Brisbane’s rapid bus service to be expanded to suburbs in preparation for 2032 Olympics | Brisbane

Brisbane’s Metrobus service is set to be expanded to the city’s suburbs in preparation for the 2032 Olympic Games, a plan backed by the Labor state government.

Mayor Adrian Schrinner and Premier Steven Miles will jointly announce a “long-term plan” for 22 new stations on Wednesday, expanding service to Springwood, Capalaba, Carseldine and Brisbane Airport.

Both leaders are now calling for Commonwealth funding for the bus plan and have written a joint letter to the federal government.

Both levels of government will fund a “rapid, detailed business case” to determine the feasibility of expanding the bus system.

The state government has long refused to support the Brisbane City Council project, which was initially promised at the 2016 election. The Labor state government instead built the inner-city rail project across the river without support from the Commonwealth or council.

Both levels of government recently reached an agreement to share the operating costs of the metro.

Premier Steven Miles said: “We will work with council to do what matters to bring the Brisbane Metro to Capalaba, Springwood, Carseldine and beyond.”

Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the service would be a “central part of Brisbane’s transport plan that will help provide better connections between the venues for the Games, and an improved transport network that will keep Brisbane and surrounding communities moving”.

Schrinner said setting up the service for the 2032 Games would require “a collaborative effort from all three levels of government.”

The State Government would also support the council’s plans for a new bus route in the north of the city, extending route two to Chermside and then Carseldine. It would also fund a new Tube depot in the northern suburbs. Both would require a business case.

Transport Minister Bart Mellish pointed to the Department for Transport and Main Roads’ transport modelling as the reason for the decision to prioritise the northern suburbs.

“We are investing in the short- and medium-term work to support this,” he said.

It is not yet clear how much the entire project will cost.

The first phase of the Brisbane Metro is expected to open on October 21, with the second line opening in late 2024.

The Brisbane Metro does not meet the international definition of a metro service because it does not run on rails.