Brisbane: Bus Electric Rapid Transit (' Brisbane Metro ')

[ozbob]

They are not going to use trolley buses, ie. buses under continuous OHT. 

They might well be rapid charge electric though.  That technology is racing ahead now.

Sadly though, it is looking very much like the state has deliberately slowed the ' metro '  down to try to make it a council election issue in 2020.

This state is really rooted.  The bus network is in a broken state, Brisbane and many of the regions.  The Government is not putting any significant funds for service improvement. 

https://twitter.com/jackietrad/status/871862688200089600

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1187029273237843972

[verbatim9]

It was great to catch-up with senior leaders from @BrisbaneAirport today to discuss options to extend the turn-up-and-go Brisbane Metro project out to the airport.

Each day 24,000 people work at the airport and they desperately need better access to public transport. https://t.co/vSOcp4WXJr

https://twitter.com/Schrinner/status/1189418997793472512

[verbatim9]

It was great to catch-up with senior leaders from @BrisbaneAirport today to discuss options to extend the turn-up-and-go Brisbane Metro project out to the airport.

Each day 24,000 people work at the airport and they desperately need better access to public transport. https://t.co/vSOcp4WXJr

https://twitter.com/Schrinner/status/1189418997793472512

^^I wonder what the timeframe is to implement this?

[timh]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157800713081165&id=35421541164

Trying to put some pressure on the State gov by the looks of it. PM shaking hands with the mayor saying "let's get it done", yeah VERY subtle.

While I don't really agree with the somewhat dirty tactic, I do agree with the sentiment.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> $80 million spent on Brisbane Metro to date

Brisbane City Council has spent $80 million on its flagship Brisbane Metro public transport project, while still waiting for the location of a major station in south Brisbane to be finalised.

Figures released by the council in a question on notice by Labor show $80 million has been spent to date until September this year, with the highest amounts going to design and technical investigations, and land purchases.

Brisbane Metro has a $944 million price tag, which the council says is fully funded with federal contributions. The project, announced in 2016 by former lord mayor Graham Quirk, is waiting for approvals from the state government.

The LNP administration and the Labor state government have been at loggerheads over the Metro's approval process, after Transport Minister Mark Bailey requested the council investigate relocating its proposed station at the Cultural Centre to underneath the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Business case costs for the Metro totalled nearly $13 million, and $16.7 million was spent on land accrual for the transport project.

Employee costs of $8.2 million was the next-highest expense, followed by procurement at $6.4 million.

More than $1 million was spent on marketing and communications, and $2.7 million for project management and governance.

Labor's lord mayoral candidate Pat Condren said the LNP "can't be trusted" with ratepayer funds on large-scale projects.

Deputy mayor Krista Adams said costs to date would be "standard at this point for an almost-billion-dollar infrastructure project".

"This is a critical project and Infrastructure Australia lists it as the number one construction-ready project in Queensland," she said.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/team_schrinner/status/1195233224621883392

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Council, state bury the hatchet over Brisbane Metro

Transport Minister Mark Bailey and lord mayor Adrian Schrinner have put on a united face for the council's $944 million Brisbane Metro mass transit project, after months of sniping over delays to construction.

The minister and lord mayor fronted a joint press conference on Friday afternoon to announce the council had been given the go-ahead for small infrastructure works around South Brisbane for the project.

The relationship between the council and state soured in June when Cr Schrinner attacked the Transport Department for requiring late-term changes to the planned Cultural Centre station, the final location of which is still under investigation by both parties.

The state government asked the council to model moving the station to under the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre: that prompted an angry broadside from Cr Schrinner, who for months after accused Mr Bailey of enacting a go-slow on the project and failing to communicate.

But after a recent meeting between the pair, the council was given conditional approval to start work on relocating the lifts at the Cultural Centre, a high voltage cable, a sewer main and upgrading the intersection of Peel and Grey streets.

"That's a really important first step in getting this project underway," Cr Schrinner said on Friday.

"These early works are required regardless of whatever option is landed on for the station here, so they'll be works we can get on with."

