‘A revolution is coming to transport in the south-east’: First Metro routes revealed
By Tony Moore
The first routes of the Brisbane Metro rollout have been revealed, with the megabuses set to start services two months earlier than predicted.
Ten electric two-carriage megabuses – each able to carry 170 passengers – will begin on the bus route to the University of Queensland from Eight Mile Plains along the South East Busway in October.
The early rollout is a direct outcome of the new funding and revenue agreement between Queensland government and Brisbane City Council, which has financed the $1.4 billion Brisbane Metro project with the federal government.
Premier Steven Miles and Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner in the driver’s seat of “a public transport revolution” in the south-east.Credit: Annette Dew
Under the agreement the state government will now fund 75 per cent of the Brisbane bus network, which had in 2024-25 slid to a 66 per cent share.
“At the moment, we have 18 [Metro] vehicles and more are rolling off the production line every month, at a rate of around four per month,” Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said.
The 60 vehicles will start on two routes: first between Eight Mile Plains and Roma Street, and then between Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital to University of Queensland.
Brisbane City Council’s first electric charging station for the first two stages of Brisbane Metro is at Rochedale.
It announced a second one at Fitzgibbon on Brisbane’s northside during the council elections.
The Brisbane Metro would become as a high-frequency spine of bus services, freeing up the existing bus services travelling in and out of the city as cross-suburban buses.
“When we gear up the second route towards the end of the year, that will mean stage one of Brisbane Metro will be fully operational,” Schrinner said.
“This is a really exciting milestone and to be able to do it sooner than we anticipated is really exciting, and this state government arrangement has allowed us to do that.”
How the bus funding deal works
- There is no share of ticket revenue, as predicted. It is an increased proportion of overall revenue - up to 75 per cent from today’s 66 per cent - from the state government.
- Historically the state government provided 80 per cent of funds for the Brisbane bus network.
- “An overall revenue figure is the way it will operate,” Mayor Adrian Schrinner said.
- “The fare revenue goes to the state. They use that [for] their contribution back into the network and they also supplement the fares with an extra contribution as well.
- “That means when the council puts up extra money, the state will put up extra money.”
- Brisbane City Council receives a one-off $75 million to cover demand from new 50 cent fares.
Premier Steven Miles acknowledged the Queensland government had a historic funding problem in sharing the funding of Brisbane City Council’s buses.
“For too long, there’s been a disconnect, a lack of collaboration between the buses run by Brisbane City Council and the rest of the Translink network delivered by the Queensland government,” Miles said.
“That needs to change. A revolution is coming to transport here in the south-east.”
Miles and Schrinner are all smiles after announcing the state government will boost its share of bus funding.Credit: Tony Moore
He said adding extra funds to the bus network added to the flexibility of Brisbane’s public transport system as the 2032 Games got closer.
“It allows our network to be reformed for us to fit buses to rail, for us to reduce duplication and for us to work hand in glove to build a public transport system that will be ready to welcome the world here in 2032.”
Brisbane City Council public transport committee chair Ryan Murphy said Brisbane was not like Sydney and Melbourne where trains provided the bulk of the public transport journeys.
“We are not like Sydney and Melbourne where most people catch a train,” Murphy said.
“Here, two-thirds of all public transport commuters catch a bus.
“Our buses are so important to our transport network.”