Brisbane Metro


Brisbane Metro is the brand name of two high-frequency bus rapid transit routes that serve the city of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia. The system consists of two routes running through Brisbane CBD every five minutes during peak times. The 66 was renumbered M2 on 28 January 2025, whilst the 111 was renumbered M1 on 30 June 2025.
The system is served by 50 electric, bi-articulated buses that can carry 150 passengers, or 170 passengers during events. The services are part of Brisbane's bus rapid transit system that use Brisbane's busway network infrastructure and stations. A small number of infrastructure upgrades were built to faciliate the introduction of the new buses, and deal with congestion along the existing system. These include a new short tunnel underneath Adelaide Street in the CBD, an upgrade to the Cultural Centre bus station, the removal of general traffic from Victoria Bridge, and various streetscape upgrades. The total cost of the project was $1.55 billion.

History

In January 2016, the Brisbane City Council 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. 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. The new buses would operate two routes, with one replacing the existing route 66, and the other replacing routes 111 and 160. 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.
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. In April 2018, the federal government agreed to contribute $300 million.
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. 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. Additionally upgrades to Mater Hill Station, Griffith University Station, Eight Mile Plains Station and dynamic platform allocation were delayed to between 2034 and 2044
Subjects to approvals, the BCC expects the detailed design and construction of the project to commence in 2019 with services commencing by 2023. This was later revised to 2024 and finally 2025. In October 2018 five consortia were shortlisted to bid for the building of stage 1.
ADCO Constructions began work on a depot at Rochedale in October 2021.
On 23 January 2023, route 86 was introduced as a free bus loop, travelling anti-clockwise around South Brisbane and West End. Also known as the South Brisbane Loop and the Kurilipa Loop, this service was set to operate as a 12 month trial due to Brisbane Metro construction works in the area. This would later be extended to an 18 month trial.
By February 2023, the project's cost had increased to an expected $1.7 billion. A contributing factor was the inclusion of a new $450 million bus station to be built at Woolloongabba, in line with the main South East Busway. This was to be funded with $150 Million contributed by all three levels of government under the SEQ City deal. The project would've seen $70 million in resumptions with the new station requiring the deviation of the existing Busway, and new layover facilities for charging electric buses with the existing facilities sold off to private developers. A $9.5 million business case completed into the station with the project deemed complete. The remaining funding was then pulled from the project with $150 million going into the business case for extensions and new routes This funding is not included in the overall total for the Brisbane Metro project of $1.55 billion.
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. The tunnel would connect the South East Busway with the Inner Northern Busway and reduce the number of buses running on city streets. Construction was expected to take at least twelve months.
In October 2024, it was announced that Melanie Zanetti, the voice of Chilli Heeler from popular TV show Bluey would provide the voiceover for the passenger announcement system on the Brisbane Metro.
The Brisbane Metro vehicles began trial passenger service on the morning of 21 October 2024, operating on route 169 between Eight Mile Plains and the University of Queensland. This trial ended on 18 November 2024, with regular buses returning to the 169.
On 5 December 2024, it was announced that route M2 would begin full services on 28 January 2025. Initially services would operate at a maximum of every 5 minutes during peak. Frequency was planned to be increased to every 3 minutes once the Adelaide Street tunnel opens in late 2025, however, this didn't happen.
Despite community support for the continuation of route 86, it was announced that the Brisbane City Council would not supply further funding for the trial service beyond January 2025, and it was removed from operation on 28 January 2025, coinciding with the introduction of route M2.
Routes 66 and 86 ran their final services on the night of 27 January 2025. Route M2 began operations on the morning of 28 January 2025.
Route 111 and 160 ran their final services on the night of 29 June 2025. Route M1 began operations on the morning of 30 June 2025, along with the introduction of Brisbane's New Bus Network.
The new Adelaide Street Tunnel opened on 29 September 2025.

Routes

Brisbane Metro consists of two routes covering 21 kilometres, linking Brisbane's outer suburbs with the CBD. 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. Once all 60 buses are delivered and sufficient drivers are trained, three minute headways can be introduced if passenger demand is appropriate.
The system has curtailed some regular bus routes, previously bound for the city via the busway. These bus routes now terminate at busway stations outside the city, allowing for transfers with the Brisbane Metro, reducing bus traffic in busy inner-city stations. Most routes terminating at Queen Street bus station remain, however.

Metro 1

Metro 1 replaced routes 111 and 160. It provides a key suburban corridor from the southern suburbs to Brisbane CBD and provides interchange to other Translink services, via the South East busway.

Stations

Below is a list of stations that Metro 1 services and its available transport connections.
Station namePublic transport connections
Eight Mile PlainsLocal bus services
Upper Mount GravattLocal bus services
Griffith UniversityLocal bus services
Holland Park WestLocal bus services
GreenslopesLocal bus services
BurandaBuranda railway station, local bus services
Mater HillLocal bus services and M2
South BankSouth Bank railway station, local bus services and M2
Cultural CentreSouth Brisbane railway station, local bus services and M2
King George SquareLocal bus services and M2
Roma StreetRoma Street railway station, local bus services and M2

Metro 2

Metro 2 replaced route 66. It provides a key education, knowledge, and health corridor by connecting the University of Queensland with the Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, including Princess Alexandra Hospital and the Queensland University of Technology's Kelvin Grove Campus, via the Eastern and Northern busways.

Stations

Below is a list of stations that Metro 2 services and its available transport connections.

Vehicles

The project will introduce sixty 24.4 metre long bi-articulated buses based on the HESS lighTram 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. In "event mode" the buses were announced as carrying up to 180 passengers, however this was subsequently revised to 170. The buses can travel 90 km/h. The buses have lithium-titanium-oxide batteries.
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 via overhead wireless charging that will charge at the end of each route for less than six minutes. The buses will be fully low-floor and have next stop displays and audible announcement of the next stop. In addition, they have onboard WiFi, USB charging points, automatic wheelchair ramp at first compartment, and three large double doors. A pilot bus was built and tested in Europe in 2021. Originally planned by 2020, the pilot bus arrived in Brisbane for testing in early 2022. Following successful testing, an order for the further 59 was placed with delivers scheduled to start in late 2023 for operations in 2024. The 60 vehicles cost $190 million, an increase of $100 million compared to more traditionally powered vehicles.