RAIL - Back On Track Forum

Would an eventual "Metro" (BERT!) expansion to Chermside really be possible once the Northern Transitway is completed?

I have a hard time seeing these bi-articulated buses navigate the turn from Cedric Street onto Lutwyche road, and then trodding along Lutwyche Road until they can enter the portal near Turot street?

Edit: spelling

According to all the reports out there, it's not likely until they complete the Gympie road tunnel.

The Chermside interchange also needs reconfiguring for articulated buses as well as Metro vehicles.

So a long way off I reckon. At least 5 - 6 years away.

Meanwhile, enjoy the real accomplishments over the last 10 years in Sydney. ---> https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=12778.msg279213#msg279213

Quote from: verbatim9 on January 11, 2024, 18:49:57 PMAccording to all the reports out there, it's not likely until they complete the Gympie road tunnel.

The Chermside interchange also needs reconfiguring for articulated buses as well as Metro vehicles.

So a long way off I reckon. At least 5 - 6 years away.

Do you mean that the BRT metro would run in the tunnel? Or that they extension northwards would require works that could only be completed after the tunnel?

Couriermail --> Brisbane Metro under threat amid war of words between Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, Transport Minister Bart Mellish $

QuoteAfter eight years of planning, and a cost blowout from $944 million to $1.7 billion, the Brisbane Metro project could be delayed until 2025 because of a war of words that has erupted over a funding agreement. Here's why

A public transport funding stoush could delay the Brisbane Metro by up to a year.

The standoff between Brisbane City Council and the state government threatens to delay the project into 2025.

The Metro services cannot start running until the council and government renegotiate the agreement which dictates how they share the funding needed for Brisbane buses.

Residents have already waited eight years since the Brisbane Metro concept was first announced and seen the project's cost blow out from $944m to $1.7bn.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said completion of the Brisbane Metro project was at risk if the council and government could not reach a new deal on the funding split. ...

^ for discussion on BCC - bus services funding > https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=15518.0

Couriermail --> War of words rages on between Brisbane City Council, Transport Minister over bus funding split after failed negotiation $

QuoteThe standoff between the council and Transport Minister over the funding split for Brisbane's bus network has fired up, after last week's meeting failed to resolve the disagreement.

Brisbane City Council wants to see more money in this year's State Budget, but the Transport Minister said "it is not the state government's job to fund Council's poor decisions". ...

https://x.com/ozbob13/status/1754146060979884539?s=20

https://x.com/ryansrumblings/status/1754324667303936217?s=20

Update from LM Schrinner > https://www.facebook.com/reel/239695335775895

Brisbane Metro - The new look metros

A video showing the installation of the metro wrap, including footage of the completed design.

Translink service right?  Doesn't look like it! Branding be damned.

Looks really good without all the commercial ads on there.

Oh gross why did they put yellow on it and so much white. Looks nowhere near as good as the renderings and the test vehicle.

I liked the black and blue.

Brisbanetimes --> Metro charging station to be built on Brisbane's northside under LNP plan $

"The LNP's northside electric bus charger - what is planned?

The Fitzgibbon depot will have the same chargers installed at Rochedale which can charge a Metro vehicle in less than six minutes.

It makes a future northern Brisbane Metro service - Metro 3 - viable and opens discussions on a potential northern Brisbane Metro link with Queensland Transport.

The location potentially allows northside electric bus services to run at 5-minute frequencies along Gympie Road.
Brisbane Metro stage 1 will begin on two lines, using 18 bus stations in 2024."

QuoteExtra electric buses and a future stage 3 of the all-electric Brisbane Metro will expand into Brisbane's northside, if Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner's LNP team wins the March council elections.

Schrinner will on Sunday announce a new electric charging station built on council-owned land at Fitzgibbon, near Carseldine, allowing electric buses to be charged in six minutes. ...

Quote from: Jonno on February 13, 2024, 06:45:04 AMTranslink service right?  Doesn't look like it! Branding be damned.

They were never going to be Translink branded. The intention was to be Metro branded mainly associated with the operator being BCC. They will no doubt have some complimentary Translink branding though as they currently have with the other buses.

Quote from: andrewr on February 13, 2024, 06:54:58 AMLooks really good without all the commercial ads on there.

While there won't be advertising wrap intially, it's likely there will be in the future on some vehicles as well as advertising via internal and external PIDs.

