Brisbane residents are being invited to share their public transport concerns and suggest improvements as community consultation begins on proposed Metro expansions across the city’s northern, eastern, southern and airport corridors.
Submissions close on Sunday, 13 December 2026, giving commuters an opportunity to describe difficulties with existing services and suggest improvements. Their feedback will help inform a business case examining how Brisbane Metro could reach more suburbs.
Four corridors bring different transport questions
The proposed Northern Metro would connect the CBD with Carseldine, extending services through Lutwyche, Kedron, Chermside and Aspley. Gympie Road has been identified as a potential corridor, raising questions about how dedicated bus infrastructure could improve journeys along one of Brisbane’s major northern transport routes.
For residents in these suburbs, the consultation provides an opportunity to describe existing problems involving bus connections, journey reliability and access to public transport. Final station locations and the infrastructure needed for a northern extension remain undecided.
The Eastern Metro proposal would connect central Brisbane with Capalaba through the eastern suburbs, with Old Cleveland Road identified as a potential route. Commuters travelling through areas including Coorparoo could provide feedback about existing services, transfers and difficulties encountered during their journeys.
South of the city, the proposed Southern Metro would connect the CBD with Springwood, complementing the South East Busway extension and linking with the existing M1 service at Eight Mile Plains busway station.
The fourth corridor would create express Metro connections between Brisbane Airport’s domestic and international terminals and the CBD. Planning will examine how those services could fit into the wider public transport network.
All four corridors remain proposals, with their potential alignments and infrastructure needs to be examined through the business case.
Population growth adds pressure to existing routes
Council forecasts substantial population growth along the three residential corridors over the next 20 years.
Its projections indicate increases of 60 per cent along the CBD-to-Carseldine corridor, 29 per cent towards Capalaba and 96 per cent towards Springwood. Approximately 88,000 additional residents are expected in areas surrounding those corridors.
Brisbane’s latest expansion proposals also revisit ambitions from the South East Queensland Integrated Regional Transport Plan developed in the 1990s. The earlier plan proposed approximately 75 kilometres of busways, but only about 25 kilometres were ultimately built.
Infrastructure Australia has identified the Metro expansion as an early-stage investment proposal that could improve public transport capacity, interchange connections and service reliability. Potential benefits remain subject to further planning and assessment.
Council wants to hear where journeys fall short
The consultation focuses on residents’ current travel experiences and suggestions for improving bus services along the proposed corridors, rather than asking them to comment on completed designs.
Issues such as unreliable travel times, inconvenient transfers, access to stops and gaps in service coverage could be raised by residents. Council has not indicated that participants will be able to vote on final station locations or select specific route alignments.
The consultation follows the introduction of Brisbane Metro’s M1 and M2 services in 2025, alongside changes to the city’s wider bus network. Council is now investigating how similar high-capacity services could operate beyond the existing network.
LM Adrian Schrinner has encouraged residents to contribute to the expansion plans, arguing that the Metro model should be extended into other parts of Brisbane.
Civic Cabinet Chair for Transport Cr Andrew Wines has also sought feedback from regular passengers and people who would consider using public transport if better services were available.
Construction funding and 2032 timetable remain uncertain
Brisbane City Council is working with the Queensland and Australian governments on the Brisbane Metro Expansions Business Case, with Jacobs Group (Australia) engaged to undertake the work.
The business case will investigate possible route alignments, depot locations, network improvements, infrastructure requirements and the order in which different sections could be delivered.
The Australian Government has committed $50 million to support development of the final business case and related expansion planning. However, construction funding for the proposed corridors has not been secured, and major infrastructure works would require substantial additional investment.
Mr Schrinner has declined to guarantee that any of the proposed extensions will be completed before the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The distinction between long-term expansion plans and present-day transport needs has also attracted criticism. Opposition Leader Cr Jared Cassidy has called for more suburban bus services now, rather than waiting years for major infrastructure projects.
Council expects the expansion business case to be completed in late 2027. Any subsequent construction would depend on funding availability, relevant approvals and decisions about which sections should proceed.
How residents can have their say
The survey is open until Sunday, 13 December 2026. Council has also provided an option for residents to register for project updates as the business case progresses.
The online community survey can be accessed directly, while questions about the project can be sent to metroexpansions@brisbane.qld.gov.au.
Feedback gathered during the consultation will contribute to the business case, which is expected to provide more detailed information about potential routes, infrastructure requirements and delivery stages in late 2027.
Published 28-Oct-2026
Featured Image Credit: Wikipedia/Kyethepie21/CC0
