View source for Northern Busway, Brisbane

{{short description|Bus-only road in Brisbane, Australia}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox bus line
|logo            = <!-- bus logo (ex: Image_name.png) -->
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|name            = Northern Busway
|bgcolor         = #{{rcr|TransLink (Queensland)|Northern}}
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|system          =  [[Translink (Queensland)|Translink]]
|operator        = [[Transport for Brisbane]]
|garage          = 
|vehicle         = 
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|status          = Open
|open            = 23 February 2004
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|locale          = 
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|landmarks       = 
|start           = [[King George Square busway station|King George Square]]
|via             = [[Gympie Road]]
|end             = [[Kedron Brook busway station|Kedron Brook]]
|length          = <!-- {{convert|13.2|km|mi|abbr=on}} -->
|stations        = 13
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|map_link        = <!-- external link to an online map (ex: [http://www.example.com/map.html Line xx map]) -->
|map             = {{Northern Busway, Brisbane}}
|map_state       = expanded
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The '''Northern Busway''' is a [[Bus rapid transit|bus-only road]] running north from the [[Brisbane central business district]] to the [[RBWH busway station|Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital]] in [[Queensland]], Australia. The first section of the busway opened on 23 February 2004 with one station at [[QUT Kelvin Grove busway station|QUT Kelvin Grove]]. In December 2005, [[Normanby busway station|Normanby]] and [[Herston busway station|Herston]] stations opened.

The Northern Busway extension opened in stages with the Herston to [[Windsor, Queensland|Windsor]] section opening in August 2009, and the Windsor to [[Kedron, Queensland|Kedron]] section opening in June 2012.

==History==
[[File:2010-03-09 - Airport Link - 02.jpg|thumb|Workers continues the [[tunnel]]ing works for the [[Airport Link, Brisbane|Airport Link project]] during the night]]
The first section of the Northern Busway, from the intersection of Roma Street to [[Herston, Queensland|Herston]], opened on 23 February 2004 with only one station, [[QUT Kelvin Grove busway station|QUT Kelvin Grove]].<ref>{{Cite news | edition = 1| page = 7 | last = Odgers | first = Rosemary | first2 = Lachlan |last2= Heywood | title = Busway to reduce commuting times | newspaper = [[The Courier-Mail]] | date = 23 February 2004 }}</ref> On 14 December 2005, two new stations, [[Normanby busway station|Normanby]] and [[Herston busway station|Royal Children's Hospital Herston]], were opened on the existing section.<ref>{{cite web|title=Beattie opens new $135 million busway|url=http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=34297|access-date=31 March 2010|archive-date=16 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120416061037/http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=34297|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Two New Stations Help Make Busway The Smart Way To Travel|url=http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=44003|access-date=31 March 2010|archive-date=10 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610020910/http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=44003|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The second section of the Northern Busway, also known as the Inner Northern Busway, officially opened on 19 May 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=Commuters save travel time as INB officially opens|url=http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=58111|access-date=31 March 2010|archive-date=16 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120416061051/http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=58111|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080720180325/http://www.translink.com.au/qt/translin.nsf/index/busway_innernorthern_kinggeorgesquare King George Square station] TransLink</ref><ref>[http://www.cimic.com.au/our-business/projects/completed-projects/inner-northern-busway-queen-street-to-roma-street Inner Northern Busway - Queen Street to Roma Street] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318083916/http://www.cimic.com.au/our-business/projects/completed-projects/inner-northern-busway-queen-street-to-roma-street |date=18 March 2017 }} CIMIC Group</ref> This section connects the first section of the Northern Busway to the [[South East Busway]] with stations at [[King George Square busway station|King George Square]] and [[Roma Street busway station|Roma Street]]. To make room for the Inner Northern Busway, the lower floors of King George Square carpark were removed, and one rail platform at [[Roma Street railway station]] was removed.<ref>{{cite web|title=Premier inspects Inner Northern Busway progress|url=http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=54176|access-date=31 March 2010|archive-date=10 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610021310/http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=54176|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Roma Street to become hub for bus and rail|url=http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=46269|access-date=31 March 2010|archive-date=11 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311040300/http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=46269|url-status=live}}</ref>

