How design-led thinking can improve the public transport experience and support repeated use.
For decades, rail stations have been built with a maintenance-first mindset. That focus on longevity and ease of upkeep has given us reliable assets but not always provided stations and precincts that provide a positive uplift to one’s journey.
I’ve always believed that great transport infrastructure design goes beyond the functional and has the power to inherently help transport system users, often without them even noticing. When we treat the traveller’s experience as part of the design brief, places like train stations can become civic assets that people genuinely value.
Why we need to shift our focus
Australians still travel mostly by car. In 2022-23, we logged 158 billion passenger-kilometres by car, compared with 10.5 billion on heavy rail across capital cities.
That gap shows the size of the opportunity to increase public transport use. Comfort, safety and experience all influence how people choose to travel.
❌ If stations and station precincts are designed to be uninspiring, customer experience is eroded and a positive public transport reputation is lost.
✔️ When station precincts are designed to brighten journeys and improve the travel experience, people come back.
Recent research from RMIT confirms this: built-environment quality directly affects passenger satisfaction and the likelihood of repeat use.
1. Design for everyone
“Cross River Rail has done great work. They’ve broken accessibility down for people with restricted mobility, as well as other accessibility personas, and designed for those specific needs.”
A customer-first approach begins with accessibility. When I worked on Cross River Rail, I saw firsthand how this can change project culture. The team established an Accessibility Reference Group, bringing people with lived experience into co-design sessions early in the process.
That collaboration shaped everything from wayfinding and Braille maps to platform treatments and guide-dog water fountains.
Cross River Rail has shown that we’re making real progress towards customer-first design – and passengers notice when we do. Transport for NSW’s 2025 Customer Satisfaction Index shows that modes with newer, more accessible infrastructure (such as light rail) achieve consistently higher satisfaction ratings.
2. Stations that are part of the community and create positive emotional responses
“When you go to your local train station, you want a welcoming and enjoyable place you can engage with – be it the area itself or the people in your community. My passion is making that possible.”
At its core, designing for the customer means treating stations as community spaces, not just transition points.
A small example has stuck with me from when I worked in London. My local overground station had a community herb garden on the platform. Commuters could pick herbs on their way home. It was simple and inexpensive, enhanced the quality of a space and created a positive emotional response. It completely changed how people interacted with the station.
In Queensland, we can include more shade trees, seating or cafés near entry points to make waiting feel safe and pleasant instead of transactional. These features can uplift mood as well as providing moments of calm. Through small enhancements to the quality of station precincts we can create a stronger sense of belonging.
Governments across the country are beginning to reflect this thinking:
Transport for NSW promotes the role public transport has in supporting successful places for communities and ensuring our infrastructure makes a tangible improvement to places.
3. Make better use of land around stations
“The costs of providing a car space at a train station is very expensive. Walking into a station with 60-odd car parks is also not very inviting. We have so many development opportunities over and around stations.”
Many Queensland stations sit beside large commuter carparks built when driving to the train was the default assumption. These spaces are valuable and often inactive for most of the day. They could do much more – including generate revenue and provide much needed housing supply in desirable ‘infrastructure ready’ locations.
When we plan new projects, such as station upgrades, we should be asking whether all that land is still serving its highest purpose.
Only one-third of Brisbane residents live within walking distance of frequent, all-day public transport. If we rethink how adjacent land is used – integrating new homes, shops and community facilities – we can bring more people closer to quality public transport, enliven stations and make carparks less necessary at the same time.
Building confidence through design
Queensland’s next generation of transport projects will define how people connect with our city. By rebalancing priorities, from maintenance-first to customer experience-first, we can create station and station precincts that uplift, inspire and make moments to remember. I’m excited by the prospect of facilitating this culture change and achieving the ‘alpha’ that we so strongly need in the station precinct sector of transport planning and design.
We’ve done the engineering well for years. Now it’s time to get the experience right too!
FAQ
What does “customer-first transport design” mean?
It means planning and delivering infrastructure around the needs of the people who use it. It focuses on how spaces feel and function, not just how long they last.
How can accessibility improve performance?
Accessible design helps everyone, not just people with mobility challenges. Involving users with lived experience early in the process produces practical, enduring results.
Why redesign or scale down commuter carparks?
Carparks occupy valuable land that sits empty most of the day. Using this space for mixed-use development helps contribute to housing supply and enables more people to live within walking distance of reliable public transport.
What are the benefits for government and operators?
Customer-first design builds trust, lifts satisfaction and supports goals for mode shift. It also encourages private investment in station precincts, creating new revenue streams and value beyond the station.