Several options for the final location of the Cultural Centre station were initially considered and Mr Bailey confirmed the state and council had agreed to conduct closer investigations on one option that would cost a further $91 million on top of the $944 million original budget.

That option would be similar to the council's original plan, with an underground station angled between the South Brisbane train station and running beneath the intersections of Peel and Grey streets.

West End buses would embark and disembark from the surface at bus stops on Melbourne Street between Merivale and Hope streets.

Cr Schrinner said the council was "moving forward" with procurement on the Brisbane Metro vehicles and expected to make a final announcement on the successful tender in the coming weeks.

Mr Bailey said the agreement between council and state to start early works was a "step forward" for the project.

"The Palaszczuk government has supported this project in principle from the very beginning," he said.

"We've always said this is a project that's got to work. It's got to integrate into our public transport system seamlessly and getting these early works underway - because regardless of whether it's the projected design or it's the design I think we need to be looking at, there's early works that are common for both of those."

Labor lord mayoral candidate Pat Condren said the go-ahead from the state government meant Cr Schrinner now had to prove the council was serious about Brisbane Metro's viability and start work on the delayed project.

[timh]

Brisbanetimes --> Council, state bury the hatchet over Brisbane Metro

Transport Minister Mark Bailey and lord mayor Adrian Schrinner have put on a united face for the council's $944 million Brisbane Metro mass transit project, after months of sniping over delays to construction.

The minister and lord mayor fronted a joint press conference on Friday afternoon to announce the council had been given the go-ahead for small infrastructure works around South Brisbane for the project.

The relationship between the council and state soured in June when Cr Schrinner attacked the Transport Department for requiring late-term changes to the planned Cultural Centre station, the final location of which is still under investigation by both parties.

The state government asked the council to model moving the station to under the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre: that prompted an angry broadside from Cr Schrinner, who for months after accused Mr Bailey of enacting a go-slow on the project and failing to communicate.

But after a recent meeting between the pair, the council was given conditional approval to start work on relocating the lifts at the Cultural Centre, a high voltage cable, a sewer main and upgrading the intersection of Peel and Grey streets.

"That's a really important first step in getting this project underway," Cr Schrinner said on Friday.

"These early works are required regardless of whatever option is landed on for the station here, so they'll be works we can get on with."

Several options for the final location of the Cultural Centre station were initially considered and Mr Bailey confirmed the state and council had agreed to conduct closer investigations on one option that would cost a further $91 million on top of the $944 million original budget.

That option would be similar to the council's original plan, with an underground station angled between the South Brisbane train station and running beneath the intersections of Peel and Grey streets.

West End buses would embark and disembark from the surface at bus stops on Melbourne Street between Merivale and Hope streets.

Cr Schrinner said the council was "moving forward" with procurement on the Brisbane Metro vehicles and expected to make a final announcement on the successful tender in the coming weeks.

Mr Bailey said the agreement between council and state to start early works was a "step forward" for the project.

"The Palaszczuk government has supported this project in principle from the very beginning," he said.

"We've always said this is a project that's got to work. It's got to integrate into our public transport system seamlessly and getting these early works underway - because regardless of whether it's the projected design or it's the design I think we need to be looking at, there's early works that are common for both of those."

Labor lord mayoral candidate Pat Condren said the go-ahead from the state government meant Cr Schrinner now had to prove the council was serious about Brisbane Metro's viability and start work on the delayed project.

FINALLY. Glad to see a positive story about Metro. Was getting really sick of the political bickering. I'm also glad to hear the station location will still be close to the original planned location.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[#Metro]

"We've always said this is a project that's got to work. It's got to integrate into our public transport system seamlessly and getting these early works underway - because regardless of whether it's the projected design or it's the design I think we need to be looking at, there's early works that are common for both of those."

Wow, I wish they took this position with the wider BCC bus network and trains.

[timh]

Brisbanetimes --> Council, state bury the hatchet over Brisbane Metro

Several options for the final location of the Cultural Centre station were initially considered and Mr Bailey confirmed the state and council had agreed to conduct closer investigations on one option that would cost a further $91 million on top of the $944 million original budget.

