Brisbane Metro plan overhauled to include two lines instead of one

SERVICES every three minutes, journey times halved and two lines instead of one – Brisbane’s planned new Metro system just took a major new direction. SEE THE NEW ROUTES

The Brisbane Metro system will now have two lines instead of one.

A HUGE overhaul of Brisbane’s proposed Metro system has led to routes being significantly expanded while delivering more than $500 million in ratepayer savings.

The redesign, prompted after the project suffered severe teething issues, has seen the system expanded along two lines instead of one, which originally ran from Herston to Woolloongabba.

Following extensive community feedback, one service is now planned to run from the CBD’s Roma Street Transit Centre to Eight Mile Plains in the city’s south, mostly along the southeast busway.

A second high-frequency line has been designed to run from the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital to the University of Queensland Lakes in the west, using parts of the State Government controlled northern and southeast busways.

The map showing the two routes for the new Metro, which would use 21km of existing busway.

Despite the significant expansion, Brisbane City Council believes the project will cost less than $1 billion, well under the $1.54 billion originally estimated in January last year.

Council has always pledged to pay for the lion’s share of the Metro. Lord Mayor Graham Quirk predicted the new plans, using 21km of existing busway infrastructure, would slash travel times by up to 50 per cent.

“Metro services will be expanded to the suburbs and will help address Brisbane’s existing congestion and capacity issues with a fast and reliable public transport service to keep Brisbane heading in the right direction,” Cr Quirk said.

“People’s journeys from the suburbs to the city and home again will be faster, with journeys between Buranda and King George Square 50 per cent faster in the afternoon peak and 30 per cent faster in the morning peak.”

The two lines would carry Metro vehicles every three minutes in peak times.

Suburban buses would feed into the Metro, removing some services from the busways to free up space for quicker Metro, BUZ, Rocket and CityGlider services.

Cr Quirk said the revised plans would remove 125 buses from the CBD at morning peak hour.

“It provides a better solution for Brisbane that redirects buses to the suburbs, integrates with the proposed Cross River Rail project and connects our key knowledge and health hubs,” he said.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk says the revised plans will remove 125 buses from the CBD at morning peak hour. Picture: Jack Tran

Integration between the State Government’s Cross River Rail and the Metro has been a goal of Cr Quirk, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull tying any rail funding to that result last year.

It means commuters would be able to now change between the Metro and Cross River Rail at the Boggo Rd and Roma St busway stations.

When BUZ, Rocket and CityGlider services were included, Cr Quirk said the Metro could carry up to 22,000 passengers every hour in the morning peak.

“Community and stakeholder consultation played an important role in the evolution of the Metro design,” he said. “Feedback identified the need for additional high-frequency Metro corridors that extend beyond the inner city.”

A “state-of-the-art” underground station would be built at the Cultural Centre, with upgrades planned to occur at 17 other busway stations to allow commuters to swipe on and off, similar to the system at Roma St train station.

However there are challenges ahead, with the proposals relying on converting Victoria Bridge, linking the CBD to South Bank, to a green bridge for Metro and other bus services.

The move has been supported by council’s Labor ­Opposition but has so far been resisted by their State Government colleagues.

Cr Quirk said the Metro fleet would include about 60 vehicles, with the capacity to transport 150 people each.

Council plans to undertake community consultation over the next few weeks before finalising a preliminary business case in May.