The project

The Brisbane Metro Operations and Maintenance Facility is the operational backbone of Brisbane's Metro network — a 12-hectare end-of-route facility at School Road, Rochedale, adjacent to the South East Busway, purpose-built to maintain and operate the city's new fleet of 60 battery electric metro vehicles.

Delivered as part of Brisbane City Council's $944 million Brisbane Metro programme — a 21-kilometre high-frequency rapid transit network linking 18 stations from Eight Mile Plains to Roma Street and the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital to the University of Queensland — the facility is one of the largest and most technologically advanced of its kind in Australia.

The Brisbane Metro M2 route commenced operations in January 2025 and the M1 route in June 2025, with the depot now fully operational supporting both routes.

What was delivered

The 12-hectare facility delivers stabling and maintenance infrastructure for the full fleet of 60 battery electric metro vehicles, with capacity designed for future fleet expansion. Five end-of-route Grid e-Motion flash chargers — capable of recharging a metro vehicle in under six minutes — are supported by 60 CCS2 plug-in slow chargers and their associated charging infrastructure.

The facility includes extensive workshop facilities for routine maintenance and body repairs, metro driver amenities, administration offices, and on-site parking supporting day-to-day depot and fleet operations. A 1-megawatt solar photovoltaic system, rainwater harvesting, and recycled water for the vehicle wash facility underpin the facility's 5-star Green Star rating.

The project was delivered across 25 design packages and involved more than 20,000 metres of inground conduit reticulation, 3,500 metres of RCP stormwater pipework, and 36,000m² of paved surfaces. More than 95 per cent of the construction contract spend was directed to Brisbane and Southeast Queensland businesses.

The outcome

The facility was completed and handed over to Brisbane City Council in 2023 — on time and to a 5-star Green Star standard. It now operates as the operational hub for Brisbane's Metro network, supporting two high-frequency routes running every five minutes during peak periods and 24 hours on weekends. The project set a new benchmark for sustainable public transport infrastructure in Australia.

Our role

Brad Eathorne served as State Manager for the delivery contractor during the project, with responsibility for the Queensland construction operations that delivered this landmark piece of public transport infrastructure for Brisbane City Council.