That option would be similar to the council's original plan, with an underground station angled between the South Brisbane train station and running beneath the intersections of Peel and Grey streets.

Hang on, just read this bit closer. Surely that's a mistake. Intersection of grey and PEEL street? The station would be underneath the entrance to the state library?? How do they plan on getting a tunnel all the way over there, then swinging it back onto the Victoria Bridge. Is that a mistake or am I understanding it poorly...?

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[verbatim9]

Council has finally been given the green light to start work on its much-hyped metro project. @ShannonMM9 #9News https://t.co/R7AiAPG2CF

https://twitter.com/9NewsQueensland/status/1195252340074242050

[verbatim9]

Ratepayers will stump up more money for Brisbane Metro, a project which is yet to be approved. Brisbane City Council has been given the green light for minor works. But the State Government says it does so at its own risk. https://t.co/VZ3A1cpmr5 @ErinEdwards7 #7NEWS https://t.co/eabkA6T43C

https://twitter.com/7NewsBrisbane/status/1195254267038187520

[aldonius]

Hang on, just read this bit closer. Surely that's a mistake. Intersection of grey and PEEL street? The station would be underneath the entrance to the state library?? How do they plan on getting a tunnel all the way over there, then swinging it back onto the Victoria Bridge. Is that a mistake or am I understanding it poorly...?

I think the Grey/Peel works are to accommodate the shifts in traffic flow due to the removal of cars from the Victoria Bridge (and indeed Melbourne St north of Hope St).


The concept design documents are interesting reading. What a lot of people haven't realised yet is that the CC surface bus stops are planned to move to the southern side of Grey St, under the rail bridge. They envisage for no services to terminate there, but instead in the southern CBD (that's going to be one incredibly busy intersection under Adelaide St, especially since the QSBS services appear to be turning right from the left lane there).

[verbatim9]

Hang on, just read this bit closer. Surely that's a mistake. Intersection of grey and PEEL street? The station would be underneath the entrance to the state library?? How do they plan on getting a tunnel all the way over there, then swinging it back onto the Victoria Bridge. Is that a mistake or am I understanding it poorly...?

I think the Grey/Peel works are to accommodate the shifts in traffic flow due to the removal of cars from the Victoria Bridge (and indeed Melbourne St north of Hope St).


The concept design documents are interesting reading. What a lot of people haven't realised yet is that the CC surface bus stops are planned to move to the southern side of Grey St, under the rail bridge. They envisage for no services to terminate there, but instead in the southern CBD (that's going to be one incredibly busy intersection under Adelaide St, especially since the QSBS services appear to be turning right from the left lane there).

^^They are planning to run all those other surface buses underground now. As per the reports above.

[verbatim9]

Council has finally been given the green light to start work on its much-hyped metro project. @ShannonMM9 #9News https://t.co/R7AiAPG2CF

https://twitter.com/9NewsQueensland/status/1195252340074242050

Ratepayers will stump up more money for Brisbane Metro, a project which is yet to be approved. Brisbane City Council has been given the green light for minor works. But the State Government says it does so at its own risk. https://t.co/VZ3A1cpmr5 @ErinEdwards7 #7NEWS https://t.co/eabkA6T43C

https://twitter.com/7NewsBrisbane/status/1195254267038187520

Hang on, just read this bit closer. Surely that's a mistake. Intersection of grey and PEEL street? The station would be underneath the entrance to the state library?? How do they plan on getting a tunnel all the way over there, then swinging it back onto the Victoria Bridge. Is that a mistake or am I understanding it poorly...?

I think the Grey/Peel works are to accommodate the shifts in traffic flow due to the removal of cars from the Victoria Bridge (and indeed Melbourne St north of Hope St).


The concept design documents are interesting reading. What a lot of people haven't realised yet is that the CC surface bus stops are planned to move to the southern side of Grey St, under the rail bridge. They envisage for no services to terminate there, but instead in the southern CBD (that's going to be one incredibly busy intersection under Adelaide St, especially since the QSBS services appear to be turning right from the left lane there).

I like the new tunnel idea and the creation of pedestrian only space above ground. The new tunnel under Melbourne street will also allow a safer passage for cyclists too.

