News that Brisbane City Council is poised to move ahead with its Brisbane Metro project will be welcomed by Brisbane commuters.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the Palaszczuk Government was continuing to work with Council on its plans for a new 21km inner-city turn up and go electric bus service.
"Brisbane Metro will be an important addition to the region's transport network," Mr Bailey said.
"We are working with Council to plan how Metro will connect with the wider public transport when the first services start in a few years, but news that construction could start soon is an significant milestone for the project.
"Tunnelling has started on Queensland's largest infrastructure project Cross River Rail, which will transform rail travel in south east Queensland.
"Adelaide Street in Brisbane's CBD will be the next location to enjoy this 'tunnel vision' thanks to its Metro initiative.
"Both projects will completely re-think how commuters connect with public transport."
Mr Bailey said Cross River Rail and Metro would support a reliable pipeline of jobs and investment for the civil construction sector as Queensland's economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"There is close to 10,000 jobs being supported by these two projects alone," Mr Bailey said.
"The Palaszczuk Government's $50 billion infrastructure program is a key part of that recovery plan, and the timing of construction on Council's Metro project is a welcome and well-timed addition for the construction sector."
Mr Bailey said an independent assessment of the new electric vehicles that will make up Metro's fleet has commenced.
"TransLink has appointed an independent panel to assess the vehicle," Mr Bailey said.
"We need to ensure the new Metro vehicles can join the current network without significant interruptions or issues, so that assessment will look at how the vehicle performs and integrates with the wider bus fleet that will continue to use the busways."
Mr Bailey said design work for a new Metro station at Southbank's Cultural Centre precinct was continuing.
"Building the Cultural Centre Station is a fantastic opportunity to improve Brisbane's cultural heart and our public transport network," Mr Bailey said.
"We'll continue to work with Brisbane City Council through that process while it gets started on other parts of the Metro project."
