Toowoomba railway station is a heritage-listed station on the edge of the Toowoomba CBD, built in the 1870s and still used by the Westlander passenger train. It is worth a look for the architecture alone: red brick with pale trim, a two-storey main building and platform canopies.
Most visitors arrive by car, not train, so it works as a heritage stop in a city that has plenty of others. Pair it with the clock tower at City Hall and the gardens at Queens Park.
A station with a long history
The first Toowoomba station opened in 1867 on the Western line, which made the city a junction for the Western, Main and Southern railways. The building you see now was designed by the Queensland Colonial Architect, F D G Stanley, and handed over on 26 October 1874.
The Railway Refreshment Room wing was added in 1901 and 1902, and the platform was extended towards Russell Street in 1906. The place went onto the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 as Toowoomba Railway Station, Honour Board and Railway Yard Structures.
Passenger trains stopped calling at the station in the early 1990s, and the Westlander began stopping at Toowoomba again in April 1997. The station is a junction where the Main Line from Brisbane, the Western line towards Cunnamulla and the Southern line towards Wallangarra meet.
What the heritage listing covers
The listing is about more than the main building. It takes in a number of railway yard structures, and most of them are the sort of detail a rail fan will enjoy:
- The Honour Roll board, a First World War memorial to Toowoomba railway employees, added in 1918.
- Signal Cabin A, taken out of service in 1993, and Cabin B, with its safeworking equipment intact.
- A goods shed dating from 1896.
- Two Second World War public air raid shelters.
- A water crane, a wagon weighbridge, a brake examination pit, platform canopies, and guards’ and porters’ huts.
The platform canopies are the easiest part to see for yourself, running along the length of the main platform.
Catching the Westlander from Toowoomba
The Westlander is Queensland Rail Travel’s overnight train between Brisbane and Charleville, a 777 km trip that takes about 17 hours end to end. Toowoomba is one of its stops.
It leaves Brisbane on Tuesday at 7:15 pm and Thursday at 6:55 pm, and leaves Charleville on Wednesday and Friday at 6:15 pm. The Queensland Rail Travel page does not list the Toowoomba times, so check the Westlander page and timetable before you plan around it. Fares from Brisbane to Toowoomba are not listed either; Queensland Rail Travel asks you to contact them.
Queensland Rail Travel lists Toowoomba as a wheelchair accessible station with a hearing loop.
Planning your visit
- Cost: Looking at the building from outside is free. A Westlander trip is a paid ticket booked with Queensland Rail Travel.
- Best time: Daylight hours, when the brickwork and canopies show up well. The Westlander passes through at night.
- Pair it with: City Hall and the other CBD sights listed below.
Getting there and parking
By car, Toowoomba is about 110 minutes from the Brisbane CBD (about 125 km), up the range. The station is on the edge of the CBD.
Toowoomba Regional Council runs several paid car parks in the CBD, including Station Street, Clifford Street and Julia Street, at about $2.40 an hour with a daily maximum. On-street parking across the CBD gives you the first 30 minutes free, but you must start a session on the Toowoomba Parking app or at the meter when you arrive. See the council’s parking fees and maps for current rates and the map.
Toowoomba’s local buses are part of the Translink network. Use the Translink journey planner for the stop that suits you.
Nearby
- Toowoomba City Hall – a 1900 clock tower landmark in the CBD.
- Queens Park Toowoomba – botanic gardens and playgrounds for a break afterwards.
- Laurel Bank Park – a scented garden and playground.
- Cobb and Co Museum – coaches and wagons if the railway history has you hooked.
- Toowoomba Farmers Market – for a Saturday morning visit.
- Toowoomba Range – the lookouts on the way up from Brisbane.
More like this in History and landmarks and across Toowoomba.
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- Graceville Memorial Park (Brisbane)
- Toowong Memorial Park (Brisbane)
- UQ St Lucia (Brisbane)
Quick answers
Does the train still stop at Toowoomba railway station?
Yes. The Westlander between Brisbane and Charleville stops at Toowoomba. It runs twice a week each way, so check the Queensland Rail Travel timetable for the day and time.
Is Toowoomba railway station heritage listed?
Yes. It is on the Queensland Heritage Register (listed 21 October 1992) together with the Honour Board and railway yard structures.
Where do you park near Toowoomba railway station?
Use the council’s CBD car parks or on-street parking. The first 30 minutes on-street are free if you start a session on the app or meter.
How long does it take to drive from Brisbane to Toowoomba railway station?
About 110 minutes by car from the Brisbane CBD, without allowing for traffic.
Is the station wheelchair accessible?
Queensland Rail Travel lists Toowoomba as wheelchair accessible with a hearing loop.
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