Brisbane Metro

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This article is about the future bus rapid transit system serving Brisbane. For the underground rail project, see Cross River Rail.

Brisbane Metro
Photograph of a Brisbane Metro bus in testing
Overview
OwnerBrisbane City Council
Area servedCity of Brisbane
LocaleBrisbane
Transit typeBus rapid transit
Number of lines2
Line numberMetro 1, Metro 2
Number of stations18
Websitebrisbane.qld.gov.au/brisbane-metro
Operation
Operation will start2024
Operator(s)Transport for Brisbane
Number of vehicles60
Train length3-section (bi-articulated bus)
HeadwayAt least every 15 minutes 18 hours a day. With 24 hours services on Friday and Saturday evenings. With 5 minute peak frequencies.
Technical
System length21 km (13 mi)
Top speed80 km/h (50 mph)

Brisbane Metro is a planned high-frequency bus rapid transit system that will service Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It will consist of two routes that will run through the Brisbane central business district (CBD) every five minutes during peak times (12bph), transporting up to 1,800 passengers per hour in each direction. Services are expected to commence in late 2024.[1][2]

It will be serviced by 60 electric, bi-articulated buses that can carry 150 passengers, or 170 passengers in 'event' mode.[3] The system will largely use Brisbane's existing busway network infrastructure and stations, but there are a number of smaller infrastructure upgrades being built as part of the project. These include a new short tunnel underneath Adelaide Street in the CBD, an upgrade to the Cultural Centre bus station, the removal of car traffic from Victoria Bridge, and various streetscape upgrades.[4] The expected total cost of the project is $1.7 billion.[5]

Together with Cross River Rail, the project is intended to boost public transport reliability in Brisbane and alleviate congestion.[6]

History[edit]

In January 2016, the Brisbane City Council (BCC) announced the Brisbane Metro to address the current constraints and challenges facing the city's current busway network, which had reached capacity at many inner city sections.[7] This proposal incorporated the conversion of the busway from Woolloongabba to Herston into a rubber-tyred Metro with a single track to provide power and enable driverless operations.

In March 2017, while keeping the same name, the project was redefined with the project shifting to operating high capacity bi-articulated buses on the existing busway, reducing the cost by one-third.[8] The new buses would operate two routes which replace the 66 and 111/160 services.[1] In November 2017 the BCC released its business case, detailing the benefits, costs and impacts of delivering the project. In November 2017, the project was budgeted to cost $944 million.[9]

The BCC released a draft design report for the project in April 2018 with a project concept displayed publicly for community feedback, following the announcement that Brisbane Metro has been confirmed as a high priority project on Infrastructure Australia's priority list.[9][10] In April 2018, the Federal Government agreed to contribute $300 million.[11][12]

In June 2020, the project reduced the Cultural Centre upgrade from an underground station to an upgrade of the existing above ground station with an additional platform for local services heading towards West End.[13] This was due to a disagreement between the State Government, who owns the Busway, and the Council over what the optimal configuration of the underground station would look like. This disagreement resulted in the state government delaying approval to modify their property.[13]

Subjects to approvals, the BCC expects the detailed design and construction of the project to commence in 2019 with services commencing by 2023.[9] This was later revised to 2024.[9] In October 2018 five consortia were shortlisted to bid for the building of stage 1.[14]

ADCO Constructions began work on a 10-hectare (25-acre) depot at Rochedale in October 2021.[15]

In 2022, 5 years after the project was shifted to BRT the project's name was criticised by a rail lobby group for having a misleading name that implied it was a rail system, but Brisbane City Council rejected the idea of changing its name.[16] In late 2023 further complaints about the name were raised.[17] A poll by the Brisbane Times revealed 71% of respondents thought that Brisbane Electric Rapid Transit (BERT) was a better name.[18]

By February 2023, the cost had increased to an expected $1.7 billion.[5][2] A contributing factor was the inclusion of a new $450 million bus station to built at Woolloongabba, in line with the existing busway.[19]

