About 60 electric bi-articulated buses could form Brisbane’s new Metro transport service in 2023.
While the choice of vehicle will be made by mid-2019, the Brisbane City Council is considering electrics and hybrids among power train options for the 25-metre long vehicles, each expected to carry up to 150 passengers.
“At the moment we are considering all options for power trains,” Brisbane deputy mayor Adrian Schrinner told the Brisbane Times.
However, the council wants to ensure the new 5.5-hectare Rochedale depot at School Road near the busway can cater for charging for a future electric fleet.
Transit Australia Group and Van Hool of Belgium; Hess Ag of Switzerland, and Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific Pty Ltd – a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler AG, Germany, have provided bus designs.
The successful tender will supply a pilot vehicle for trialling around Brisbane’s busways.
Up to 90 buses are expected to be eventually provided, with the state government’s busway likely to be expanded to Springwood.
Building an underground busway station near the Brisbane Cultural Centre at South Brisbane is due to go to tender later this year.
The contract to build the Rochdale Brisbane Metro depot goes to tender on March 27, the site expected to have vehicle recharging and fuelling facilities, a wash area, administrative centre and parking for about 270 cars.
The Brisbane Metro is expected to operate seven days for 20-24 hours daily from about 5am with high-frequency services every three minutes in peak periods, have about 18 stations and 11 interchanges.
Visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au for more information.