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Brisbane Metro early works to begin in January 2020

After months being at loggerheads over the Brisbane Metro project, the Queensland Government has given Brisbane City Council the go-ahead to start early works — on one condition.

EARLY works for the $944 million Brisbane Metro will go ahead as the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council work out the details for the Metro Station at South Brisbane.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey made the announcement together at the Cultural Centre Busway Station this afternoon.

"The turn-up-and-go Brisbane Metro is under way; we've had some very positive discussions in recent weeks," Cr Schrinner said.

Those works, expected to begin in January, include sewerage and service relocations, relocating the Cultural Centre bus station lifts and upgrading the Peel and Grey St intersection.

It is a breakthrough for the two levels of government which, after having more than 300 meetings on the project were at loggerheads, with a key point of contention being where the station should be built.

The council's original plan was to build it under the Cultural Centre while the State Government wanted a station under the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, which would have cost up to $390 million extra.

A commitment from Brisbane City Council to thoroughly explore the third option on the table, to build it under the Cultural Centre but with a tunnel connection for West End buses, was a key part of the early works approvals.

It is not a promise to build the tunnel, which the council estimated would cost up to $91 million extra, merely to closely examine its feasibility.

Cr Scrhinner said the early works were "a really important first step".

"These early works are required regardless of whatever option is landed on for the station here, so they will be works that we can get on with."

Cr Schrinner added the council was only weeks away from awarding the Metro vehicle contract, and the council and state government would test its performance together.

Mr Bailey welcomed the council's commitment to progress design work on the Cultural Centre Metro Station and to continue exploring the option for West End buses to travel underground by modifying the existing reference design.

"I'm glad to work with the Lord Mayor to look, in more detail, into the two options to get a much more precise figure so we can look at what would be the preferred design," he said.

"The Palaszczuk Government has supported this project in principle from the very beginning, we've always said it's a project that's got to work, that's got to integrate into our public transport system seamlessly."

He defended the need for hundreds of meetings and what the council has previously branded delays on State Government approvals on the need to "get this right".

Mr Bailey said there were a "range of issues" that needed to be examined for the further approvals required, including how the Metro integrated into an already busy busway system and that current users "must get an improvement".

[aldonius]

They are planning to run all those other surface buses underground now. As per the reports above.

I was speaking of the stops that the West End services will use.

[verbatim9]

They are planning to run all those other surface buses underground now. As per the reports above.

I was speaking of the stops that the West End services will use.

Yeah those too apparently will go underground as well.

[aldonius]

Ah, I see. That will certainly require a bunch of changes!

[SurfRail]

If QSBS services are meant to still largely comprise southern and eastern BUZ routes, just how do they access the centre lanes of the Victoria Bridge now?

[verbatim9]

Couriermail.com.au------> Fully electric rapid recharge metro vehicles revealed for Brisbane Metro

The state-of-the-art vehicles to service the $944 million Brisbane Metro will be revealed for the first time today. They are entirely electric, which means they will travel in near silence.

COMMUTERS will be given their first glimpse of the state-of-the-art vehicles that will service the $944 million Brisbane Metro, with never- before-seen designs to be released today.

The Sunday Mail can reveal the 60 vehicle fleet will be entirely electric, allowing it to travel in near-silence without unsightly poles and wires.

The battery powered electric vehicles will be 24.4m long and 2.5m wide, with the capacity to carry 150 passengers across a three carriage design that includes four large double doors.

Brisbane-based supplier Volgren and electric-vehicle producer Hess will deliver the 60 bi-articulated vehicles after they were awarded the contract last week following a competitive tender.

Brisbane Metro's electric vehicles will have the capacity to carry 150 passengers.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the fit-out of the vehicles as well as the construction of the charging facilities would create up to 40 jobs in Brisbane.

"This is an absolute game changer," he said.

"I think the people of Brisbane will be very excited about these vehicles, and proud that their city is taking a positive step to cut vehicle pollution.

"The tender process produced some cutting-edge thinking from the bidders, meaning we will have a near-silent, fully electric transport system."

