The Brisbane Metro Depot, Brisbane City Council’s new Rochedale project, will be providing storage and power for the new fleet of Brisbane Metro vehicles, offering advanced charging infrastructure on top of maintenance and staff facilities.
It will also generate 170 new jobs throughout construction, with many more to follow after its completion.
Over 10 hectares large, the depot will be one of the biggest and most technologically advanced facilities in all of Australia. The fleet itself will facilitate travel across Brisbane by giving the community a new mode of transport which shares the busway with existing bus services.
Upon completion, the depot will be able to house up to 60 fully electric Metro vehicles — all of which will be produced by the world-leading vehicle manufacturer HESS, in partnership with the Brisbane-based manufacturer Volgren and the electric infrastructure company ABB.
Each vehicle utilises an advanced battery fuel source with zero tailpipe emissions, and they will be able to carry up to 150 passengers. HESS and its partners will build and test the electric vehicles in Europe within the year, and they are expected to be available for local operating testing in Brisbane by 2022.
Major construction of the Brisbane Metro Depot, located along School Rd, Rochedale, is expected to begin in mid-2021. Construction of the facility is estimated to finish in 2023, just in time for the delivery of the Brisbane Metro vehicle fleet.