Also in February 2023, construction began on the 213-metre tunnel beneath Adelaide Street in the CBD, which will provide a connection between North Quay and the King George Square busway station.[5][20] The tunnel would connect the South East Busway with the Inner Northern Busway and reduce the number of buses running on city streets.[20] Construction was expected to take at least twelve months[20] with services expected to commence in late 2024.[2]

Routes[edit]

Brisbane Metro will consist of two routes covering 21 kilometres, linking Brisbane's outer suburbs with the CBD.[21] The network uses the existing busway infrastructure and was planned to provide high-frequency services with three minutes headways during peak times however this was later scaled back to every 5 minutes.[1][22][23]

Metro 1[edit]

Metro 1 will replace the route 111 and 160, connecting Eight Mile Plains with Roma Street, with 11 stations via the South East Busway. The route is designed to provide a new trunk route from the southern suburbs to the inner-city, servicing key destinations and providing interchanges to other Translink services.

Stations[edit]

Inside a Metro bus

Below is a list of proposed stations that Metro 1 will service and its available transport connections.[24][1]

Station name Public Transport connections
Eight Mile Plains Local bus services
Upper Mount Gravatt Local bus services
Griffith University Local bus services
Holland Park West Local bus services
Greenslopes Local bus services
Buranda Buranda railway station and local bus services
Woolloongabba Metro 2 and Cross River Rail
Mater Hill Metro 2
South Bank South Bank railway station and Metro 2
Cultural Centre South Brisbane railway station, local bus services and Metro 2
King George Square Local bus services and Metro 2
Roma Street Roma Street railway station, Metro 2 and Cross River Rail

Metro 2[edit]

Metro 2 will replace route 66, providing a key education, knowledge health corridor by connecting the University of Queensland with the Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Boggo Road transport hub and Princess Alexandra Hospital and the Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove Campus via the Eastern and Northern busways.

Stations[edit]

Below is a list of proposed stations that Metro 2 will service and its available transport connections.[24]

Station name Public Transport connections
UQ Lakes UQ St Lucia ferry wharf
Boggo Road Park Road railway station, local bus services and Cross River Rail
PA Hospital Local bus services
Woolloongabba Metro 1 and Cross River Rail
Mater Hill Metro 1
South Bank South Bank railway station and Metro 1
Cultural Centre South Brisbane railway station, local bus services and Metro 1
King George Square Local bus services and Metro 1
Roma Street Roma Street railway station, Metro 1 and Cross River Rail
Normanby
QUT Kelvin Grove
Herston
RBWH Local bus services

Vehicles[edit]

The project will introduce 60 bi-articulated buses based on the HESS lighTram 25[25] with the capacity to carry up to 150 passengers in comfort mode and capable of using the existing busway infrastructure alongside regular bus services.[9] In "event mode" the buses were announced as carrying up to 180 passengers, however this was subsequently revised to 170.[3] The Metro buses will be 24.4 metres long[26] and visually resemble a tram or light rail buses.

On 24 November 2019, the BCC announced a consortium of Hess, Volgren and ABB had been awarded a contract for 60 buses. The buses will be fully electric and will charge at the end of each route for six minutes. The buses will be fully low-floor and have next stop displays and audible announcement of the next stop. In addition, they will also have USB charging points and four large double doors. A pilot bus was be built and tested in Europe in 2021. Originally planned by 2020, the pilot bus arrived in Brisbane for testing in early 2022.[27] Following successful testing an order for the further 59 was placed with delivers scheduled to start in late 2023 for operations in 2024.[28][29] The 60 vehicles will cost $190 Million an increase of $100 Million compared to more tradtionally powered vehicles.[30]

Depot[edit]

A depot will be built adjacent to the South East Busway at Rochedale.[14]

During the 2024 Brisbane City Council Elections the LNP announced their intentions to build a Metro Bus depot and charging facility on the Bill Brown Sports Reserve at a cost of $125 Million.[31][32]

Future routes and extensions[edit]

