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Planners are using Melbourne’s Federation Square and live music venues in New York to gauge how best to keep noise from trains at a minimum during future live concerts.Credit:Cross River Rail Development Authority

After the 2032 Games it will become Brisbane’s major large concert venue,with concertgoers able to use trains and buses to and from the revamped Roma Street Station underneath.

But questions have been asked about how noise from the trains could impact live music concerts in the $2.5 billion Brisbane Arenanow being funded by the federal government.

“That will be a challenging site,” Cross River Rail Delivery Authority chief executive officer Graeme Newton said in a recent interview to mark rail connecting Brisbane’s four underground rail stations.

“Building a venue over rail is very challenging. But New York has done it. Melbourne’s Federation Square has done it,” he said.

Federation Square is built over the city’s former Princes Bridge station,which slowly merged with nearby Flinders Street Station in Swanston Street.

In 1997,the buildings over the station platforms were demolished to make way for Federation Square,whichopened in October 2002.

The trains still run underneath – perched on an engineering deck supported by 4000 steel springs – as live shows,concerts and rallies continue above.

Melbourne’s Princes Bridge Station - right beside Flinders Station - was removed for Federation Square to be built in 2002,but city trains still run underneath.Credit:Federation Square Museum

“Fed Square in Melbourne can now be used for a whole range of things,” Newton said.

“The footprint of the open space here in Brisbane will be as big as the arena itself and I think a lot of people miss that point.

“They focus on the 17,000-seat arena,but there is this massive open space which comes with it.”

The Brisbane Arena is being built in the triangle of land next to Albert Street to the uphill side of Emma Miller Place.

Cross River Rail program director Jeremy Kruger said the move to build the live music venue would provide major benefits to the edge of the CBD.

“This really opens up the western gateway to the city,” Kruger said.

“It is really smart move,that will bring a sense of economic gravity into this part of the city.”

There are already high-level talks about opening up the nearby Defence Department-owned Victoria Barracks at Petrie Terrace,sources have toldBrisbane Timesbut not confirmed by Defence.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey,who on Saturdaydefended a $960 million project blowout,said funds announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in February would not be used to cover $112 million for extra land at Roma Street.

“No. Initially,they thought they needed about half the land there at Roma Street,but it made sense to take the whole amount of land,all the way[to Countess Street] for the redevelopment,” Bailey said.

“With a double train station – and a bus interchange – it is going to become an exciting part of the city.”

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