Easter Sunday Rail Shutdowns and Story Bridge Lane Closures Trigger Major Delays

Easter Sunday Travel: Major Rail Shutdowns and Bridge Delays

Commuters and holidaymakers in Brisbane today, Sunday, 5 April 2026, should prepare for significant travel disruptions across the city's transport network. As Easter Sunday festivities begin, a combination of intensive rail maintenance and essential roadworks will impact journey times for those heading to church services, family gatherings, or holiday destinations.

Massive Rail Network Closures

The most substantial impact today is a series of extended track closures as part of the Cross River Rail project and wider network upgrades. Most major lines are affected, and passengers are advised to allow up to 90 minutes of additional travel time due to the complexity of the replacement schedules.

• Bus Replacements: Dedicated rail-replacement buses are currently operating between Northgate and Bowen Hills stations, and between Banoon and Boggo Road stations.
• Airport Line: Trains are only running between the Domestic/International Airports and Eagle Junction. Passengers heading to the CBD must transfer to rail replacement buses at Eagle Junction to continue their journey.
• Gold Coast and Beenleigh Lines: Services are running as a combined all-stops service between Varsity Lakes and Banoon only. No trains are running between Banoon and the city.
• Sunshine Coast Line: Buses replace trains between Gympie North and Caboolture stations.

Story Bridge and Major Arteries

Motorists are facing restricted access on the Story Bridge as essential restoration and maintenance work continues. A single southbound lane remains closed, which is expected to cause significant bottlenecking for traffic heading into the city from the north. While the bridge remains open to pedestrians and cyclists, drivers are encouraged to use the Captain Cook Bridge or the Clem7 tunnel as alternative routes to avoid the central business district congestion.

On the highways, heavy congestion is reported on the M1 Pacific Motorway and the Bruce Highway. With Easter Sunday travel in full swing, known "pinch points" near the New South Wales border at Tugun and northbound toward the Sunshine Coast are seeing significant delays. Authorities remind drivers that double demerit points remain in effect across the state through Monday for speeding and seatbelt offences.

Public Transport Reminders

Translink bus and ferry services are operating on a Sunday/Public Holiday timetable today. While rail services are heavily disrupted, all public transport fares—including the rail replacement buses—remain at the 50-cent flat rate. Passengers should also be aware that NightLink train services will not operate tonight. For those attending major Easter events, checking the updated journey planner before departure is essential to navigate the network changes effectively.