The fleet of vehicles was originally expected to cost $94 million, but the council has confirmed they will now set ratepayers back about $199 million – an additional cost of over $100 million.

They claim more than half of the extra cost will be offset by the affordability of running an electric powered fleet.

The first vehicle will arrive for testing early next year.

A pilot Metro vehicle is set to arrive in Brisbane early next year for testing, before the council orders the remaining 59 vehicles.

Each vehicle will include free Wi-Fi, USB charging ports as well as a low floor from the front to the rear, allowing for easy accessibility.

The driver's cabin will be separated from the passengers' carriages.

Flash charging infrastructure will also be rolled out across the Metro lines, allowing the vehicles to be recharged in less than six minutes at the end of each route.

While the vehicles will be built overseas, the fit-out and finish will be completed at Volgren's Brisbane base in Eagle Farm.

Brisbane City Council has updated residents and released vision of its upcoming new public transport solution.

They will have the capacity to reach speeds of up to 90km/h, which is the maximum speed allowed on the busway.

It is understood the council considered several designs, including one that would have been diesel powered.

Metro services are expected to commence in 2023.

"Brisbane Metro will provide services every three minutes in peak periods, reducing travel times by up to half, alleviating congestion, and improving the greater public transport network," Cr Schrinner said.

"Rather than hundreds of buses travelling into the city, they'll link with high-capacity and high-frequency Metro services running along dedicated busways, including 24-hours a day over the weekend."

[verbatim9]

https://youtu.be/4cvaukIE6j0



As predicted, electric/battery rapid recharge vehicles.  Logical and sound move.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1198255080752828420

[timh]

Awesome! This is a big win. They should have definitely been an electric fleet, glad council has moved ahead with this. Also glad to hear about the low floors and rapid charging at layover

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

24th November 2019

Battery-electric rapid charge bi-articulated buses are go for Brisbane Metro!

RAIL Back On Track welcomes the news that the vehicles for the Brisbane Metro will be battery-electric rapid charge bi-articulated buses. Brisbane-based supplier Volgren and electric-vehicle producer Hess will deliver the 60 bi-articulated vehicles (1).



We have monitored developments globally with electric buses since 2011 (2) and have advocated for some time now that the best vehicles for Brisbane Metro would be battery-electric with rapid charging capability.

We congratulate the Brisbane Metro team, Lord Mayor Schrinner and the Brisbane City Council for their choice of an outstanding vehicle.

Well done and thank you!

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track https://backontrack.org

References:

1. Fully electric rapid recharge metro vehicles revealed for Brisbane Metro
https://www.couriermail.com.au/business/first-look-at-brisbane-metros-stateoftheart-electric-vehicle-fleet/news-story/17a2a51e3f32c76e6efbd916bea3eedb

2.  Electric buses: https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=6945.0

3.  Introducing the Brisbane Metro vehicle



4.  Brisbane Metro https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-and-transport/public-transport/brisbane-metro

[ozbob]

Facebook ...

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1198316381126574080

[verbatim9]

I am relieved that it's going fully electric. It will be a great addition to multi mode Public Transport and mass transit in Brisbane.

Since the busway is going underground  at Roma Street, it would be a unique opportunity to further tunnel underneath the Barracks and surface at Suncorp stadium at the bottom of Caxton street. This would provide a point to point mass transit solution for Suncorp Stadium as well as speed up travel times for services coming from Ashgrove, The Gap and Bardon.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/7NewsBrisbane/status/1198456761004347392

^  good interview.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Metro's electric vehicles revealed as Labor backs light rail

Light rail is the best option for Brisbane rather than the city council's proposed Brisbane Metro, Labor's lord mayoral candidate Pat Condren has declared.

Mr Condren slammed LNP lord mayor Adrian Schrinner's announcement on Sunday that electric vehicles have been selected to operate on the $944 million Brisbane Metro, saying Labor's 2016 election promise of light rail was "right on the money".

The 60 electric vehicles will cost $100 million more than the council's original $90 million budget, and will be manufactured by a joint bid of companies Volgren and HESS.

However, Cr Schrinner said the additional cost was built into Brisbane Metro's original $944 million budget as part of its contingency fund, meaning the project was still on budget.