There are proposed future extensions of the network to Carindale, Chermside, Springwood and the Brisbane Airport (subject to approvals).[33][34]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Brisbane City Council (October 2022). "Brisbane's New Bus Network Guide" (PDF).
  2. ^ a b c "About Brisbane Metro". www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 28 March 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Brisbane Metro vehicle". www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Brisbane Metro major infrastructure". www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Moore, Tony (14 February 2023). "'Extremely delicate' Brisbane tunnel project promises to free up the CBD". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Brisbane Metro | Infrastructure Australia". www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au. Archived from the original on 10 March 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  7. ^ Lord Mayor Graham Quirk announces Brisbane Metro plan Archived 28 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine Brisbane Times 31 January 2016
  8. ^ Brisbane metro revised plan to cost $500 million less Archived 30 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine ABC News 4 March 2017
  9. ^ a b c d e "Brisbane Metro". www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. 17 December 2018. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  10. ^ Brisbane Metro, Beerburrum to Nambour upgrade approved by Infrastructure Australia Archived 28 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine Rail Express 27 March 2018
  11. ^ Turnbull Government investing $300 million in Brisbane Metro Archived 28 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine Hon Paul Fletcher MP 16 May 2018
  12. ^ Brisbane Metro gets $300 million federal funding boost Archived 28 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Brisbane Times. 7 May 2018.
  13. ^ a b Garcia, Jocelyn (7 June 2020). "Brisbane Metro costs to rise as Cultural Centre station works delayed". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  14. ^ a b Companies bid to build Brisbane Metro as land resumptions finalised Archived 2 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine Brisbane Times 17 October 2018
  15. ^ "Major Construction Begins at Brisbane Metro Depot". Brisbane Development. 27 October 2021. Archived from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  16. ^ Moore, Tony (5 December 2022). "Brisbane Metro 'is no Metro': rail lobby says name must change". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  17. ^ Atfield, Cameron (17 October 2023). "Journey on BERT: How a metro in name only risks embarrassing Brisbane on the world stage". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  18. ^ Development, Brisbane (18 October 2023). "The Chorus Grows: Demands Mount for BCC to Rename Brisbane's 'Not-So-Metro' Metro". BrisbaneDevelopment.com. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  19. ^ "Brisbane Metro – Woolloongabba Station (Department of Transport and Main Roads)". sc-tmrwcmgr-cd.azurewebsites.net. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  20. ^ a b c "Take a look at the start of the Brisbane Metro tunnel designed to end traffic chaos in the CBD". ABC News. 14 February 2023. Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  21. ^ Brisbane Metro Fact Sheet. Brisbane: Brisbane City Council. 2017. pp. 1, 2.
  22. ^ Brisbane Metro Fact Sheet. Brisbane: Brisbane City Council. 2017. p. 2.
  23. ^ Brisbane Metro Mixing it up to Move Forward Archived 16 June 2020 at the Wayback Machine myBrisbane 8 June 2020
  24. ^ a b Atfield, Cameron (30 May 2017). "Brisbane City Council releases its $944m metro business case". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  25. ^ "Brisbane Metro - Bus Rapid Transit with HESS electric double articulated buses". Urban Transport Magazine. 2 June 2021. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  26. ^ Stone, Lucy (21 April 2022). "Electric Brisbane Metro vehicle dubbed the 'Tesla of public transport' ready for testing". ABC News. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  27. ^ "Wheels in motion: Testing begins on electric Brisbane Metro vehicle dubbed 'Tesla of public transport'". ABC News. 21 April 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  28. ^ "Brisbane (AUS): Large order for Hess". Urban Transport Magazine. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  29. ^ "Brisbane Metro vehicle". www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  30. ^ Stone, Lucy (24 November 2019). "Metro's electric vehicles revealed as Labor backs light rail". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  31. ^ Moore, Tony (17 February 2024). "Metro charging station to be built on Brisbane's northside under LNP plan". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  32. ^ "Greens pledge to axe $640 million in road widening as LNP releases costings in Brisbane council election". ABC News. 11 March 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  33. ^ Atfield, Cameron (7 April 2017). "Brisbane Metro to expand to Chermside, Carindale and Springwood". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 16 May 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  34. ^ Development, Brisbane (15 September 2019). "Lord Mayor Proposes Brisbane Metro Airport Connection". BrisbaneDevelopment.com. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.

External links[edit]

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