Construction has started on Sydney’s first purpose-built electric bus depot at Macquarie Park.
The new depot in Sydney’s north will support 150 cleaner and quieter electric buses. It is part of a long-term transition to replace the state’s diesel and gas bus fleet with zero-emission vehicles.
The depot is expected to be completed and operating in 2028. Once open, it will create around 160 jobs, including roles for drivers, maintenance workers and administration staff.
The new facility will improve bus services across Sydney’s lower north shore, northwest suburbs, Ryde and Parramatta. It will work alongside existing bus depots in Ryde and Willoughby.
The Macquarie Park depot will include standard and fast charging systems. The electric buses will be able to travel up to 300 kilometres on a single charge.
The project follows the installation of electric bus charging technology at Brookvale, which became the first Sydney bus depot prepared for the electric transition. More depots, including Leichhardt and Kingsgrove, are expected to receive charging upgrades.
The electric bus program aims to deliver more than 1,200 new electric buses by 2028. The wider plan will gradually transition more than 8,000 public transport buses across the state to electric technology over the next two decades.
The new depot is being jointly funded by federal and state governments, with a combined investment of $230 million. Construction work is being carried out at the Talavera Road site by contractor Fulton Hogan.
The project is expected to support cleaner air, quieter streets and a more sustainable public transport network. It will also create new construction and transport industry opportunities.