Brisbane Metro is a BCC initiative. Consistent with the dual transit agency arrangement in Brisbane, IIRC BCC will be fully funding operations, similar to CityGliders.

Quote from: ozbob on February 17, 2024, 22:11:29 PMBrisbanetimes --> Metro charging station to be built on Brisbane's northside under LNP plan $

"The LNP's northside electric bus charger - what is planned?

The Fitzgibbon depot will have the same chargers installed at Rochedale which can charge a Metro vehicle in less than six minutes.

It makes a future northern Brisbane Metro service - Metro 3 - viable and opens discussions on a potential northern Brisbane Metro link with Queensland Transport.

The location potentially allows northside electric bus services to run at 5-minute frequencies along Gympie Road.
Brisbane Metro stage 1 will begin on two lines, using 18 bus stations in 2024."

QuoteExtra electric buses and a future stage 3 of the all-electric Brisbane Metro will expand into Brisbane's northside, if Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner's LNP team wins the March council elections.

Schrinner will on Sunday announce a new electric charging station built on council-owned land at Fitzgibbon, near Carseldine, allowing electric buses to be charged in six minutes. ...

No mention of any help with the "missing link" though. It seems like both levels of government have simply forgotten it exists.

^ can you detail exactly the ' missing link ' please Tim. 

Let's watch BCC play politics over the busway past carseldine station. Especially considering the state just spent a few million installing a parking lot on the busway alignment. Better off sending any metro bus via Roghan road given that's where there are no regular bus services and where the people... live. Not to mention there's only 1 planned stop for the busway north of Carseldine station.

This new extension could be on of
the improvements mooted by both Qld Government and the BCC in conjunction with the Gympie road tunnel.

BCC certainly wouldn't have the budget to do this on their own.

https://twitter.com/bne_lordmayor/status/1758954831040115117

Quote from: HappyTrainGuy on February 18, 2024, 01:02:23 AMLet's watch BCC play politics over the busway past carseldine station. Especially considering the state just spent a few million installing a parking lot on the busway alignment. Better off sending any metro bus via Roghan road given that's where there are no regular bus services and where the people... live. Not to mention there's only 1 planned stop for the busway north of Carseldine station.

I've never understood the reasoning in running the busway parallel with the NCL. It's not like Fitzgibbon is a highly dense node / university / or other trip generator.

Quote from: 300LA on February 19, 2024, 22:06:10 PMI've never understood the reasoning in running the busway parallel with the NCL. It's not like Fitzgibbon is a highly dense node / university / or other trip generator.

I think it's for the Fitzgibbon state development area, but I've never understood why they don't just build a new train station there since the planned busway station will be right next to the train line. Surely one station is cheaper than several kilometres of new busway.

Quote from: ozbob on February 18, 2024, 00:28:33 AM^ can you detail exactly the ' missing link ' please Tim. 

The section of On-Street running between Federation Street and Truro Street.

There were originally plans for a tunneled busway here, but no government since the Bligh government seems to even remember they exist. See plans below:







It seems a shame that there is a perfectly good, well built tunneled ROW between from Kedron Brook to the north of Windsor, which is made fully redundant when buses get stuck in general traffic light and slow traffic light movements through Windsor

^ thanks!   

I think if you did it today you'd not worry about Albion Rd Busway station since it is so close to Truro St (220m!)

Still, would be some good images to table in front of the Minister.

Quote from: Gazza on February 20, 2024, 10:15:14 AMI think if you did it today you'd not worry about Albion Rd Busway station since it is so close to Truro St (220m!)

Still, would be some good images to table in front of the Minister.

100%, Albion road Station is unnecessary. Just chuck a pedestrian overpass on Truro Street and you're good to go.

Note the open cut station at Windsor, with pedestrian overpasses that link directly to Windsor rail station!

Great description by Tim of the 'missing link'.

I've lived in the Northside of Brisbane for most of the last 8 years and have used this corridor extensively.
Travelling from the CBD to Chermside, the journey is significantly slowed by the two non-busway sections:

1) The missing link
 - Well described by Tim above, but basically after RBWH, buses entre general traffic on Lutwyche road until they can enter the Northern Busway via the portal at the corner of Albion and Lutwyche roads.

2) Gympie road past Kedron Brook Station
 - The Northern Busway ends after this station when buses rejoin regular traffic on Gympie road, roughly at Sadlier street intersection.


Once the Northern Transitway is complete, I hope the service along Gympie road will be much faster (peak hours only for now unfortunately).