Cr Schrinner said the electric vehicles were selected out of three final bids, two of which were for electric vehicles, and cost more due to the need to include charging stations in the total package.

The council's original $94 million budget for the Metro vehicles was based on an estimated quote for a diesel vehicle out of concern the technology for electric vehicles was not available.

It was a "pleasant surprise" to find the technology was available, Cr Schrinner said, and selecting an electric vehicle meant the total upfront costs would be off-set by their lower maintenance and operating costs in the long term.

"What we're seeing today is the latest in a series of PR exercises designed to dupe the voters of Brisbane," Mr Condren said of the announcement.

Mr Condren said green transport for Brisbane was a "terrific idea" but criticised the high cost and budget blowout, citing Kingsford Smith Drive's delays as reason for voters to be skeptical of the LNP administration's announcement.

"I think Labor's plan that we took to the election four years ago of light rail was right on the money," he said.

Cr Schrinner said light rail would be significantly worse for Brisbane, pointing to the delays and problems with Sydney's light rail system along George Street as an example.

"The Metro system is already designed to carry far more people than equivalent light rail [systems]," he said.

The Metro vehicle design unveiled by the lord mayor on Sunday will be tested with a single pilot vehicle manufactured in Eagle Farm, before a further 59 vehicles will be commissioned.

The three-carriage vehicles will be 24.4 metres long and 2.55 metres wide, capable of carrying 150 people or 180 for events.

Patrick Condren has to be better on PT than ' light rail '.  It is not going to happen. 

Brisbane Metro is a top priority project at IA, and fully funded. 

If the red mob stick to that line, and the failed 2016 light rail push, they will go the same way as ' Free Fare Friday Rocket Rod ' gone,

and nearly forgotten ..

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1198500836298510336

[#Metro]

OMG - stop the madness!

We are not going to have a resurrection of dead LRT plans (that have been tried FOUR times already!) and dead populist fare discounting policies.

Haven't they learned anything in four years? Add more BUZ routes please!

[verbatim9]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1198500836298510336

OMG - stop the madness!

We are not going to have a resurrection of dead LRT plans (that have been tried FOUR times already!) and dead populist fare discounting policies.

Haven't they learned anything in four years? Add more BUZ routes please!

Within "Future SEQ" ideas and documents it states that Brisbane Metro is crucial with LRT complementing the system from West End to New Farm and Tenneriffe at a later stage. I guess a new River crossing would need to be built preferably as a tunnel. But this is not going to happen until the late 2020s. Articulated buses have now been confirmed for the Blue Glider. Once that reaches near capacity they will move towards some kind of adequate mass transit system. Underground track Metro or LRT that runs underground and on the surface.

At least Bne Metro will alleviate congestion on the Busway and allow for the current 3 door articulated buses to be redeployed to other routes like the 412 and 333, as well as others.

[verbatim9]

A similar model showing how the vehicle is recharged

[ozbob]

OMG - stop the madness!

We are not going to have a resurrection of dead LRT plans (that have been tried FOUR times already!) and dead populist fare discounting policies.

Haven't they learned anything in four years? Add more BUZ routes please!

Seems not.  It was Labor that killed light rail in 1998 and went for BRT with the busways.  It is far too late to think that can now be reversed.

It is brain snapping that they still have not got it.  What the red team needs to be focussing on PT wise is the things that can actually have an impact on.  Bus network improvements being the biggy.

If they want a vision project here it is.  A true underground metro (automated) heavy rail:  West <> East.  TMR have a concept plan for this.

With CRR and the Brisbane Metro, North <> South is fine.  West <> East is the next step.

[timh]

OMG - stop the madness!

We are not going to have a resurrection of dead LRT plans (that have been tried FOUR times already!) and dead populist fare discounting policies.

Haven't they learned anything in four years? Add more BUZ routes please!

Seems not.  It was Labor that killed light rail in 1998 and went for BRT with the busways.  It is far too late to think that can now be reversed.

It is brain snapping that they still have not got it.  What the red team needs to be focussing on PT wise is the things that can actually have an impact on.  Bus network improvements being the biggy.