In October 2007, an alliance of [[Abigroup]] and [[SMEC Holdings]] were selected to build the 1.2 kilometre [[Herston busway station|Royal Children's Hospital]] to [[Windsor, Queensland|Windsor]] section with a new station at [[RBWH busway station|Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital]].<ref>[http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/Id/54708 Alliance to Build Busway] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318084759/http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/Id/54708 |date=18 March 2017 }} Queensland Government 26 October 2007</ref> This opened on 3 August 2009.<ref>[https://www.busnews.com.au/industry-news/0907/busways-open-for-business-in-brisbane Busways open for business in Brisbane] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318085620/https://www.busnews.com.au/industry-news/0907/busways-open-for-business-in-brisbane |date=18 March 2017 }} ''Australasian Bus & Coach'' 24 July 2009</ref><ref name='More than half a billion dollars worth of busway to open for business'>{{cite web|title=More than half a billion dollars worth of busway to open for business|url=http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=65514|access-date=31 March 2010|archive-date=10 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610020950/http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=65514|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 18 June 2012, the Windsor to Kedron section opened.<ref>[http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/Id/79573 Queenslander's celebrate new busway] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318085725/http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/Id/79573 |date=18 March 2017 }} Queensland Government 16 June 2012</ref><ref>[https://www.busnews.com.au/industry-news/1205/busways-opening-looms Busway's opening looms] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318102719/https://www.busnews.com.au/industry-news/1205/busways-opening-looms |date=18 March 2017 }} ''Australasian Bus & Coach'' 16 May 2012</ref>

==Route==
===King George Square to Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital===
[[File:RBWH busway station roadway.JPG|thumb|[[RBWH busway station]] roadway]]
The Northern Busway starts in a tunnel underneath [[Albert Street, Brisbane|Albert Street]] in the [[Brisbane central business district]] adjacent to the [[Queen Street bus station]], previously the terminus of the [[South East Busway]]. Many northbound services using the Northern Busway originate at the [[Cultural Centre busway station]] on the South East Busway. It then proceeds north-west to the [[King George Square busway station]], a large interchange with several stops on each of its two underground platforms. It then surfaces near [[Roma Street railway station]] and follows the alignment of the main city train lines. [[Roma Street busway station]] is adjacent to the train platforms and is on the same level. Platform 2 is shared by both trains and buses, although the only train to currently use Platform 2 is [[NSW TrainLink]]'s daily [[New South Wales XPT|XPT]] service to [[Central railway station, Sydney|Sydney]].

The busway then continues north alongside the [[Exhibition railway line]] and then north-east through the [[Victoria Park, Brisbane|Victoria Park Golf Complex]], with stations adjacent to the [[Normanby Fiveways]], the [[Queensland University of Technology]] campus at [[Kelvin Grove, Queensland|Kelvin Grove]] and the [[Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane|Royal Children's Hospital]]. The busway then turns left and on to a bridge structure alongside the [[Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital]] precinct over Butterfield Street.

