before we boarded. here is the bowen hills train waiting on platform 2, taken from about halfway along the springfield central platform looking towards the springfield end.

looking along the platform at springfield central at the bowen hills train. the end of the platform in shot is the terminus of the springfield line. we rode the bowen hills train as far as darra. since my friend is very tech savvy, i asked him for help on my new ipad since i had no idea how to set it up. we constantly have debates about which is better, apple or windows; with both of us arguing in favor of our favorite operating systems. he was shocked that i had an ipad in my possession (so was i to be honest). we spent the journey to darra going through initiation settings, since he was going to be leaving the country in the next few days and he was the only person i knew who had any degree of patience with apple products. after a little bit of tinkering at darra, he got it working for me. and thanks to him, the ipad is fully functional and while he has been out of the country, it has been employed on many train rides since to play spider solitaire. no, i have not yet been converted to apple, i am still on team windows!