If they want a vision project here it is.  A true underground metro (automated) heavy rail:  West <> East.  TMR have a concept plan for this.

With CRR and the Brisbane Metro, North <> South is fine.  West <> East is the next step.

The Bligh government had that idea floated in the Connecting SEQ 2031 document right? "Brisbane Subway" they called it. Went from West End to Hamilton via New Farm. Obviously prohibitively expensive but I'm surprised no other party since has dragged it out as election policy.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[verbatim9]

OMG - stop the madness!

We are not going to have a resurrection of dead LRT plans (that have been tried FOUR times already!) and dead populist fare discounting policies.

Haven't they learned anything in four years? Add more BUZ routes please!

Seems not.  It was Labor that killed light rail in 1998 and went for BRT with the busways.  It is far too late to think that can now be reversed.

It is brain snapping that they still have not got it.  What the red team needs to be focussing on PT wise is the things that can actually have an impact on.  Bus network improvements being the biggy.

If they want a vision project here it is.  A true underground metro (automated) heavy rail:  West <> East.  TMR have a concept plan for this.

With CRR and the Brisbane Metro, North <> South is fine.  West <> East is the next step.

The Bligh government had that idea floated in the Connecting SEQ 2031 document right? "Brisbane Subway" they called it. Went from West End to Hamilton via New Farm. Obviously prohibitively expensive but I'm surprised no other party since has dragged it out as election policy.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

An underground mass transit solution will have to happen in the future. Surface LRT will be too slow but can still happen as undergroud/surface and elevated would be logistically impossible (Land resumptions etc  .) The visual effect through West end, New Farm and Teneriffe would be absolutely horrible.

[kram0]

We really need to be looking at something along the lines of what is proposed in this report to be operational by 2030 at the latest.

https://brisbanedevelopment.com/brisbane-needs-an-east-west-mass-rapid-transit/

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Union wants Brisbane Metro jobs but council says city lacks the skills

The manufacturing union has criticised Brisbane City Council for not ensuring the majority of electric vehicles for Brisbane Metro will be made here, but the council says Brisbane doesn't yet have the capability to take on such cutting-edge technology.

Lord mayor Adrian Schrinner announced two weeks ago that the vehicle manufacturing tender had been won by Swiss manufacturers Hess, with local support by Volgren in Eagle Farm to fit-out the vehicles.

Documents presented to the council when approving the multimillion-dollar contract with Hess said the vehicles "will have manufacturing content provided in Brisbane".

That included painting, installation of low-voltage equipment, installation of information systems, and the interior fitout.

But the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union's Queensland state secretary, Rohan Webb, said while the union welcomed the local aspect, council should have ensured more manufacturing was done in Brisbane.

"The AMWU has pushed all levels of government to ensure procurement decisions promote job opportunities for local workers and good pathways for apprentices," Mr Webb said.

"With the largest budget of any Australian council, it's about time BCC implemented a procurement policy similar to other local governments and states that prioritised procurement opportunities for local industry.

"When spending ratepayers' money, the benefits should stay in the local community."

Deputy mayor and public and active transport committee chair Krista Adams said none of the tenders to council had manufacturing in Brisbane as an option.

"The reality is, this is very high-level tech manufacturing. I don't think we have the capability for a battery-electric vehicle in Australia, let alone in Brisbane," she said.

"This is the first of its kind, so beyond the fact that there's no manufacturing facilities for this type of product, I don't think Australia has the skills at this point in time."

Mr Webb said it was important that jobs generated from the 60-vehicle contract were local and permanent for Brisbane ratepayers, given the significant size of the $944 million Brisbane Metro project.

Cr Adams said it was less technical to complete the fitout in Brisbane but the first stage of work done on the new vehicles would help upskill local workers.

She said council asked for contractors to provide some aspect of manufacturing within Brisbane, with Hess's partnership with Volgren the best option.

"Metro is definitely here to stay, so the more Metro lines we roll out, the more people we're going to need in our Eagle Farm depot to help us get these vehicles on the road," she said.

"I think there's a great opportunity for the permanent expansion of that workforce into the future."