===Windsor to Kedron===
The three kilometre Windsor to Kedron section was built by a [[John Holland Group|John Holland]]/[[Thiess Pty Ltd|Thiess]] consortium opening on 18 June 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=Windsor to Kedron |url=http://translink.com.au/about-translink/what-we-do/infrastructure-projects/northern-busway/windsor-to-kedron |publisher=Translink |access-date=9 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716023539/http://translink.com.au/about-translink/what-we-do/infrastructure-projects/northern-busway/windsor-to-kedron |archive-date=16 July 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| title =Northern Busway sneak peek| work =Campbell Newman| publisher =Department of the Premier and Cabinet| date =13 June 2012| url =http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=79535| archive-url =https://archive.today/20121130120552/http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=79535| url-status =dead| archive-date =30 November 2012| access-date =6 July 2012}}</ref><ref>[http://www.johnholland.com.au/our-projects/airport-link-m7-and-northern-busway/ Airport Link M7 & Northern Busway] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223181101/http://www.johnholland.com.au/our-projects/airport-link-m7-and-northern-busway/ |date=23 February 2017 }} John Holland</ref><ref>[https://www.thiess.com/projects/airport-link-northern-busway-airport-roundabout/detail Airport Link, Northern Busway (Windsor to Kedron) & Airport Roundabout Upgrade] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318090052/https://www.thiess.com/projects/airport-link-northern-busway-airport-roundabout/detail |date=18 March 2017 }} Thiess</ref> The route rejoins Lutwyche Road after crossing [[Enoggera Creek]]. The route travels via bus lanes and local bus stops until it reaches Truro Street, where it enters into a dedicated 1.5 kilometre underground busway tunnel. After passing through [[Lutwyche busway station|Lutwyche]] and [[Kedron Brook busway station]]s and crossing [[Kedron Brook]], the route rejoins Lutwyche Road at Stafford Road (southbound/inbound) and Sadlier Street (northbound/outbound).<ref>{{cite web |title=Planning bus services for the Northern Busway (Windsor to Kedron) Fact Sheet March 2010 |url=http://translink.com.au/resources/about-translink/what-we-do/infrastructure-projects/northern-busway/100301-newsletter.pdf |publisher=Translink |access-date=9 September 2011 |archive-date=27 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111027125232/http://translink.com.au/resources/about-translink/what-we-do/infrastructure-projects/northern-busway/100301-newsletter.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Future extension==
The final stage of the busway is planned to be built from [[Kedron, Queensland|Kedron]] to [[Bracken Ridge]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110117145107/http://www.translink.com.au/about-translink/what-we-do/infrastructure-projects/northern-busway Northern Busway] TransLink</ref> A series of draft alignments in order to identify the corridor for preservation have been released, however no final route has been selected.<ref>{{cite web |title=Northern Busway: Kedron to Bracken Ridge |url=http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Projects/Name/N/Northern-Busway-Kedron-to-Bracken-Ridge.aspx |publisher=Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads |access-date=9 September 2011 |archive-date=24 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824173347/http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Projects/Name/N/Northern-Busway-Kedron-to-Bracken-Ridge.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> Provisions for this extension were pre-built at the Kedron Portal of the Busway.

The [[Newman Ministry|Newman Government]] had indicated an intention to revisit the alignment for this project.{{when|date=November 2024}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Courier Mail Northern Busway may be Scrapped |url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/brisbanes-northern-busway-final-stage-may-be-scrapped-says-scott-emerson/story-e6freoof-1226394351271 |publisher=Courier Mail |access-date=30 May 2016}}</ref> Their primary points of departure from the policy of the previous government were a preference not to build the full busway option, nor to take the busway all the way to [[The Prince Charles Hospital]]. These changes were predicated on the perceived high expense of the previously published preferred options. The Newman government's stated preference was for [[Bus priority|bus or transit lane]] level priority along the highly congested [[Gympie Road]] corridor.<ref>[https://www.busnews.com.au/industry-news/1207/busway-plan-under-review Busway plan under review] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318104228/https://www.busnews.com.au/industry-news/1207/busway-plan-under-review |date=18 March 2017 }} ''Australasian Bus & Coach'' 4 July 2012</ref> In August 2024, it was announced [[Brisbane Metro]] would be extended using [[Gympie Road|Northern Transitway]] as well as a new busway tunnel as part of a new [[Gympie Road|Gympie Road bypass tunnel]] would be built north of [[Chermside bus station|Chermside]] and the existing Northern busway between RBWH and Kedron Brook bus stations would be used for a Metro extension on the Northside of Brisbane, completing the Northern Busway.

==Services==
All services on the busway are operated by [[Transport for Brisbane]].<ref>{{Queensland Timetables|Northern Busway Map}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{commons category-inline}}

{{Navbox Northern Busway, Brisbane|state=collapsed}}
{{Navbox TransLink (SEQ) bus network}}

[[Category:Bus rapid transit in Australia]]
[[Category:Busways]]
[[Category:Public transport in Brisbane]]
[[Category:Transport infrastructure completed in 2004]]
[[Category:2004 establishments in Australia]]