Brisbane Metro: First look at new underground station

BRISBANE residents have been given their first glimpse of a new underground Metro station that last week moved a major step closer following a $300 million funding boost from the Turnbull Government. SEE THE FLY-THROUGH VIDEO

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BRISBANE residents have been given their first glimpse of the underground Metro station at the cultural precinct.

It comes off the back of last week’s pledge from the federal government to commit $300 million to Brisbane Metro.

The new station will be built on a parcel of land near the intersection of Grey and Melbourne St in South Brisbane, which is owned by the State Government.

The State Government owns the land where the proposed station would be located.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said he was hopeful that the land would be gifted to Council, but suggested there was money available to purchase it if necessary.

“We’ve continued to work through with getting state approvals now that we have the funding in place,” he said.

“There’s a number of approvals we need.

“I will be making sure that they are delivered in a timely way.

“We’re continuing to have productive conversation with the state around it.”

Council this morning released its first designs of the underground station, which will link Brisbane Metro passengers to the cultural precinct.

A still image from a fly-through video of the planned underground Metro station at the cultural precinct.

The station will also link Metro vehicles to Victoria Bridge via an underground tunnel, easing congestion at the busy Melbourne and Grey St intersection.

Cr Quirk said Council was yet to determine the design of the Metro vehicles, hitting back at claims by Labor that they will be giant banana buses.

“There’s a number of vehicles though that are being looked at,” he said.

“It will be obviously a much bigger people mover.

“You can’t drive it with a bus licence, you can’t drive it with a train licence – it’s a stand-alone vehicle which will require special licensing in terms of the driver.”

The station will be located at the busy Melbourne and Grey St intersection.

Construction on the project is expected to commence in 2019, with services to be running by 2023.

The Metro will include two lines - one that runs from Eight Mile Plains to Roma Street and another that will stretch from the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital to UQ Lakes.