The station's livery is firebrick red but brown on the Tsuen Wan line platforms.

It was initially conceived to cater to 330,000 passengers daily and was planned to be 380 m (1,250 ft) long – one of the longest stations in the world.

Central station was included in the Hong Kong Mass Transport Study, a system proposed in September 1967.

In the recommended system, the Tsuen Wan line would terminate at Admiralty (in the report also known as Naval Dockyard).

Contracts 106 and 809, which consist of the construction of the two stations and tunnels, were awarded to Metro Joint Venture, comprising Hochtief AG, Dragages et Travaux Publics, Gammon (HK) Limited, and Sentab.

The station was named Chater in English but 中環 (Central)[citation needed] in Chinese.

[7] The construction contract for the station on the Island line was awarded to the Aoki/Tobishima [ja] joint venture.

The passageway starts at the Pedder Street concourse and was built with a design similar to that of Hong Kong station.

The platform serves Chai Wan-bound trains on the Island line and this level includes the connecting walkway to Hong Kong station.

There are 13 entrances, connecting buildings, shopping malls, main roads and ground transport facilities nearby.