Commuters in Brisbane have been venting their frustration after long waits for bus replacement services at several train stations—again. By around 7am, the queues didn’t just form inside the station gates; they spilled out and stretched along rail bridges, with people standing in the morning heat, watching buses either not arrive or not arrive fast enough.
This morning, buses replaced trains between Northgate and Bowen Hills, north of the city, and between Boggo Road and the Gold Coast’s Varsity Lakes. For many people, the plan sounded straightforward on paper. For Joanne McCarthy, it wasn’t. Her commute from Caboolture to Roma Street, which normally takes one hour, took two-and-a-half.
McCarthy said passengers were told to get off the train at Geebung and join what was already a line of hundreds spanning the rail bridge just before 7am. “There were no buses there waiting for us,” she said. She described waiting 45 minutes before she could finally get on a bus in the hot sun. “We had no communication whatsoever about what was happening.”
And then there was the small, very real moment of trying to escape it—except, not really escaping. She said she was thinking about jumping in an Uber, but you couldn’t even get to the front of the line to get down the stairs to get an Uber. It’s the kind of detail you only understand when you’re stuck in it: the “option” exists, but the queue makes it impossible. One minute you’re planning, the next you’re just… standing.
Another commuter told Misryoum newsroom reported they waited 40 minutes at Eagle Junction station, with long queues still behind them. The person said that while waiting for a bus to Central, two buses to Helensvale stopped, and only about three people got on while hundreds continued to wait. The Nudgee resident also said it took 90 minutes to get to work instead of the usual 35. And at Geebung, commuters said there weren’t enough replacement buses going to the city, with at least 100 people waiting for the bus to the CBD.
Misryoum editorial desk noted that South East Queensland Transport Association founder Imogen Buckley said similar track closures have happened in previous years that needed replacement buses, but these disruptions were exacerbated by the fuel crisis. Buckley called it “embarrassing” that commuters were waiting on platforms for lines that stretched outside stations, arguing it “makes public transport look terrible.” She said more frequent rail buses were needed, and while she believed the closures were a “necessary evil,” she also pointed to a bigger fix: better infrastructure for fewer closures and a frequent, reliable network.
Misryoum newsroom reported that a Transport and Main Roads (TMR) spokesperson said the department continuously monitored service levels and was investigating options to deliver more services where demand is high. The spokesperson also said TMR worked closely with delivery partners to maximise rail replacement capacity for the planned track closures, including sourcing hundreds of drivers from interstate.
The broader disruption isn’t ending quickly. Track closures across Brisbane’s rail network since April 10 have been linked to major track works and ongoing industrial disputes. Misryoum editorial team noted that the government had previously said closures from April 3 to April 26 were scheduled since July last year to allow for critical works on multiple rail projects. Last week, Queensland Rail said the closures would be extended to April 30, citing protected industrial action taking by unions.
Queensland Rail said closures from Bowen Hills to Eagle Junction and Northgate would continue for four extra days, and reopen on April 16. There’s been blame traded too. Treasurer David Janetzki previously said: “We are in this position because of the union actions that are straight out of the CFMEU playbook”. Labor’s Shannon Fentiman said it had “nothing to do” with union action, calling it an “incompetent government” that shut down trains “at one of
the busiest times of year” and couldn’t organise replacement buses. “I am completely shocked that the transport minister isn’t fronting the cameras today to apologise to Queenslanders and explain what went wrong.” A TMR spokesperson later said protected industrial action over Easter meant critical works weren’t completed as planned, “causing longer than normal queues for rail replacement buses”—and the transport minister has been contacted for comment, though for commuters the practical question stays the same:
how long do you wait, before the bus that’s meant to replace the train finally shows up?
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