But there has not yet been a solution proposed to the 'missing link' since the abandoned plans for the full and proper Northern Busway, which was cancelled by the Newman government in favour of the Northern Transitway.

I'm hoping that the push for the Metro (BERT) extension to Chermside will address this section, because I don't see how bi-articulated buses can navigate these sections, or even mingle with regular traffic.


And while I'm at it, please forgive me if I take the opportunity to advocate for the Brisbane Metro to go via The Prince Charles Hospital! Having worked there, there is a massive number of patients, visitors and staff who complain about the lack of proper transit to such a big hospital!

Don't tell metro that last part. You'll get peppered with polls, obscure comparisons for timings for some reasons and the like despite not being familiar with the light sequences, traffic flow and just the general area in question.

I read elsewhere that the metro buses have a better turning circle than regular ones.
Which probably makes sense given they originate from Switzerland, where tight urban environments are the norm.

QuoteDon't tell metro that last part. You'll get peppered with polls, obscure comparisons for timings for some reasons and the like despite not being familiar with the light sequences, traffic flow and just the general area in question

Well HTG, you yourself don't live in the BCC LGA area, yet I believe no members here have ever suggested you can't comment on BCC's bus services?

Members regularly comment on matters outside of their immediate locality, e.g. Sunshine Coast line. As they should be allowed to.

I mean, if you followed your own advice, you wouldn't be able to make half the comments you do, right?

And let us know what your solution is for this latest identified problem is. Preventing new services to the Northside such as Brisbane Metro probably isn't one of them.

No, my comment was poking at someone that doesn't know the area, live and commute through it but choosing to argue with others that they are wrong and you are right. There's debating and then there is your arguing to the 9th degree where you dig up any old and obscure reference or study to get your point across.

Yes, I now live in MBRC but that doesn't mean I don't know anything about Brisbanes northern suburbs. I live in the MBRC but have local BCC buses. I've lived and commuted through the northern suburbs over the decades and I've seen how it's not really evolved. Well, Aspley did have its interchanged relocated so that's an evolution I guess.

And I've been saying for ages Brisbanes network can't be fixed by changing a few routes. It needs a full overhaul. Delete every route don't be afraid to axe sections of buz routes. 2011 network was the best network proposal for the Northside. And still is. There were some black spots but nothing that couldn't be resolved.

https://x.com/bne_lordmayor/status/1764158070672990371?s=46&t=EDszjTErsxTIqAna7yuP-w

Ok this is truely straight out of Utopia!!

Don't worry about reduced capacity but let's run a naming competition.

Idiot!!

Something tells me that they have far too many bureaucrats in Council justifying their jobs to start naming buses. Plus they want input from the public to help them with their idea. Lols

Bertie #1 to Bertie #x      

Quote from: OzGamer on February 20, 2024, 09:17:54 AM

Quote from: 300LA on February 19, 2024, 22:06:10 PMI've never understood the reasoning in running the busway parallel with the NCL. It's not like Fitzgibbon is a highly dense node / university / or other trip generator.

I think it's for the Fitzgibbon state development area, but I've never understood why they don't just build a new train station there since the planned busway station will be right next to the train line. Surely one station is cheaper than several kilometres of new busway.

When the third road between Northgate and Lawnton was built the track centres between the then Up Main and third road, north of Carseldine, were widened out to allow for a future Fitzgibbon station island platform. The site is near the Roghan Rd Dorville Rd intersection. My guess is the proposed station was canned when TMR muscled in with their busway proposal.

It just occurred to me that this proposed Metro 3 line really does nothing for public transit to The Prince Charles Hospital.

This seems short sighted as that hospital precinct is expected to be redeveloped and grow massively. And it's already one of the busiest hub in the inner North.

TPCH has terrible transit access currently, forcing staff and visitors to drive.

Quote from: Habitant on March 19, 2024, 03:56:03 AMIt just occurred to me that this proposed Metro 3 line really does nothing for public transit to The Prince Charles Hospital.

This seems short sighted as that hospital precinct is expected to be redeveloped and grow massively. And it's already one of the busiest hub in the inner North.

TPCH has terrible transit access currently, forcing staff and visitors to drive.

The current proposal for "Metro 3" is extremely vague. If you read the fine print though, it always says that it is dependant on the state govt building the Northern busway, of which the original proposal went via PCH. Time will tell but I very much doubt that deviation will be built, which is a shame