Timeline of trouble: How Brisbane Metro has turned out over eight years

It’s been eight years in the making but still there are none of the much-vaunted Metro electric buses operating. We take a look at the speed bumps since it was announced in 2016.

There was much excitement in 2016 when then Lord Mayor Graham Quirk announced that Brisbane would get its own Metro, albeit with buses instead of trains like in every other metro/tube/subway around the world.

The idea quickly changed design and in coming years it was plagued by cost overruns, clashes between the former Labor state government and council, a $300m federal rescue package thanks to former Prime Minister Scott Morrison and a major rethink of its signature bus station after another stoush with the state government.

And now there is the news that the first month of operation was merely a trial, with services possibly not starting until next year.

Here’s how it has unfolded over the years:

Brisbane Greeter Maree Trappett at UQ Lakes Station, St Lucia. Picture: Richard Walker

2016

Announcement of Metro, which would involve converting the busway from Woolloongabba to Herston into a rubber-tyred Metro, with a single track to provide power and enable driverless operations.

2017

Design changes to high-capacity, bi-articulated bus project on existing busway,

Council/State Government standoff sees the original underground Cultural Centre station changed. Business case submitted to Infrastructure Australia.

MAY, 2018

Ex-Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces $300m for Metro in the Federal Budget.

Brisbane Metro tunnel in October, 2023. Picture: David Clark

JULY, 2019

Ex-Transport Minister Mark Bailey demands the Cultural Centre station be built underground at the convention centre.

JUNE, 2020

Tenders finally announced. Global consortium made up of Spanish and London-based conglomerates to build the project. Revelations the $944m cost had blown out to $1.2bn.

OCTOBER, 2020

State finally approves Metro but with a range of conditions feared to add $100m to the bill.

Ryan Murphy on board Brisbane Metro. Picture: Richard Walker

NOVEMBER, 2022

Huge cost blowouts on range of projects revealed in council budget, Labor Opposition claims the true cost of Metro had increased to $1.7bn.

FEBRUARY, 2024

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner announces a second charging depot at Fitzgibbon if elected in March, to complement Rochedale charging depot, which would service a northern network.

OCTOBER, 2023

About 80 per cent of tunnelling complete, or 170m of 213m, of a North Quay to City Hall tunnel.

JANUARY, 2024

Revelations of a state/council bus funding standoff threaten to delay Metro until 2025.

JULY 8, 2024

Joint media release from ex-premier Steven Miles and then-Transport Minister Bart Mellish, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and Council Transport Chair Ryan Murphy on $75m bus funding deal states: “Rapid deployment of Brisbane Metro vehicles on the busy 169 bus route between Eight Mile Plains and UQ St Lucia from October 2024.’’ There was no mention of a trial.

AUGUST 2, 2024

Adrian Schrinner raises idea of scrapping the $450m Gabba station and spending the money on extending Metro into suburbs.

SEPTEMBER, 2024

Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King backs plan to expand Metro into suburbs by 2032 Games, commits to keeping $150m in federal funding on the table.

OCTOBER 21, 2024

Services begin on the 169 route from UQ Lakes to Eight Mile Plains. Transport Chair Ryan Murphy says a “packed’’ media scrum was told it was a trial, but there was no official advertising of that and most media outlets are later taken by surprise when buses are stopped.

NOVEMBER 18, 2024

Metro buses taken offline for range of tweaks from overhead grab rails to loudness of stop announcements. TransLink alert on Friday, 3.30pm and signs at the UQ Lakes stop that weekend, but no official communication from council.

Originally published as Timeline of trouble: How Brisbane Metro has turned out over eight years